Category: Broadcaster's Lounge
We're resurrecting a board Felix started and for some reason it's inaccessible at the moment. So we've Q.S.Y'ed here until further notice. That other board may return if possible, if not this we'll be our new home. All chicken banders, h.f'ers, are welcomed. Even S.W.L's. Our Q.S.L. manager is VICTOR ALFA 3 KILOWATT KILOWATT YANKEE...73's de k6pt
Thanks a lot for continuing my board however, how do you Q.S.Y. from one board to the next? You realize what you just said right? You said that you're changing frequencies to another board. That makes no sense. Otherwise, fine business old man.
GERRITSEN CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS IN RADIO JAMMING CASE
A US District Court jury has found Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California,
guilty on six counts that included transmitting without a license and
willful and malicious interference with radio transmissions. Gerritsen, 69,
who briefly held the amateur call sign KG6IRO, will face sentencing March 6,
according to the office of Debra W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central
District of California. He could receive up to 15 years in federal prison.
"The Federal Communication Commission investigated illegal radio
transmissions linked to Gerritsen for four years," said a statement from
Yang's office. "According to court documents filed in this case, the FCC
investigation revealed that Gerritsen transmitted his prerecorded messages,
as well as real-time harassment and profanity, for hours at a time, often
making it impossible for licensed radio operators to use the public
frequencies." A federal grand jury indicted Gerritsen last spring.
Turning down the offer of a public defender, Gerritsen served as his own
attorney. The government's case, presented by Assistant US Attorney Lamar
Baker, went to the jury December 8, and the jury deliberated for less than
an hour before returning its verdict December 9. US District Court Judge R.
Gary Klausner revoked Gerritsen's bond, and the defendant was taken into
custody following the verdict.
Gerritsen was found guilty of interfering with a Military Affiliate Radio
System (MARS) communication last March and interfering with American Red
Cross communications last January--both misdemeanors--and with interfering
with US Coast Guard communications in October 2004, a felony. He also faced
three misdemeanor counts of transmitting without a license. Recordings of
radio transmissions attributed to Gerritsen were played for the jury.
Those familiar with this week's court proceedings said Gerritsen tended to
focus on freedom of speech issues and sometimes confused those on the stand.
Among those testifying at length on behalf of the government was FCC Senior
Agent Steven Pierce, who discussed his use of mobile direction-finding
equipment and techniques used to track the source of transmissions.
Just days before the trial began, the FCC affirmed a total of $42,000 in
additional fines it had levied on Gerritsen, releasing two $21,000
Forfeiture Orders (NOFs). In affirming the fines, the FCC rebuffed every
argument Gerritsen had offered in responding to each Notice of Apparent
Liability, including his insistent "freedom of speech" claim.
"His unlicensed operation on amateur frequencies is not protected by the US
Constitution as it is well established that the right to free speech does
not include the right to use radio facilities without a license," the FCC
said in a footnote in one of the NOFs. The federal court jury in California
apparently agreed.
In late November, Klausner denied Gerritsen's motion to dismiss the three
unlicensed transmitting counts, turning away Gerritsen's argument that the
FCC could not set aside his Amateur Radio license without a hearing.
Klausner declared that the effect of the FCC's 2001 set aside of KG6IRO "was
to treat the application as if it had never been granted." Since Gerritsen
never held an Amateur Radio license, he never had the right to a hearing,
the judge reasoned.
Last March, the FCC upheld a $10,000 fine against Gerritsen for interfering
with Amateur Radio communications. The government has yet to collect.
FBI agents, accompanied by FCC staff, arrested Gerritsen without incident
last May and seized his radio equipment. Released on $250,000 bond while
awaiting trial, Gerritsen remained in home detention, barred from possessing
any radio equipment.
Gerritsen's history of radio-related legal problems go back to 2000 when he
was convicted for intercepting, obstructing and/or interfering with
California Highway Patrol radio communications. In November 2001, the FCC's
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued, then quickly rescinded,
Gerritsen's Technician license, KG6IRO, because of his earlier conviction.
While transmitting on various Los Angeles-area repeaters, Gerritsen
continued to identify as KG6IRO, however.
Radio amateurs on the West Coast complained for months about the slow pace
of enforcement action in the Gerritsen case. Los Angeles-area repeater
owners had taken to shutting down their machines to avoid the nearly
constant barrage of malicious interference and lengthy political tirades
attributed to Gerritsen.
ARLB020: ARRL calls on FCC to privatize handling of malicious interference
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB020
ARLB020 ARRL calls on FCC to privatize handling of malicious interference
complaints
ZCZC AG20
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 20 ARLB020
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 17, 1997
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB020
ARLB020 ARRL calls on FCC to privatize handling of malicious interference
complaints
Citing ''a substantial need to improve and increase the quantity and
quality'' and timeliness of enforcement in malicious interference
complaints, the ARRL has called on the FCC to ''create a streamlined,
privatized enforcement process'' to handle and adjudicate the most
serious Amateur Service rules violations. In a petition for
rulemaking filed March 28, the League asked that the FCC change its
rules to permit members of the volunteer Amateur Auxiliary to bring
evidence of malicious interference violations directly before the
FCC's Chief Administrative Law Judge. The Chief ALJ would be
authorized to determine if the complainants have a valid case, to
issue show-cause orders, and to designate complaints for hearing.
The League recommended that the FCC capitalize on the volunteer
resources available through the Amateur Auxiliary to relieve the
evidence-gathering burden in such cases. If the rules changes are
approved, the League said it would likely assist members of the
Amateur Auxiliary in preparing and submitting complaints and in
presenting cases at administrative hearings. ''The increased use of
volunteer resources would seem to be entirely appropriate in the
Amateur Service, which involves avocational use of radio only,'' the
ARRL concluded.
While noting that most hams obey the rules, the League said Amateur
Radio needs the Commission's help ''in a very few, persistent,
serious enforcement cases'' but has not been getting it in recent
years because of the FCC's staff and budgetary limitations.
''Indeed, notwithstanding the best efforts of the Commission over the
past several years, there has been no resolution of the four or five
most serious cases brought to the Commission's attention,'' the
League said in its petition. Even in some of the cases the FCC did
act upon, the League said the Commission did not go far enough to
make the problems go away permanently. The League cited a case in
New Orleans where fines against several amateurs were reduced but
remain unpaid and uncollected. ''There is a widespread, and growing,
perception that administrative forfeitures are not collectable,'' the
ARRL said, pointing to the complex, time-consuming method of
collecting fines that is required by federal law.
The ARRL noted that while the FCC suspended one ham's license in
that city in 1996, it failed to look into malicious interference
charges against at least two other hams in that area. The League
said examples like these send a message that the FCC won't enforce
Amateur Service rules in malicious interference cases. ''Malicious
interference problems, if left unchecked, tend to spread and
increase in intensity,'' the League said. The ARRL suggested that a
series of ''visible, successful enforcement actions'' would deter
rules violations and promote self-regulation.
The ARRL also suggested that some FCC policies get in the way of
timely, effective enforcement. Current Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau policy requires the Commission to independently corroborate
evidence gathered by Amateur Radio volunteers. ''The policy often
acts as an absolute obstacle to any enforcement activity
whatsoever,'' and it demoralizes volunteers who view their efforts as
wasted.
While noting that malicious interference cases often attract a lot
of attention within the amateur community, the League said ham radio
can be ''justifiably proud'' of its history of voluntary rule
compliance. ''The overall level of compliant behavior among amateurs
has not deteriorated over the years,'' the League emphasized, citing
fewer than 10 active malicious interference cases in the US at
present.
NNNN
/EX
ARLX003: Florida Man convicted of deliberate interference, unlicensed
SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX003
ARLX003 Florida Man convicted of deliberate interference, unlicensed
operation
ZCZC AX03
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 3 ARLX003
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT June 20, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX003
ARLX003 Florida Man convicted of deliberate interference, unlicensed
operation
A Florida Citizens Band enthusiast accused of jamming Amateur Radio
operations and transmitting without a license was convicted in
federal court June 19 on eight misdemeanor counts. Willam Flippo of
Jupiter was found guilty of four counts of operating without a
license and four counts of deliberate and malicious interference.
Federal District Court Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley noted that, while
the charges were misdemeanors, it was important that the amateur
airwaves be free of interference in the event of an emergency. He
ordered that Flippo remain in custody and undergo a psychiatric
evaluation prior to sentencing.
The prosecutor in the case, Neil Karabdil, credited members of the
Amateur Radio community with bringing Flippo to justice. The list
included ARRL 1999 ARRL International Humanitarian Award winner Ed
Petzolt, K1LNC, who helped the FCC gather evidence in the case; Bert
Morschi, AG4BV; Palm Beach County Emergency Coordinator Dave
Messinger, N4QPM; and Chuck Mulligan, N4SDW.
''This is a very good day for Amateur Radio, and a very good day for
justice,'' Petzolt said following the trial. ''Let the word go out
that we will not tolerate this sort of thing on our frequencies, and
you will be caught.'' Petzolt cited local amateurs and the efforts of
the FCC, including Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley
Hollingsworth ''and everyone else who kept the faith,'' for helping to
bring the case to a successful conclusion.
''Never give up and never surrender,'' Petzolt advised those facing
similar malicious interference situations. ''If you do, they win.''
According to Petzolt, who testified in the trial, Flippo primarily
had targeted the Jupiter Tequesta Repeater Group for jamming and
regularly interfered with amateur operations, especially on 10 and 2
meters, over an approximately three-year period. Following up on the
amateurs' complaints, personnel from the FCC's Tampa District Office
visited the Jupiter area at least twice in 1999 and reported
tracking the offending signals to Flippo's residence.
Federal authorities arrested Flippo in July 2000. The criminal
charges of which he now stands convicted covered violations
allegedly committed between June 1999 and April of 2000. The
defendant already faces a $20,000 fine levied in 1999 for
unlicensed operation, willful and malicious interference to Amateur
Radio communications, and failure to let the FCC inspect his radio
equipment.
Hurley said he was worried that Flippo might not return to court for
his sentencing hearing and ordered him returned to jail. Flippo
reportedly hung his head after the jury returned a guilty verdict on
the second count. He had no comment for a reporter as he was led
back to jail.
Sentencing could take place in about a month. According to the FCC,
Flippo faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison--one year on
each count. He also faces up to $80,000 in fines.
NNNN
/EX
FCC FINES FLORIDA HAM IN INTERFERENCE CASE
The FCC has levied a $2500 fine on a Florida ham for malicious interference on a business radio service frequency. Jeffrey G. Guss, KF4MWT, of Palm Bay,
Florida, was cited by the Commission following an investigation of several months that also involved malicious interference to an amateur repeater.
In February 1997, the FCC's Tampa office responded to complaints of unauthorized transmissions containing foul language and threats on 154.6 MHz. Agents
tracked the transmissions to Guss's residence, but he denied having equipment that could transmit on 154.6 MHz. The FCC sent Guss a warning letter regarding
the unlicensed 154.6 MHz operation that had been traced to his residence, but he failed to reply as required.
Later that year, the Tampa office responded to complaints of malicious interference to an amateur repeater. Using DF gear, agents tracked the transmissions
to a mobile source and ultimately spotted Guss riding in the bed of a pick-up truck. Guss denied knowledge of the transmissions on the amateur repeater,
but when agents asked to inspect his amateur station, they found a hand-held transceiver that transmitted on 154.6 MHz. They also spotted what appeared
to be an RF amplifier inside a vehicle Guss owns, but he refused permission to inspect it.
An Official Notice of Violation went out last September, but Guss again failed to reply as required. Last February, the Tampa office issued a Notice of
Apparent Liability to Guss for unlicensed operation on 154.6 MHz, for failing to permit inspection of radio equipment in his van, and for failing to respond
to the FCC's correspondence.
An FCC review upheld the initial findings in the case. On October 7, the FCC ordered Guss to pay the $2500 fine within 30 days. There is no indication in
the order that Guss's amateur ticket or the Land Mobile Radio Service license he holds will be jeopardized, however.
HAMS HELP NAB POLICE RADIO JAMMER
A Connecticut Amateur Radio tracking team called Capitol Region Malicious Interference Tracking (CRMIT--pronounced "Kermit") helped lead authorities to
a man they believe was interfering with local public safety communications. Wethersfield, Connecticut, police arrested Joel Langdo of Hartford September
29. He's been charged with criminal mischief, interfering with police and breach of peace. Langdo also could face similar charges in other communities
as well as federal charges.
Langdo, a security guard who does not hold an amateur license, allegedly used a modified ham radio hand-held to transmit on police and fire frequencies
used by as many as three dozen Connecticut public safety agencies. At one point, he is said to have jammed the Manchester, Connecticut, police system for
15 minutes.
Tracking down Langdo took several months of often grueling detective work and careful documentation of offending transmissions, according to CRMIT spokesman
Bruce Marcus, WA1NXG, an ARRL Life Member who's in the land-mobile business. Last April, Manchester Police solicited help from CRMIT, which, in turn notified
the FCC. CRMIT helped Manchester authorities solve another malicious interference case several years ago.
Marcus said the jammer used a modified Yaesu FT-50R dualband hand-held for all of his escapades, which included playing music, airing sound from TV sitcoms,
making moaning sounds, and recording and playing back police transmissions. Because the complaints were widespread, Marcus said it was not clear at first
that the jamming incidents were related. "We put the puzzle together," he said. The CRMIT team used transmitter fingerprinting equipment, and the offender
helped to capture himself. "Its unique signature nailed it," Marcus said. The offender also had a habit of broadcasting Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite
and certain DTMF strings.
The CRMIT team eventually was able to track transmissions to the building where Langdo lived. Marcus said federal authorities are looking into how Langdo
got the radio illegally modified to transmit outside the amateur bands.
Marcus had some advice for hams who want to get involved in tracking down perpetrators of malicious interference. "The object is diligence and cooperation
from fellow hams to get the bearings and identification of those signals," he said. "You have to work at it. You have to work at it, and it takes the cooperation
of many people."
MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE CASES TOP FCC LIST
As the latest batch of FCC correspondence reveals, malicious interference cases continue to comprise the bulk of amateur enforcement cases facing FCC Special
Counsel for Amateur Radio Riley Hollingsworth. Recent allegations of deliberate and malicious interference have involved both HF and VHF/UHF operation.
Here's a sampling.
On December 30, 1999, the FCC wrote Amateur Extra licensee Frederick J. Roll, NU5M, enclosing a tape recording it said was of a November 13, 1999, QSO between
NU5M and KC1ZQ on 14.313 MHz that allegedly included harassing behavior. Hollingsworth said the tape was made by the FCC's High-Frequency Direction Finding
Center in Columbia, Maryland. The FCC requested that Roll provide a full explanation of the transmissions and said his response would be used to determine
what action the FCC would take in the matter. The FCC also set aside a recent vanity call sign grant to Roll, pending the outcome of the case.
The FCC put Amateur Extra licensee Arthur Visser, W9ART, on notice December 30 that it intends to designate his license for revocation if it learns of additional
allegations of malicious interference by the licensee. The FCC says it's received "numerous complaints regarding malicious interference and jamming" apparently
originating from Visser's station on 3.950 MHz, most recently on Christmas Eve. The FCC had issued Visser a Warning Notice January 8, 1999, regarding similar
allegations. Hollingsworth told the ARRL January 6, 2000, that he and Visser had been in touch by telephone "in an effort to resolve the issues" that led
to the FCC letter.
Meanwhile, the FCC wrote General licensee Jeffrey J. Pipenur, WA8IKW, in late December, setting aside his license renewal, granted last October 19. Hollingsworth
told Pipenur that the FCC had monitoring evidence indicating that the licensee has "deliberately and maliciously interfered with radio operations of other
amateur licensees on 3.865 MHz" last April 13 and 14 and last November 21. The FCC also has sent Pipenur tape recordings of his April 1999 transmissions
and requested his response. "This matter will have to be resolved before we can make a decision on your renewal application," Hollingsworth told the licensee.
Hollingsworth told the ARRL that the FCC has received renewed allegations of VHF repeater interference in connection with Anthony J. Barben Jr, N2WNF, of
Brooklyn, New York. In June 1997, Barben consented to a 15-month license suspension as part of an FCC effort to resolve a rash of interference cases in
the New York City-Long Island area. The suspension followed accusations of willful and malicious interference, using obscene or indecent language and failure
to identify. On December 28, 1999, the FCC requested that Barben retake his Technician class Amateur Radio examination under the supervision of FCC personnel
by January 30, 2000.
Other repeater interference cases involved two stations in California. The FCC sent Advanced licensee Jensen W. Woods, AH6MX, a Warning Notice for alleged
interference with the KC6OKA repeater system in the LA area. Another Warning Notice went out to Technician licensee Gary R. Dent, KE6JUV, for alleged interference
to an ATV repeater.
Hollingsworth has said he plans to make more use of the FCC's High-Frequency Direction Finding Center to track down rulebreakers in the coming year. In
addition, Hollingsworth now has enhanced monitoring tools at his Gettysburg office.
FEDERAL AGENTS ARREST, DETAIN ALLEGED CALIFORNIA JAMMER
Reputed Los Angeles-area repeater jammer and former Amateur Radio licensee
Jack Gerritsen was taken off the air and into custody this week. Acting on a
criminal complaint, FBI special agents, accompanied by personnel from the
FCC Los Angeles Field Office, arrested the 68-year-old Gerritsen without
incident early May 5 at his home in Bell, California. Federal agents also
confiscated Gerritsen's radio equipment.
"A criminal complaint filed Wednesday afternoon charges Gerritsen with a
felony charge of malicious interference with a communications system
operated by the United States and a misdemeanor count of transmitting radio
signals without a license," said a May 5 statement from the office of Debra
W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central District of California. "The two
charges carry a potential penalty of 11 years in federal prison."
At an initial court appearance May 5, bond was set at $250,000 "fully
secured." A spokesman in the US Attorney's office explained that Gerritsen
will have to post property or cash to be released, but that it will be
several days before the necessary paperwork is ready--assuming that
Gerritsen is able to make bail. Once released on bond, Gerritsen would be
subject to home detention and barred from possessing any radio equipment,
the spokesman said, adding that Gerritsen's house would remain subject to
search to make sure.
Unless Gerritsen is indicted beforehand, a preliminary hearing in the case
is set for May 25, with arraignment to follow on May 31.
The criminal complaint says an FCC investigation revealed that Gerritsen
"transmits his prerecorded political messages and real-time harassment and
profanity for hours at a time, often making it impossible for licensed radio
operators to use the public frequencies."
Gerritsen already faces a total of $52,000 in FCC-imposed or proposed
forfeitures for alleged interference. In March, the FCC denied a Petition
for Reconsideration and upheld a $10,000 fine against Gerritsen for
interfering with Amateur Radio communications. Gerritsen has yet to pay the
fine.
An FBI affidavit sworn out this week in advance of obtaining a search
warrant of Gerritsen's residence indicates that FCC agents have been
investigating multiple instances of unlawful radio transmissions and
malicious interference attributed to Gerritsen over the past four years. FCC
agents on a regular basis have been monitoring radio transmissions said to
be coming from Gerritsen. They've also spoken with him in person and asked
to inspect his station, although earlier FCC documents say he refused that
request.
In addition to Amateur Radio repeater communications, Gerritsen is alleged
to have interfered with Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
transmissions. The FCC also reported that it has received complaints from
other government agencies that Gerritsen interfered with local and state
police and fire agencies, the American Red Cross, the US Coast Guard
Auxiliary and other radio services. A MARS training exercise in March had to
be canceled as a result of interference attributed to Gerritsen.
Earlier this week, Gerritsen, who briefly held the call sign KG6IRO as a
Technician licensee and still uses it on the air, was taken into custody by
Bell, California, police officers on an unrelated contempt of court citation
after violating the terms of a temporary restraining order (TRO) a local
radio amateur had obtained to keep Gerritsen off a local repeater. He was
released without bond after being held for a few hours and was reported back
on area repeaters not long afterward.
Radio amateurs on the West Coast have been complaining for months about the
slow pace of enforcement action in the Gerritsen case. Los Angeles-area
repeater owners have taken to shutting down their machines to avoid the
nearly constant barrage of malicious interference attributed to Gerritsen.
Five years ago, Gerritsen was convicted in state court of interfering with
police radio transmissions and sentenced to 38 months in prison. Following
his release in July 2003, the FCC soon began receiving complaints about
Gerritsen's activity on the airwaves, according to this week's criminal
complaint.
Yang's office said the FBI "received substantial assistance" from the FCC in
the case.
ARRL TO FCC: SHORT-TERM SUSPENSIONS AN ANSWER
The League thinks the FCC should have statutory authority to suspend ham licenses for up to six months, once the Commission has good reason to believe an
operator has grossly violated the rules. In comments filed in response to an FCC Notice of Inquiry seeking ways to streamline the Commission's administrative
activities, the ARRL said short-term suspensions would be one way for the FCC to address malicious interference and other serious rule violations "without
delay and expense." The League maintained the suspensions would be a viable deterrent.
Under the League's scenario, the FCC also would be able to immediately modify an Amateur Radio license to preclude operation on certain frequency bands
or at certain times of day, also for up to six months.
In its filing, the League said that most of the 650,000 hams in the country behave themselves on the air and obey the regulations, and the Amateur Service
"requires little enforcement effort" and pointed to the volunteer examination program as a model of self-regulation. However, the League said that in recent
years, the FCC--and especially the Compliance and Information Bureau--has been "completely ineffective" in providing a meaningful enforcement presence
for the few who flout the law, and this has led to an increase in instances of malicious interference. "Since 1983, there have been virtually no enforcement
actions taken by FCC in the Amateur Service," the League's filing states. In recent years, the League said, hams have viewed the FCC as a "paper tiger"
that fails to act "in even the most egregious" cases.
"There is no substitute for Commission action in certain types of compliance cases," the ARRL said in urging the FCC seek authority for the reforms.
In other matters, the League criticized the FCC for continuing to "focus on the symptom rather than the cause" of home-electronic equipment interference,
even though it has authority to do so. The League urged the FCC to require manufacturers to put notices on products indicating they are subject to harmful
interference, and to provide interference-resolution information and contact representatives for RFI resolution. The ARRL said it was not optimistic that
the pilot privatized interference resolution program would work, since it puts the burden of resolving the interference problem on the consumer, not the
manufacturer.
The League also recommended establishing a cadre of volunteers who would use their skills to resolve interference problems involving other radio services,
provided volunteers could be guaranteed some protection from lawsuits.
The League further suggested the FCC reduce its administrative burden by adopting the ARRL's Petition for Rule Making, RM-8677, which asks the FCC to implement
the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP). This could eliminate the burden of processing reciprocal license applications
of hams visiting from elsewhere in the hemisphere. The ARRL also suggested that the US take advantage of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
Administrations' (CEPT) Recommendation T/R 61-01 arrangements and issue a CEPT license that would be recognized by other participating administrations
and valid for visits.
The League's comments conclude by observing that the Commission's NOI "signals to the League an intention to reduce the Commission's functions to the role
of auditor and mediator, rather than regulator," and calling this "a positive trend for the Amateur Service."
LEAGUE RESPONDS TO COMMENTS IN SPREAD SPECTRUM PETITION
The ARRL says its petition to relax spread spectrum rules seeks to address a lack of SS experimentation by hams, not too much spread spectrum. Responding
to comments filed in response to its December rule making petition, RM-8737, the League emphasized that Amateur Radio--as an experimental service--requires
flexible rules and "some trust of the licensees carrying out experiments."
Noting that some commenters called for tighter rules on SS, the League sought to dispel fears that relaxing the rules on spread spectrum would lead to an
increase in the noise floor in bands used by narrowband modes. The League said most opposing commenters "ignore the fact that some amateur bands already
are occupied by Part 15 spread spectrum devices," many near ham stations. Additional constraints would hinder hams from keeping up with spread spectrum
developments and prevent maximizing spectrum efficiency, the League's filing asserted. The ARRL said its petition "suggests only a modest deregulatory
effort."
The League's Petition for Rule Making seeks relaxed restrictions on spreading sequences and greater flexibility in spreading modulation. The spread spectrum
technique, which distributes information among several synchronized frequencies within a band at the transmitter and reassembles the information at the
receiver, was first approved for Amateur Radio in 1985 for bands above 225 MHz, and there has been some experimental amateur operation since then.
The petition proposes that the FCC permit brief spread-spectrum test transmissions and allow international spread-spectrum communication between amateurs
in the US and those in countries that permit hams to use spread-spectrum techniques. The current rules allow only domestic communication. The petition
also asks for automatic power-control provisions to insure use of minimum necessary power to conduct spread-spectrum communication and limit the potential
for interference to narrowband modes. The petition does not ask for any changes in frequency restrictions on SS emissions, the 100-W power limit or logging
and identification requirements. The League calls the proposals "the minimum necessary changes in order to foster SS experimentation in the Amateur Service."
Those filing comments supportive of spread spectrum included the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR); Robert A. Buaas, K6KGS, and John Mock,
KD6PAG. Commenting in opposition were the Indiana Repeater Council; Henry B. Ruh, KB9FO; the Wisconsin Association of Repeaters; the Mid-America Coordination
Council Inc; the Southern California Repeater and Remote Base Association; the San Bernardino Microwave Society and the Southeastern Repeater Association
Inc.
ARREST MADE IN MURDER OF HAM COUPLE
Authorities in Louisiana have arrested an 18-year-old man in the brutal slayings of former ARRL Delta Director Floyd Teetson, W5MUG, and his wife Winnie,
WN5YTR. Webster Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff's Department Investigator Gary Valentine said Kevin Coleman of Heflin, Louisiana, who used to do yard work for
the couple, was arrested March 18 and charged with two counts of homicide. "He's made a confession, and we have recovered some of the property that was
taken," Valentine said. "He had been a suspect since the night the bodies were found." Coleman already was behind bars at the Webster Jail in Minden when
he was arrested. He was serving a sentence on an unrelated traffic charge, a deputy said.
According to Valentine, robbery was the apparent motive in the killings. Authorities recovered jewelry and valuables that had been taken from the Teetsons'
home. They also recovered a knife and a length of pipe believed used in the killings. Valentine said Coleman struck while the couple was at home, apparently
hoping the Teetsons would tell him where they kept other valuables and money.
Coleman is being held without bond. The case is to be presented to a Webster Parish grand jury, which will decide whether to indict.
The couple's family had offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the couple's killer. The Teetsons'
bodies were found outside their home near Heflin, Louisiana, February 23. Authorities believe the couple died two days earlier.
Valentine said the Teetsons' fellow ham radio operators helped authorities by offering what they knew about the Teetsons' activities. He said Coleman's
arrest was a relief for both the community and authorities. The Teetsons' friend, Ernie Brown, W5FYZ, offered similar sentiments: "We are all relieved
that this crime has been solved. Perhaps the community can begin to get back to 'normal,' even though it will never be the same without Floyd and Winfred,"
he said. People in the Teetsons' neighborhood "feel like a great weight has been lifted from their shoulders."
Floyd served as ARRL Delta Division director in 1962 and '63. Prior to that, he was the SCM of Mississippi (1960-61). He was an Honor Roll DXer and active
contester and had been a member of several multi-op contest teams operating from various Caribbean DX sites. The Teetsons were active ARRL members.
Valentine said he did not know the Teetsons, but in the wake of the grueling investigation that led to Coleman's arrest, he said he felt "like I'm a member
of the family." Valentine called the crime a tragedy all around, "even for this young man and his family."
"RAINCOAT CHARLIE" TO PAY $500 FINE
The Federal Communications Commission has denied a Petition for Reconsideration filed by William P. Irwin, K3CQR, of De Bary, Florida, who was fined $500
for willful and repeated interference in the Amateur Radio service and with failure to properly identify himself on the air. The case stems from interference
on 14,315 kHz that occurred "on a regular basis" from late 1992 until mid-1993, when FCC agents determined the interfering transmissions came from Irwin's
home. During the interfering transmissions, Irwin identified himself as "Raincoat Charlie" (see QST, October 1993, p 83), and he admitted to FCC agents
to using his ham gear to broadcast them.
The Vero Beach (Florida) Field Office originally fined Irwin $2000, but later reduced the penalty to $500 after Irwin, 53, claimed inability to pay. He
then requested a review of the $500 fine, which the FCC denied January 19, 1996. The FCC said Irwin could pay off the fine in installments.
Irwin also asked to inspect FCC records pertaining to his case. The commission says such materials "are not routinely available for public inspection" and
that Irwin would have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the materials.
MAJOR FOX HUNT PART OF PLAN TO COMBAT MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE
Supporters of the Northeast Connection repeater network have set Saturday, April 13, 1996, as the date for a "major" fox hunt in the Orange County, New
York, area. The first three hunters to locate the fox will get a "valuable prize."
Northeast Connection says the event is part of the repeater group's efforts to train hams in the art and science of radio direction finding "to combat the
rise in malicious interference incidents that have been plaguing many repeater systems in our area." Dan Tierney, N2DBD, and other Northeast Connection
supporters have held monthly fox hunt training sessions for the past year. The group says it takes seriously the hobby's obligation to police itself and
is counting on amateurs to participate and also to locate and report those responsible for malicious interference.
Northeast Connection operates four VHF and three UHF repeaters that cover from Long Island to Binghampton and as far north as Lake George, New York, and
includes parts of northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.
For details on the fox hunt or Northeast Connection, call Sid Ghaly, KB2RNQ, 718-591-8800, or write PO Box 551, Central Valley, NY 10917.
Jack Gerritsen, Ex-KG6IRO Sentenced:
from LAWFUEL
on September 18, 2006
LAWFUEL - Law News, Law Jobs - A Bell, California man who was convicted of interfering with radio frequencies being used by the United States military,
the United States Coast Guard and other public safety organizations was sentenced this afternoon to 84 months in federal prison.
Jack Gerritsen, 70, received the seven-year sentenced from United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who commented on the seriousness of interfering
with radio frequencies used by public safety organizations and the fact that Gerritsen was a repeat offender.
Following a 3½-day trial last December, Gerritsen was found guilty of a felony charge of malicious interference with a communications system operated by
the United States. He was also found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of willful or malicious interference with radio communications and three misdemeanor
counts of transmitting radio signals without a license.
The Federal Communications Commission investigated illegal radio transmissions linked to Gerritsen for four years. According to court documents filed in
this case, the FCC investigation revealed that Gerritsen transmitted prerecorded messages, as well as real-time harassment and profanity, for hours at
a time, often making it impossible for licensed radio operators to use the public frequencies.
In 2000, Gerritsen was convicted in state court of interfering with the radio communications of the California Highway Patrol, and he was sentenced to one
years in prison. After he was released from custody, Gerritsen applied for and received an amateur radio license from the FCC. Within a week, after the
FCC realized it had given a license to someone convicted of interfering with public safety radio frequencies, the agency set aside the license.
The FCC has received complaints concerning Gerrisen’s activities from Ham radio operators and various agencies, including the military, the Coast Guard,
local police departments and the American Red Cross. The evidence presented at trial showed that Gerritsen:interfered with a Coast Guard Auxiliary amateur
operator, who was assisting the Coast Guard during a search and rescue operation on October 29, 2004; interfered with American Red Cross radio transmissions
on January 14, 2005, while the agency was preparing for disaster relief operations involving the Prado Dam; and caused the cancellation of an Army Reserve
homeland security training exercise on March 10, 2005 when he interfered with the United States Army Military Affiliate Radio System transmitted over amateur
radio frequencies without a valid license on three separate occasions in 2003 and 2004 Gerritsen, who represented himself at trial, has been in custody
since his conviction last year.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, which received substantial assistance from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
CONTACT: Assistant United States Attorney Lamar W. Baker (213) 894-0627
Release No. 06-122
FCC Launches Review of LA Area Repeater
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 2, 2001--The FCC has launched a review into the operation of the W6NUT repeater in the Los Angeles area. The repeater, which has attracted
a following of what some observers call "nontraditional" amateur users, also was said to have been radio home of Richard Burton, ex-WB6JAC, sentenced earlier
this year to prison for unlicensed operation.
"We've gotten more complaints about that repeater than any other repeater in the country, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth
said of the W6NUT machine, which operates on 147.435 MHz. "If there's a control operator, we sure haven't seen any evidence of it."
In late February, Hollingsworth wrote the repeater's trustee, Extra licensee Kathryn Tucker, AA6TK, of La Mirada, and two W6NUT users regarding lengthy
broadcasts made over the repeater in early February. Hollingsworth told Tucker that the FCC has received complaints that control operators and the repeater
licensee "fail to address long periods of jamming by users, broadcasting, music playing as well as a plethora of other violations."
He cited one transmission of more than two hours on the evening of February 1-2 that included music and commentaries on many of the songs. "Part of the
broadcast consisted of a user transmitting one-way by phone patch," Hollingsworth wrote. He said a similar lengthy broadcast aired over W6NUT a few evenings
later. Both transmissions repeatedly timed out the repeater, Hollingsworth said, and there was no evidence that a control operator was present at any time.
Hollingsworth said the two broadcasts "prevented the repeater from being used for legitimate amateur use."
In separate letters to Technician licensees Ted R. Sorensen, III, KC6PQW, of Agoura Hills, and Gregory S. Cook, KC6USO, of Chico, Hollingsworth cited monitoring
information alleging that Sorensen actually transmitted both broadcasts. On the first occasion, on February 1-2, Sorensen is said to have acted in concert
with Cook, who was hooked in via phone patch. The second similar transmission February 4-5 was said to have featured only Cook, again via phone patch to
Sorensen's transmitter, Hollingsworth said.
Citing §308(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, Hollingsworth requested that all three licensees respond to the allegations within 20 days. In addition,
Hollingsworth asked Tucker to furnish specific information about the W6NUT repeater system.
Among other things, Hollingsworth asked Tucker to provide any W6NUT coordination documentation and to state any circumstances when the repeater might be
"operating in a manner not consistent with the coordination." Hollingsworth also asked Tucker to detail any complaints received regarding the operation
of the W6NUT repeater and any action taken to resolve them. In addition, he asked if the licensee or control operators had ever told anyone to not use
the repeater and to supply details.
Hollingsworth also requested names, addresses and telephone numbers of W6NUT control operators since January 1, 1998, the times each has been on duty since
the first of this year, and any instructions they are provided. He specifically asked who was acting as control operator when the lengthy broadcasts are
alleged to have occurred February 1-2 and February 4-5, 2001.
Hollingsworth also asked Tucker to provide details of the repeater control system, equipment used, and transmit and receive sites.
Cook's license is due to expire May 7, 2001. Hollingsworth advised Cook that his renewal application would "not be routinely granted unless these issues
are resolved" and that his renewal application could wind up being designated for hearing.
New Owner, Call Sign, but LA-Area Repeater Problems Persist
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 22, 2002--The former W6NUT repeater in the Los Angeles area has a new owner and a new call sign, N6SAP. Nonetheless, complaints of the
same sort of on-the-air behavior that inspired an FCC inquiry of the previous trustee more than a year ago have occurred under the new regime. The new
owner says he's in the process of changing things for the better, however. A November 5 letter from FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth
publicly put the machine's new trustee, Scott A. Press, N6SAP, on the spot because of allegations that some users had interfered with attempts to pass
emergency traffic. Two users identified as having caused the interference also received inquiries from Hollingsworth.
"We view these allegations as extremely serious," Hollingsworth told Press--the repeater trustee--and those said to have been involved in the October 2
incident. He also cautioned those accused of perpetrating the problem against retaliating in any matter toward the complainants.
A League member, Press told ARRL this week that he's been working hard to turn around the repeater's past reputation.
"Due to the 12 years of neglect from the previous owners, a change will not happen overnight," he said. "I knew what I was getting into when I bought the
system and have made some strong progress with the exception of a few bad apples who have not seen the light yet. They are being shaken from the tree one
by one." Press said he's been working closely with the FCC to "clear up many things that are just out of my reach."
Press purchased the former W6NUT repeater, once owned by Kathryn Tucker, AA6TK. According to FCC records, the trusteeship formally transferred September
3. At one point in 2001, the FCC terminated authority to operate the repeater under automatic control. An earlier FCC review into the repeater's operation
followed allegations that the licensee or control operator failed to address incessant jamming, broadcasting, the playing of music and other potential
violations.
An N6SAP repeater user, Anthony Cardenas, WA6IGJ, complained to the FCC that he was jammed October 2 after attempting to use the repeater to report a motorist
stranded in the midst of freeway traffic. Cardenas alleged that Ledge Musselman, KC6NCN, and Anton Johnson, N6OAY, blocked his efforts to alert the California
Highway Patrol to the potentially hazardous situation via ham radio. Hollingsworth included the allegations in essentially identical letters to Musselman
and Johnson, also sent November 5.
Hollingsworth reminded Press that the decision to operate a repeater is voluntary. "They are not required by the rules and they are a convenience, not a
necessity," he said. "If a licensee or control operator of a repeater cannot prevent violations of Commission rules on the repeater, it must be shut down."
Information from Press and others who monitored the incident, documented by recordings, indicated that Press did just that. He shut down the N6SAP repeater
for 20 minutes after other operators were unsuccessful in efforts to convince the interfering stations to let Cardenas pass his traffic. According to one
account, once the repeater was returned to service, the interference resumed.
Transcripts of the recordings indicate that the interference consisted mostly of disparaging remarks, unmodulated carriers and singing. Cardenas says he
was able to contact the police via another repeater.
Press has told the FCC that Cardenas' account of the incident was "accurate and true." He told ARRL that he'd been promptly in touch with the complainant
and with an ARRL Official Observer who forwarded the complaint to the League.
According to the FCC, Press has told Johnson and Musselman to stay off the N6SAP repeater at least until the current dispute is resolved. "We expect that
request to be honored," Hollingsworth said, "and if it is not, we will immediately institute license revocation proceedings," he wrote. Press has since
also banned Cardenas from the N6SAP repeater. That action--which Press insisted was not in retaliation for Cardenas' initial complaint--drew a plea for
ARRL intervention from Cardenas, who is not a League member.
Hollingsworth this week commended Press for "trying very hard to change what was a disgrace to Amateur Radio into a viable Amateur repeater." He agreed
with Press that neglect by the previous owner, and widespread user abuse, will make it an uphill battle, but added, "We will support Press all the way."
Ironically, the alleged perpetrators of the interference could run afoul of state as well as federal law. A California statute makes it illegal to maliciously
interrupt, disrupt, impede or otherwise interfere with a message over an amateur or CB radio frequency to "inform or inquire" about an emergency.
FCC MODIFIES SANCTION IN CALIFORNIA REPEATER CASE
The FCC has reduced a sanction imposed last year against a California
amateur who had been banned from using repeaters on the 144, 222, or 440-MHz
bands for three years. The case involved allegations that Ted R. Sorensen
III, KC6PQW, of Agoura Hills, California, and Gregory S. Cook, ex-KC6USO, of
Chico, California, had conspired in making late-night one-way transmissions
on the W6NUT 147.435 MHz repeater that originated from Sorensen's station.
Last March the FCC accepted Cook's voluntarily surrendered license. Although
he did not dispute the allegations, Sorensen got a lawyer and protested his
lengthy banishment. In his initial response to the FCC, Sorensen offered to
accept a suspension from talking on the W6NUT repeater for a year "as fair
punishment." After reviewing Sorensen's case, the FCC decided to accept that
less-stringent settlement of the case, rather than get involved in a
hearing.
Because Sorensen already has been off the repeater for more than two months,
the prohibition expire next September 15.
The FCC review into the operation of the W6NUT repeater continues, following
complaints of jamming by users, broadcasting, playing music and "a plethora
of other violations," the FCC said.
SPARKS
P.O.
BOX 750482 MEMPHIS, TN 38175-0482 / VOL. 17 / DECEMBER 2005
7
Happy Holidays
from the
Delta Amateur Radio Club!
Visit our home on the web at: http://www.deltaclub.org
W 4 B S
R E P E A T E R
S Y S T E M
146.82, 147.36,
224.42, & 443.2
table with 1 columns and 2 rows
D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 5 C L U B M E E T I N G DATE: December 13, 2005 ( 2nd Tues day - be there ) PLACE: Ellendale Church Of Christ, 7365 Highway 70, Memphis,
Tn. ( 2 miles east of Hwy. 64-Stage Rd. ) TIME: 7:00 PM PROGRAM: POT LUCK DINNER AND AWARDS PRESENTATION VE TESTING: Don’t forget the monthly Volunteer
Examiner testing session. Registration begins at 5:30 P.M. and testing begins promptly at 6:00 P.M. Please remember to bring two forms of identification
and copies of any existing licenses or CSCE’s you might have. The ARRL FEC exam application is $14. Please be on time for registration, as you will not
be allowed to enter the testing session after 6:00 p.m. This is to allow our volunteer VE team to finish in time to attend the club meeting. For more VE
testing information contact... Joan Thorne, KN4PM, VEC Phone: 901-737-5795 E-mail: joanthorne@bellsouth.net
Please Remember: Deadline for Reports and Articles for the next issue of SPARKS is Friday, December 30th. All articles MUST be in to me by the deadline
in order to be published in the next issue. Please forward all articles and items of interest to: paulsonrj@bellsouth.net
table end
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
To all of the Delta Amateur Radio
Club Members:
The end of the year is arriving
soon. Our last meeting for this
year is December 13th, the second
Tuesday and at the Ellendale
Church as usual. This meeting will
be a POT-LUCK DINNER. The
club will provide the soft drinks,
cups, plates, and utensils.
Come and join our gathering.
We will be presenting our annual
awards, twelve plaques, which will
include Ham of the Year, New-
Comer, Officers’ Plaques, and a
special presentation. So come see
who receives what, could you be
one of those who receives an
award?
Our ARRL Toy Drive is still going
on, and if you can give some time
to help, they will be needing help
to sort and load the toys into the
trucks for the trip down to the
Katrina Effected Region. The Plan
is to load the trucks on December
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
15th or 16th, and have the trucks
travel on the 17th, with the
deliveries being made on the 18th.
Some amateur operators have
stated that they plan to escort the
trucks down and back, returning
on Monday, the 19th.
If you need more information on
this project contact WA4OVO,
Joe, or Bob, KF4NDH, or Tony,
WA4KHN, or Henry Leggette,
WD4Q, (757-0444), all of these
folks have spent numerous hours at
the receiving location.
As you may have already heard,
they have received a large quantity
of toys from all over the United
States, including Alaska.
By the way, VE Testing will
resume on the 13th, prior to the
meeting.
I want do thank All The Delta
Club Members for allowing me to
serve the Club as Your President,
for the last two years.
Ned Savage, KA4BLL
DARC BOARD MEETING
November 1, 2005
KA4BLL-Ned Savage called the
meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
There were 5 members and 1 guest
present.
KA4BLL-Ned read the treasurer’s
report for Bill Torkell-KG4VAW.
John Zempel-KG4OLG motioned
to accept and Lisa Sheffield-
KI4DIL seconded.
Lisa then presented the October
minutes to the board. KD4TJO-
Tommy Thompson motioned to
accept the minutes as printed.
John-KG4OLG seconded.
John-KG4OLG then gave his
report on training. The board
accepted as given.
Old Business:
KD4TJO-Tommy reported on the
status of the ARRL toy drive. He
also gave what details he had on
the St. Jude marathon scheduled
for December 3, 2005.
New Business:
KK4D-Darrell Sheffield presented
information on the Cordova
Holiday parade scheduled for
November 19, 2005.
KI4DIL-Lisa presented 2 new
member applications. She then
motioned to accept and
KG4OLG-John seconded and the
board unanimously accepted
them.
The meeting was adjourned at
8:05
p.m.
Respectfully submitted by,
KI4DIL-Lisa Sheffield
DARC Secretary
DARC GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
November 8, 2005
KA4BLL-Ned Savage called the
meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. with
the introduction of the members
present. There were 50 members
and 5 guests.
KA4BLL-Ned read the treasurer's
report as printed in SPARKS and
KI4DIL-Lisa requested for the
membership the accept the
secretary's report as printed. Ned
called for any changes. Bill-
KC4SXT motioned to accept and
Dean-N2LAZ seconded to accept
as printed. The membership
unanimously voted to accept.
Old Business:
KG4OLG-John Zempel gave his
report on the class and testing
session held in September.
KD4TJO-Tommy Thompson gave
information on the ARRL Toy
drive and the St. Jude marathon
calling for volunteers from the
membership for both events.
WA4OVO-Joe Lowenthal reported
on the warehouse to be used for the
ARRL toy drive and he thanked all
the people who could work at the
warehouse.
KK4D-Darrell Sheffield asked for
volunteers to work the Cordova
Holiday parade on November 19,
2005.
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
New Business:
KI4I-Jim Cissell asked for
volunteers to work the Bartlett
Christmas parade scheduled for
December 10, 2005.
KA4BLL-Ned Savage called for
nominations from the floor for the
2006 Delta Amateur Radio Board.
He presented the nominations for
each position as follows:
President
KK4D-Darrell Sheffield
Vice President
KD4TJO-Tommy Thompson
Treasurer
KE4DXN-Melinda
Thompson Secretary
KI4DIL-Lisa Sheffield
Director of Training-KG4OLG-
John Zempel
Director of Publications
K4KCU-Roger Paulson
Director of Programs
KU4AW-Ben Troughton
Director of Meetings & Special
Events
N2LAZ-Dean Honadle
Repeater Trustee
N9GSA-Suresh Kagoo
The membership voted
unanimously to accept those
presented as the 2006 DARC
Board.
After a 10 minute break at 8:00 pm,
KA4BLL-Ned gave out the yearly
awards to the members present.
After drawing for the yearly prizes,
the membership voted to have a
potluck dinner at Ellendale Church
of Christ for our December
meeting. Sarah Garrett won the
door prize and KC4SXT-Bill
Covington won the grand prize.
KD4TJO-Tommy Thompson made
a motion to adjourn the meeting at
8:45
and KG4LOG-John Zempel seconded.
Respectfully submitted by,
KI4DIL-Lisa Sheffield
DARC Secretary
!!!!!POT LUCK!!!!!
The December 13th meeting is our
yearly pot luck. Please email Lisa
at SassGirlsMom@aol.com or
Melinda at ke4dxn@bellsouth.net
and let them know what you’re
planning on bringing (don't want
23 green bean casseroles).
HOW TO LOOK UP THE
FCC ID NUMBER
Need More Information About a
Radio or Appliance?
This is a web site where any one
can look up a FCC ID number.
There are ID numbers on the
nameplates of just about anything
that emits a RF signal such as TVs,
car remotes, commercial and
amateur radio transceivers, and
wireless routers. The FCC requires
any country that has a product that
comes into this country to go
through an RF emission test to be
legal and to be compatible with
FCC standards. However, that's
not to say there may be some items
that don't go through testing. The
name brand guys will submit their
emission tests. If they submit, file,
and pass with the FCC and it is
then accepted as "FCC TYPE
ACCEPTED."
These files can have everything
from full schematics to full blown
manuals, and photos inside and out.
It also may have a full description
of how the product works. The web
site is http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prd/
oet/lt/eas/reports/GenericSerch.
cfm.
The way to use this site is really
very simple. First, there is a place
to put the generic code, which is
the first three characters of the
code. Second, to get more specific,
you enter in the other characters in
the next space to get the specific
product. Besides all the other info,
it will list the frequency the product
is using.
I have found that anything earlier
than 1998-2000 probably will not
be available. Most the files are in
Adobe Acrobat so you'll need to
have it on your computer. The
most used feature is to replace a
lost manual for a radio or
appliances. When you need to find
additional information about a
product that the users manual does
not cover, you can probably find it
on this site.
David, KD4NOQ
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
FROM THE
ARRL NEWSLETTER
2005 HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE
ON A ROLL!
Hams are finding even more ways
to pitch in and boost the ARRL/The
Salvation Army 2005 Holiday Toy
Drive <http://www.arrl.org/pio/
#toy>. The League has partnered
with The Salvation Army in an
effort to bring some holiday cheer
to children along the US Gulf Coast
left homeless or displaced in the
aftermath of this year's devastating
hurricanes. Likewise, many
individual radio amateurs and ham
radio groups are partnering with
others and even providing some
incentives to spread the joy of
giving.
Chiropractor Dr Frank Vesci,
W1NK, has offered free evaluations
to any patients who bring a toy with
them to their appointments. Joe
Guvman, KB1DVG, has been
encouraging customers with a
special display at his Meineke
Muffler shop to bring in toys for the
drive. The Hampden County Radio
Association in Massachusetts has
urged members to bring toys to the
club's annual holiday party this
week. The club already collected
and shipped off a batch of toys
gathered during its yearly auction
early this month. Many others
around the country are similarly
enthusiastic.
Charles Kosman, WB2NQV,
reports that the toy drive's public
service announcement featuring
country music star Patty Loveless,
KD4WUJ, aired all last week
during the 5:30 PM time slot on
KSWO-TV, which serves
southwestern Oklahoma and
northern Texas. "That's between
the early local news and ABC
Network news," Kosman enthused.
"I guess we got some prime time
for it!"
Between "testing" the many toys,
ARRL Delta Division Vice
Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q,
and the crew of ham radio
volunteers have otherwise been
busy at the Memphis, Tennessee,
warehouse where the toys are
collecting for delivery. Volunteer
coordinator Joe Lowenthal,
WA4OVO, concedes that the
warehouse crew sometimes has to
resist the temptation to play with
the toys. He says the crew has
inventoried close to 2800 toys
already, and more are in the offing
as the final weeks of the 2005
Holiday Toy Drive approach.
"Things are definitely picking up,"
Lowenthal told ARRL this week,
noting that some 500 toys arrived
November 29 alone. While many
of the toys--perhaps 1000 or more-
are stuffed animals, he says there's
quite a variety among the
remaining donations, includ ing a
lot of athletic gear. "We've got
soccer balls, we've got basketballs,
we have footballs," he reports. And
there's more. "We have a number
of dolls, doll sets, jewelry, makeup
kits, we have a number of crayons
and coloring books, we even have
some computer programs, quite a
few puzzles and games,"
Lowenthal added. One donor sent
an educational toy that lets the
youngster set up various electronic
circuits. "He's probably hoping
whoever gets it will become a
ham," he said.
There's still a big need for toys
suitable for older children,
Lowenthal said. He suggested that
ARRL members write a check to
help cover those needs unless they
have a specific donation in mind.
One individual has donated a new
bicycle. "That will probably be the
biggest item," he said.
Radio amateurs are invited to send
new unwrapped toys for boys and
girls aged 1 to 14 to: ARRL Toy
Drive/The Salvation Army, 1775
Moriah Woods Blvd--Suite 12,
Memphis, TN 38117-7125. Include
a QSL card or a card bearing your
call sign.
ARRL invites its members to send
checks if they prefer, made out to
"ARRL Toy Drive." Send these
donations to: ARRL Toy Drive,
225 Main St, Newington, CT
06111.
At the warehouse, volunteers log in
each contribution, then sort the toys
and record the donors, if known.
Lowenthal notes that in some
shipments QSL cards have not been
attached to a particular toy. He
advises donors to tape cards to the
gifts. Many hams have indicated,
however, that they're less
concerned about getting credit or
even a "thank you" for their
contribution as long as they know
the toys are going where they'll
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
bring smiles.
Lowenthal says the toys have been
arriving via a number of carriers,
but he recommends FedEx, UPS or
DHL for the most expeditious
delivery, although shipments have
been arriving via the US Postal
Service as well.
ARRL Media and Public Relations
Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP--the
League's point man for the drive,
says the final two weeks are critical.
"This is when we make or break it,"
he said. He encourages groups,
clubs and individuals to send their
toy packages by December 10.
DAYTON HAMVENTION®
SAYS BETTER
COMMUNICATION A KEY
GOAL FOR 2006
Well in advance of the 55th Dayton
Hamvention next spring, event
organizers report they're
implementing strategies to improve
communication and provide more
and better information about the
show. Part of the plan is a complete
makeover of the Dayton
Hamvention Web site <http://
www.hamvention.org/>, still a
work in progress. Hamvention 2006
takes place May 19-21 at Hara
Arena in Trotwood, Ohio. Dayton
Hamvention volunteers this past
spring asked many vendors and
visitors alike what they could do to
improve the world's largest
Amateur Radio gathering, and
"better communication" was the
most common response.
"People told us what they wanted,
and we are going to do our best to
deliver," says Dayton Hamvention
2006 General Chairman Jim Nies,
WX8F. "We have set several goals
for this year, and one of the most
important is to respond to requests
more quickly than we did during
the 2005 show." Nies took over the
reins from Gary Des Combes,
N8EMO, who headed up the 2004
and 2005 events and brought back
an all-volunteer staff. The Dayton
Amateur Radio Association
(DARA) has sponsored
Hamvention since the early 1950s.
The goal of the 2006 Dayton
Hamvention staff will be to at least
acknowledge all requests within 24
hours and, if possible, provide the
information or assistance needed
within the same time frame, Nies
said. "I know that we won't be able
to answer every question or deal
with every problem immediately,
but we will definitely make every
effort to do it as soon as possible,"
he added.
Hamvention organizers say that
while feedback from those who
attended the 2005 show generally
was very positive, a number
indicated that more advance
information would be helpful. For
example, Hamvention will post
information on traffic patterns and
access points on its Web site well
in advance of the 2006 show, said
Assistant General Chairman Carl
Rose, K8CPR, who served as
security chair for Dayton
Hamvention 2004 and 2005.
"We tried some things with traffic
flow and vendor access in 2005,
and some worked very well and
others need improvement," Rose
said. "We will use the feedback we
received, particularly about vendor
access, to see if we can make it
quicker and easier to get into the
arena for setup."
Rose urged Dayton Hamvention
visitors to check the Web site
before leaving to see if there are
any last minute changes due to
construction or other unforeseen
events. Hamvention also will
continue golf cart shuttles and
benches in the flea market for the
convenience of attendees, Rose
said.
Some things won't change for the
55th Hamvention. Tickets prices
will remain the same as the 2005
show, and so will show hours.
Dayton Hamvention 2006 is
expected to draw some 25,000
visitors from all over the US and
around the world. The Dayton/
Montgomery County Convention &
Visitors Bureau has estimated
Dayton Hamvention's annual
economic impact at close to $4
million for Montgomery County
and nearly $10 million regionally.
ARRL, FCC CONTINUE BPL
INTERFERENCE RESOLUTION
DATABASE DEBATE
The acting chief of the FCC Office
of Engineering and Technology
(OET) is standing foursquare
behind the recently opened
Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
Interference Resolution Web site
<http://www.bpldatabase.org/>.
The deadline for BPL operators to
populate the database, provided by
the United Power Line Council
(UPLC) and the United Telecom
Council (UTC), was November 19.
In October, the ARRL took strong
exception to limitations UTC, the
site's administrator, has imposed on
the number of allowable licensee
searches and to the use of ZIP codes
as the only search key. Acting OET
Chief Bruce Franca defended the
BPL database November 22.
"Your concern, limiting access to
the database, does not constitute a
violation of the rules," said Franca,
citing verse and chapter of Part 15
to back up his assertion. Franca said
§15.615(d) "clearly states" that the
database is intended to identify
possible sources of harmful
interference thought to emanate
from a BPL system. "Permitting
individuals who are using a licensed
service that operates on the same
frequencies as are used by a BPL
system to query for pertinent
information in the geographic area
of that interference fully fulfills this
function," he concluded.
A note on the BPL database site
cautions that users are "allowed to
search a limited number of times
each month." It further advises
users not to conduct random
database searches, lest their access
to the database be further restricted.
In his initial complaint, ARRL CEO
David Sumner, K1ZZ,
characterized the notice as an
attempt to "ration access" to the
site.
Franca also defended the use of
ZIP codes as the only means to
query the database, saying they are
easily understood and identifiable
and will provide the information
the rules require on BPL systems
deployed within a ZIP code.
Sumner had argued earlier that
requiring users to enter a ZIP code
before gaining access to the
database was "clearly contrary" to
the requirement that the database
be available to the public.
Responding November 30, Sumner
gamely took another stab at getting
the League's point across. Part 15
is unambiguous that the
information in the database must
be publicly accessible
approximately 30 days before a
BPL system begins operation, he
said. Using a ZIP code to gain
entry, Sumner continued, "renders
the advance notification
requirement meaningless to the
public" unless someone were to
regularly visit the Web site and
repeatedly enter a particular ZIP
code. But since that practice "is
specifically discouraged by the
UTC's notice," Sumner pointed
out, it's impossible for the public to
know about a BPL startup in
advance, something the BPL
Report and Order seems to require.
As a result, Sumner said, the
benefit of a prior notification
requirement, while limited as an
interference-prevention measure, is
lost to BPL operators as well as to
licensed radio services that may
suffer harmful interference that
could have been avoided.
Sumner said the UTC-administered
database "provides less than was
promised" in the FCC's October
2004 Report and Order. "For
advance notification to be
meaningful, the public must know
when additions and changes to the
database occur," he contended.
"That is functionally impossible if
the 'publicly accessible' database is
actually maintained behind an
opaque curtain and is only revealed
one ZIP code at a time."
One workaround, Sumner
suggested, would be to require
UTC to make publicly available a
list of ZIP codes and the date of the
most recent data entry for each.
"This also would make it clear
when a specific BPL system serves
more than one ZIP code area,
information that is required by
§15.615(a)(3) but that is not
available to the public at present
except by individual query of each
ZIP code."
Sumner said Franca failed to
respond to his point regarding the
error message that appears when a
database user enters a ZIP code
where no BPL system apparently
has been deployed. At that point,
users are asked to provide "written
details" about the nature of the
interference and the user's licensed
operations as well as location-"
complete address and
coordinates"--operating
frequencies, whether mobile or
fixed and a brief description of the
interference.
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
"Frankly, UTC has no authority to
require the submission of such
information from an FCC licensee
prior to sharing information that the
public is entitled to as a matter of
right," Sumner concluded-reiterating
a point made in his
initial correspondence. "If the
database were appropriately
accessible the question would never
arise."
On November 23, the League told
the FCC that the Manassas,
Virginia, BPL system was not in
compliance with FCC Part 15 rules
because its operator failed to
provide full information to the
public BPL database by the
November 19 deadline and the
system should be shut down. The
letter came barely six weeks after
the ARRL called on the FCC to turn
off the Manassas BPL system
because of unresolved interference
complaints to Amateur Radio.
Since the League's letter, a search
under ZIP code 20110 indicates the
Manassas system has provided a
contact name, address, telephone
number and e-mail address. Its
entry still lacks details about the
equipment in use, however.
FCC LIFTS AUTOMATIC
CONTROL PRIVILEGES OF
BUSY LA-AREA REPEATER
The call sign and owner have
changed again, but the FCC alleges
that problems persist on the Los
Angeles area's 147.435 MHz
repeater, now operated by Jeffrey
Stieglitz, AE6NZ, of Torrance. The
FCC Los Angeles District Office
recently informed Stieglitz that it
was suspending automatic control
privileges for the repeater. That
means the licensee or a designated
control operator must be at the
repeater's control point whenever
the machine is operational.
"Your amateur station AE6NZ is
under review by the Enforcement
Bureau for numerous and
continued apparent violations of
the Commissions rules," FCC LA
Office District Director Catherine
Deaton wrote Stieglitz November
18.
The Commission alleges inadequate station control, deliberate interference, failure of users to identify and use by unlicensed operators.
Stieglitz told ARRL he encourages
users of the busy repeater to
comply with Part 97 rules and to
make a reasonable effort to identify
unlicensed operators. "I believe
that the 147.435 repeater attracts
people to the hobby and, overall, is
consistent with the purposes of
Amateur Radio," he said.
"Sometimes the talk on the
repeater may resemble that of a
boys locker room," Stieglitz
conceded, "but I think we more
than make up for it with charitable
activities and technical
sophistication."
Deaton says if AE6NZ is operated
under automatic control prior to
notification from her office,
enforcement action up to and
including a license revocation and
suspension hearing, a fine or both
could follow.
Deaton also asked Stieglitz to
submit in advance the names and
contact numbers of other licensees
who serve as control operators.
"During any times that no control
operator is available, the repeater
must be shut down," Deaton stated.
The odd-split 147.435 MHz
repeater (the primary input is
146.400
MHz) has been a lightning rod for controversy. In 2001, the FCC terminated the automatic control privileges of the then-W6NUT repeater while it was reviewing
its operation. Since then the repeater has changed hands a few times, and enforcement issues seem to have followed. Stieglitz believes "heat from the FCC"
was behind the frequent ownership changes.
"As the Jack Gerritsen case shows,
there is very little the FCC can
actually do against a determined
bootlegger," Stieglitz said.
Gerritsen is set to appear in federal
court next week. "In my opinion,
shutting down a repeater because a
third party breaks the rules just
penalizes the honest operators."
FCC Enforcement Bureau Special
Counsel Riley Hollingsworth had
another perspective: "The repeater
has been out of control long
enough, and we have been too
patient too long," he told ARRL.
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
SPACEWALKS "THRILLING,"
ASTRONAUT TELLS
STUDENTS DURING HAM
RADIO CHAT
International Space Station
Expedition 12 Commander Bill
McArthur, KC5ACR, told students
gathered in Geneva, Switzerland,
November 22, that taking a
spacewalk is a thrilling experience.
Speaking the following day with
middle schoolers in upstate New
York, McArthur described space
exploration as the new frontier.
Both contacts were arranged by the
Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) program.
During the Geneva contact--part of
the "Science on Stage" program for
European science teachers--
McArthur rhapsodized about the
spacewalk experience.
"It's an absolute delight, it's thrilling
to be outside, it's being truly in a
totally alien environment,"
McArthur said, "and you realize the
only thing between you and vacuum
is the small little spaceship that you
call your spacesuit. And it is truly
the most thrilling thing I've ever
done."
Responding to a question involving
human physiology in space,
McArthur said it's theorized that
bone tissue is replaced more slowly
in space because it does not get
stressed in microgravity.
"On Earth, when you walk, when
you run, every time your foot
strikes the ground there is stress on
your skeletal system, and this aids
in bone development," McArthur
said. He told another student that
getting used to weightlessness was
the biggest adjustment for ISS
crew members. He noted that he
and crewmate Valery Tokarev will
have spent some 182 days in space
by the time they return to Earth
next April. In the meantime, much
of the research conducted aboard
the ISS will help determine how
well human beings will be able to
handle long-term space travel
beyond Earth orbit, McArthur said.
Some 300 science teachers from 25
countries gathered at the European
Nuclear Research Center (CERN)
in Geneva for the conference.
Eighteen students from Belgium,
Denmark, Greece, Italy, Norway
and Portugal took part in the space
QSO.
NN1SS at Goddard Space Flight
Center in Maryland served as the
Earth station for the CERN event.
MCI donated a two-way
teleconferencing link between
NN1SS in Maryland and the ISS.
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, was the
ARISS-Europe mentor.
On November 23, youngsters at
Central Park Middle School in
Schenectady, New York--a NASA
Explorer School--focused most of
their questions on spaceflight
training, preparation and safety.
McArthur told the youngsters that
it was hard to get into the space
program.
"It was very difficult because there
simply are so few astronauts--there
are only slightly more than 100
astronauts in the US space
program, and each time we ask for
new volunteers, we get thousands
of applications from very, very
qualified people," McArthur
explained. "So, to be quite honest,
not only do you have to have a
good resume, you have to be very,
very lucky."
An astronaut for 15 years,
McArthur said he trained four and a
half years for his current mission
onboard the ISS. The most
challenging aspect of his job is "to
be patient," he said in reply to
another question. "I've spent much,
much more time training and on the
ground than flying in orbit."
McArthur said he believes the most
important thing society can gain
from missions like his is a
continued belief in and
commitment to space exploration.
"Humans by their very nature want
to go to the next frontier," he
added, "and we think the next
frontier is the one you see when
you look straight up."
W6SRJ at Santa Rosa Junior
College in California served as the
Earth station for the Central Park
contact, and MCI donated a
teleconferencing link between
W6SRJ and the school.
ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>
is an international educational
outreach with US participation by
ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
PACKET UPDATE .......
One of the digital modes we need to stay in practice with is morse code. I have found a new
freeware program on the internet which allows you to practice receiving morse code and play in
a simulated contest on your computer. The program is called Morse Runner. The whole program
is less than one meg in size and installs easily on your computer with installation wizard.
The virtual radio setting is adjustable for filtering bandwidth. You can set the code speed at
which the stations transmit. You can also adjust for band conditions while you are playing.
This is a really nice program which you can have a lot of fun with. This program lets you practice
and improve your CW skills. What I really like is the free price for such a nice program.
The program runs on Windows 95 up to Windows XP. You can download and get information
about the program from the website. The website address is www.dxatlas.com/morserunner/
James Butler, KB4LJV
AMATEUR HARDWARE UPDATE ……..
Many amateurs continue to run CW as one of their communication modes. Amateurs getting
into morse code need to find a key to hook up to the radio and practice with. Nice keys are
harder to find at a good price as the number of companies left producing keys is going down. I
found a nice used key at the hamfest for about $5.00. This key is nothing special as it is an old
standard AMECO model. The new version of this key sells for about $20.00. I like the older
version because the metal is a little thicker. Originally for this price the key was very plain with
cheap black plastic knobs for the key and the shorting bar. You also had no base sold with the
unit. The action of the key is really pretty good as it does have full adjustability and little ball
bearings in the fulcrum. By going to Home Depot and picking up some nicer knobs for the unit
and mounting it on a good base, the key can be upgraded. The white ceramic knob I used on
the key came from the cabinet knob section and cost about 3 dollars. The small white knob
used on the shorting bar is from the ceiling fan pull chain. They have lots of colors, styles and
materials that you can pick
from for these. I painted the
base white to color match the
knobs. The knob turned out
really nice and works great. I
now have it ready to go when I
want to use a straight key on
older equipment or for straight
key night.
James Butler, KB4LJV
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
December
2005
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
table with 7 columns and 15 rows
1
2
3
MARA Club
Meeting
7:00 PM
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Joyce Hughes
James, WA4RW
Jim, KI4I
J.T., KI4AJG
NV4Z, Mary
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Jim, K4ZFQ
Delta Club Meeting 7:00 PM POT LUCK DINNER
John, K3LK Sylvia, KE4WOT
Jimmy, KG4TKY
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
James, N5WFF
Mark, WB4RRT
Patsy Lane
Marion, N4VTB
Jason, KI4BXX
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Darrell, KK4D Brenda, KE4MKK
Shelby Cty., ARES
James Pace
Bob, KF4NDH
Don, KA4BMI
Meeting 6:45 PM
table end
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
January
2006
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
table with 7 columns and 13 rows
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Tony, N4LKK
Marjorie Torkell
Jim, WD8JAO
MARA Club Meeting 7:00 PM
Janet, KD4DWW
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Hugh, WB4SLI
Delta Club Meeting
Kenneth, KD5LHG
Darrell Jr., KI4DJB
7:00 PM
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Kathryn
John, KE4OTI
Evins, WB4SLJ
McLemore
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Tom, N4TV
Shelby Cty., ARES
Meeting 6:45 PM
29
30
31
table end
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
CONTEST
CALENDAR
Here are some
of the contests
and special
events coming
up in the next
few weeks...
ARRL 10 Meter Contest--0000Z Dec
10-2400Z Dec 11. (See Nov QST, p 105,
or www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/
10-meters.html .)
Great Colorado Snowshoe Run--CW,
sponsored by the Colorado QRP Club
from 0200Z--0359Z Dec 10. Frequencies:
40 meters only. For more information:
www.cqc.org/contests/snow2005.htm.
North American Meteor Scatter Contest--
any mode, sponsored by the
WSJTGROUP from 0000Z Dec 10-0700Z
Dec 18 (the Geminids meteor shower).
Frequencies (MHz): 50, 144, 222, 432, via
meteor scatter. For more information:
www.ykc.com/wa5ufh/Rally/NAHSMS.
htm.
OK DX RTTY Contest--sponsored by the
Czech Radio Club, 0000Z -2400Z Dec 17.
Categories: SOAB (LP, HP >100 W),
SOSB, MOAB, SWL. Frequencies: 80-10
meters according to IARU band plan. For
K4TTA (Extra) Tom Richardson 386-6268
k4tta@arrl.net (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15)
KA4BLL (Extra) Ned Savage 363-9607
ka4bll@arrl.net (1, 5, 8, 14, MARS, ARES/
RACES, net control, traffic handling,
emergency service)
KB4LJV (Extra) James Butler 294-2540
jbutler@bigriver.net (2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14)
KD4NOQ (Adv) David Campbell 388-6166
kd4noq@bellsouth.net (1,2,3,5,9,10,12,14,
slow scan TV, ATV minor)
KU4AW (Extra) Ben Troughton 372-8031
bktrough@mem.quik.net (2,4, 8, 15)
N9ACQ (Extra) Bill Kuechler 368-0532
wkuechl1@midsouth.rr.com (1, 8, 13)
The
W4BS
Elmer
Shack
Please feel free to contact any of our ELMERS
to help you enhance your amateur skills. Anyone
wishing to be added to the Elmer list please
contact Ned at ka4bll@arrl.net or 363-9607.
Codes:
1 .Antennas
2. APRS
3. Contesting
4. CW Operating
5. Direction Finding
(fox hunting)
6. DXing
7. Experimenting/
Circuits/etc.
8. HF Phone
9. Packet
10. Repeater
Operation
11. QRP
12. Satellite
13. RTTY
14. VHF
15. PSK31
16. Computer logging
WA2IQC (Gen) Gary Blinckmann 794-5289
garyblin@midsouth.rr.com (1, 7, 10, 14)
WA4MJM (Extra) Bill Hancock 853-7192
billwa4mjm@aol.com (1, 2, 8, emergency
communications, ARES,MARS)
K4DIT (Extra) Ken Gregg 853-7384
kgregg@c-a-c.com (4, 6, 8, 11, 15)
W4GMM (Extra) Ham Hilliard 372-2337
hamh@bellsouth.net (All categories)
information: www.crk.cz/ENG/
DXCONTE.HTM.
Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge--
CW, sponsored by the Boring
Amateur Radio Club, 1500Z Dec 171500Z
Dec 18. For more information:
http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.rules.txt.
PSK31 Death Match--PSK31 and
PSK63, sponsored by the Michigan DX
Association, 0000Z Dec 17-2400Z Dec
18.
Frequencies: 80-6 meters, PSK31 and PSK63 count as separate "bands." For more information: www.mdxa1.org/ deathmatch.html.
Russian 160-Meter Contest--CW/SSB.
sponsored by Radio Magazine, from
2100Z-2300Z Dec 16 in two 1-hour segments.
For more information: www.
radio.ru/cq/contest/rule-results/
index11.shtml.
Croatian CW Contest--sponsored by
Hrvatski Radioameterski Savez (HRS),
from 1400Z Dec 17-1400Z Dec 18. Frequencies:
160-10 meters. For more information:
www.qsl.net/ctc.
RAC Winter Contest--CW/Phone, sponsored
by the Radio Amateurs of Canada,
0000Z-2359Z Dec 17. Frequencies
(MHz): CW--25 kHz up from the band
edge (check on the half hour), Phone-1.850,
3.775, 7.075, 7.225, 14.175,
21.250, 28.500, 50 and 144 MHz. For
information: www.rac.ca/downloads/
canwi n2004.pdf.
Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO
Party--all modes, sponsored by the Amateur
Radio Lighthouse Society, 0001Z
Dec 17, 2005-2359Z Jan 1, 2006. Frequencies
(MHz): CW--1.830, 3.530,
7.030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030, SSB-1.970,
3.970, 7.270, 14.270, 21.370,
28.370, plus VHF and repeaters. For
more information: http://arlhs.com .
DARC Christmas Contest--CW/SSB,
sponsored by the Deutscher Amateur Radio
Club, 0830Z--1100Z Dec 25. Frequencies
(MHz): CW--3.510-3.560,
7.010-7.040, SSB--3.610-3.650 and
3.700-3.775, 7.040. For more info: www.
darc.de/referate/dx/fedcx.htm .
Delta Amateur Radio Club
ARRL Straight Key Night--see Dec
2005 QST, p 89.
New Year's Snowball Contest-sponsored
by the Activity Group of
Belarus (AGB)--www.qsl.net/
eu1eu/index_e.htm.
HA Happy New Year Contest-sponsored
by the Budapest Society
of the Hungarian Radio Amateur Society
and the Puskás Tivadar Radio
Amateur Club-- http://radioklub.
puskas.hu/ha5khc/web/ .
SARTG New Year RTTY Contest-
sponsored by the Scandinavian
RTTY Activity Group (SARTG)-
www.sartg.com/contest/nyrules.
htm.
AGCW Happy New Year Contest-
sponsored by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft
CW--www.agcw.de.
ARRL RTTY Roundup--1800Z Jan
7-2400Z Jan 8, see Dec 2005 QST, p
87.
Kids Day--Phone, sponsored by th
e
ARRL and the Boring Amateur Radio Club from 1800Z to 2400Z Jan 8
.
See Dec 2005 QST, p 45
.
DARC 10-meter Contest--CW/
SSB, sponsored by the Deutscher
Amateur Radio Club from 0900Z 1059Z
Jan 8. Frequencies: CW
28.000-28.200 MHz, SSB 28.300
28.700
MHz, work stations once only. For more information: www. darc.de/referate/dx/fedcz.htm.
Worldwide QRP Federation QSO
Party-- CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored
by the RU QRP Club from 0000Z2400Z
Jan 6. Frequencies: 160-10
meters. For more information: http://
ruqrp.narod.ru/index_e.html.
EUCW 160 Me ter Contest--CW,
sponsored by the Union Francaise
des Telegraphistes from 2000Z 2300Z
Jan 7 and 0400-0700Z Jan 8.
For more information: www.uft.net/
articles.php?lng=fr&pg=123.
Original QRP Contest--sponsored
by the QRP Contest Community,
from 1500Z Jan 7-1500Z Jan 8. Frequencies:
80-20 meters. For more
information: www.qrpcc.de/
contestrules/oqrpr.html .
North American QSO Party--CW,
sponsored by the National Contest
Journal from 1800Z Jan 14-0600Z
Jan 15. Frequencies: 160-10-meters.
For information: www.ncjweb.com/
naqprules.php.
MI QRP Club January CW Contest--
1200Z Jan 14-2400Z Jan 15.
Frequencies: 160-6-meters. For information:
www.qsl.net/miqrpclub.
Midwinter Contest--CW/SSB,
sponsored by the Dutch YL Committee,
CW from 1400Z -2000Z Jan 14,
SSB from 0800Z -1400Z Jan 15. Frequencies:
80-10-meters, SSB 3.6003.650,
7.080-7.090, 14.270-14.300,
21.270-21.300, 28.470-28.500 MHz.
For more information: www.qsl.net/
pi4ylc/Engels/midwinter%
20contest.htm.
Hunting Lions in the Air--CW/
Phone, sponsored by the South African
District 410B of the Int'l Association
of Lions Clubs from 0000Z
Jan 14-2400Z Jan 15. Frequencies:
80-10 meters, work stations once per
band regardless of mode. For more
information: www.sarl.org.za/
public/contests/lionita.asp.
HA DX Contest--CW, sponsored by
the Hungarian DX Club from 1200Z
Jan 14-1200Z Jan 15. Frequencies:
160-10-meter bands. For more information:
www.mrasz.hu/engver/
mraszen.html .
070 PSKFest--sponsored by the
Penn/OH DX Society (PODXS)
from 0000Z -2400Z Jan 14. Frequencies:
80-10-meters. For more information:
www.podxs.com/html/
pskfest.html.
ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes-
1900Z Jan 21-0400Z Jan 23, see
Dec 2005 QST, p 89.
North American QSO Party--
Phone, 1800Z Jan 21-0600Z Jan 22
(see Jan 14-15).
80-Meter Straight Key Sprint-sponsored
by the North American
QRP Club, from 0130Z-0330Z Jan.
21 (Thursday evening). Frequencies
(MHz): 3.560, 7.110. For more information:
www.arm-tek.net/~yoel.
LZ Open Championship--CW,
sponsored by the LZ Open Contest
Club from 0400Z -1200Z Jan 21. Frequencies:
3.5 and 7 MHz. For more
information: www.linkove.com/lzopen-
contest/rules/rules.htm.
BARTG RTTY Sprint--sponsored
by the British Amateur Radio Teletype
Group from 1200Z Jan 211200Z
Jan 22. Frequencies: 80-10
meters. For more information: www.
bartg.demon.co.uk.
International United Teenager
Contest-- CW/SSB, sponsored by
"Radio-TLUM" Ukraine from
0600Z-1400Z Jan 21 in four periods
for operators 18 or younger and
Ukraine veterans. Frequencies: 80-10
meters. For information: www.qrz.
ru/contest/detail/17.html (select
"Translate to English").
UK DX RTTY Contest--sponsored
by the Scottish-Russian ARS from
1200Z Jan 21-1200Z Jan 22. Frequencies:
80-10-meters. For more
information: www.ukdx.scotham.
net.
CQ WW 160-Meter Contest--CW,
sponsored by CQ Magazine from
0000Z Jan 28-2359Z Jan 29 (Phone
is Feb 25-26). For more information:
www.cq-amateur-radio.com/index.
html.
REF French Contest--CW, sponsored
by the Reseau des Emetteurs
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
Francais, 0600Z Jan 28-1800Z Jan
29 (Phone is Feb 25-26). Contact
French stations including Corsica,
Overseas Territories, and EU Council
station TP2CE. Frequencies: 8010
meters. For more information:
www.ref-union.org/concours.
UBA Contest--Phone, sponsored by
the Royal Union of Belgian Amateur
Radio from 1300Z Jan 28-1300Z Jan
29 (CW is Feb 25-26). Frequencies:
80-10-meters, according to the IARU
band plan. For more information and
a list of EU entities: www.uba.be .
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dec 9-Dec 17, 1400Z-0100Z daily,
Wheeling, WV. Northern Panhandle
Amateur Radio Club, W8ZQ. Winter
Festival Of Lights at Oglebay Park.
General phone bands. QSL. Joe
McCready, WB8CTC, PO Box 192,
Blaine, OH 43909.
Dec 10, 0001Z-2359Z, Warrensburg,
MO. Warrensburg Area Amateur
Radio Club Inc, W0AU. 15 year anniversary
of Warrensburg Area Amateur
Radio Club. 28.370 21.378
14.270
7.250. QSL. Dennis Gedeon, KB0NHW, 1811 Hillside Ct, Oak Grove, MO 64075. www.WAARCI. org .
Dec 10, 1200Z-2400Z, Rutland, VT.
Green Mountain Wireless Society,
W1GMW. To commemorate the 25th
anniversary of the club's founding.
14.240
7.240 7.050 3.840. QSL. Green Mountain Wireless Society, PO Box 84, Rutland, VT 05701. www.gmws.net.
Dec 10-Dec 11, 1400Z-0200Z, Na zareth,
PA. Christmas City Amateur
Radio Club, WX3MAS. Christmas
Greetings from Nazareth and Bethlehem
PA. 21.365 14.265 7.270 3.970.
Certificate. Christmas City ARC
WX3MAS, Graystone Building,
Gracedale Complex, RR8, Nazareth,
PA 18064. www.dlarc.org.
Dec 16-Dec 18, 0000Z-2359Z, Ca mpeche,
CA. Radio Club Cancun,
XF3NN. DX pedition to Carmen Island
IOTA NA-135. 28.460 28.085
21.260
14.085 . QSL. N6AWD, 6000 Hesketh Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93309. www.radioclub.cancun.com.mx/.
Dec 17, 1200Z-2200Z, Winston-
Salem, NC. Forsyth Amateur Radio
Club, W4NC. 75th birthday of The
Forsyth Amateur Radio Club. 21.320
14.270
7.250. QSL. Ed Swiderski, KU4BP, 2105 D Fiddlers Ct, Winston Salem, NC 27107. home. triad.rr.com/ku4bp/main.html.
Dec 17-Dec 25, 1300Z-2359Z, Bethlehem,
NM. Valencia County Amateur
Radio Association, KC5OUR.
Celebrating the Christmas season
from Bethlehem, New Mexico.
28.273
21.273 14.273 7.273. QSL. VCARA, PO Box 268, Peralta, NM 87042. www.qsl.net/kc5our/. Dec 23-Dec 24, beginning 0700Z, Dead Sea, Israel. Holyland DX Group,
4X411A. From Holyland squares M25BS and M26BS. 80-10 m CW and SSB. QSL. Shalom Barak-Bacalu, 4Z4BS, PO Box 43101, Tel Aviv 61430, Israel . www.4z5la. net/4z411a;
www.qrz.com/4x411a.
Dec 31-Jan 1, 0400Z-1600Z, West
Memphis, AR. M&M Amateur Radio
Club, KB5ZMU. Celebrating the
coming of the New Year. 14.300
7.330
7.275 3.925. QSL. Marc Gwin, 1402 Stratford Dr, West Memp his, AR 72301. http://geocities.com/ marca2gwin.
Jan 1-Jan 31, 0000Z-2400Z, Brant
Rock, MA. Fessenden Amateur Radio
Society (W1FRV), AA1A/BO.
100th year commemoration of transoceanic
2-way communications.
18.075
14.055 10.118 7.055. QSL. RAF.NESCO, Box 686, Brant Rock, MA 02020. Participating stations use /BO suffix. www.radiocom.net/ Fessenden/.
Jan 7-Jan 8, 1200Z-2100Z, Bethpage,
NY. NLI Section, W2V. Ham
Radio University 2006, our 7th annual
day of education, at the ARRL
NYC/LI Section Convention. 14.273
7.273.
QSL. Phil Lewis, N2MUN, 22 Belle Terre W, Lindenhurst, NY 11757. www.hudson.arrl.org/nli/.
Jan 7-Jan 16, 1400Z-0000Z, Wall
Township, NJ. Ocean Monmouth
ARC, N2MO. From the historic
Diana Site, to commemorate "Project
Diana," the first ever successful
moon bounce experiment. Gen and
Nov/Tech subbands 80, 40, 20, 15
and 10 m. QSL. OMARC Inc, PO
Box 267, Oakhurst, NJ 07755. www.
omarc.org.
Jan 21-Jan 22, 1300Z-2300Z, Moscow,
PA. Northeast Pennsylvania
Special Event Club, KV3T. Remembering
the Knox Coal Mine Disaster.
21.240
14.240 14.045 7.240. QSL. David Samsell, W3LOW, 923 Clearview Rd, Moscow, PA 18444. http:// kv3t.tripod.com.
Jan 28, 1400Z-2100Z, Punxsutawney
, PA. Punxsutawney Area Amateur
Radio Club, K3HWJ. Co mmemorating
Groundhog Day 2006.
14.240
7.240 7.125 147.390. Certificate. Mike Miller, N3HBH, 1097 Wishaw Rd , Reynoldsville, PA 15851. www.qsl.net/k3hwj.
Jan 28-Jan 30, 1400Z-0200Z, Wilsona
Gardens, CA. BioRem RAC
(Edwards AFB), AL7LS. Jan 27,
1967 release of Hot Rods to Hell
filmed at Wilsona Gardens. Packet
on 14.105 7.105 3.740. Certificate.
Bruce Rossi, 2127 Sierra Stone Ln,
Las Vegas, NV 89119.
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
Delta Amateur Radio Club
TENNESSEE NETS
SPARKS is published monthly by the Delta Amateur Radio
Club and is emailed to club members and other interested
Net Name Freq. UTC Day
parties. All information published in this newsletter is
Tennessee CW Net 3635 0100 T-Su
provided as a service. While every effort is made to ensure
Tennessee Slow CW Net 3682 0130 T-Su
accuracy, the Delta Amateur Radio Club and its officers
Tennessee Early Morn Phone Net 3980 1145 M-F
assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions. All
Tennessee Morning Phone Net 3980 1245 M-F
correspondence may be mailed to:
Tennessee Morning Phone Net 3980 1400 Sa-Su
Tennessee Evening Phone Net 3980 0030 T-Su
Delta Amateur Radio Club
P.O.
Box 750482
AREA HAMFESTS OF INTEREST
Memphis, TN 38175-0482
MARA Christmas Hamfest
Minden Amateur Radio Association
2005 Board of Directors
Minden Civic Center
520 Broadway Street
Minden, LA
President
December 17, 2005
Ned Savage, KA4BLL
901-682-8716 (ka4bll@arrl.net)
Mississippi State Convention (Capital City Hamfest)
-
Jackson Amateur Radio Club
Vice President
State Fairgrounds
Jackson, MS
Darrell Sheffield, KK4D
February 3&4 , 2006
901-277-3367 (Lt4FandD@aol.com)
-
Lawrence County ARC Winterfest
Secretary
Lawrence County Amateur Radio Club
Lisa Sheffield, KI4DIL
Walnut Ridge Fire Department Fireman's Hall
901-277-8144 (SassGirlsMom@aol.com)
218 East Main Street
-
Walnut Ridge, AR 72476
Treasurer
February 11, 2006
Bill Torkell, KG4VAW
901-465-6732 (wtork@aol.com)
-
Director of Training
John Zempel, KG4OLG
Delta Amateur Radio Club
901-386-1695 (jaztoxco@midsouth.rr.com)
-
Director of Publications
November 2005 Treasurers Report
Roger Paulson, K4KCU
Balance 10/31/2005 $6,374.01 901-497-4132 (paulsonrj@bellsouth.net)
-
Director of Programs
Expense
Tommy Thompson, KD4TJO
901-743-1949 (kd4tjo@arrl.net)
Memphis Amateur Electronics 11/03 1200.00
Ned Savage —Plaques 12/05 324.00
-
Director of Meetings and Special Events
Dean Honadle, N2LAZ
Income
901-353-1207 (dean@honadle.com)
-
Ticket Sales 11/09 535.00
Repeater Trustee
Annual Dues 11/09 137.50
Suresh Kagoo, N9GSA
901-752-5900 (skagoo@midsouth.rr.com)
Balance 12/05/2005 $5,522.51
DECEMBER 2005 SPARKS
==>FCC ORDERS TWO AMATEURS OFF MOST REPEATERS
Never say that FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley
Hollingsworth lacks creative flair in applying enforcement sanctions. Acting
in two ongoing cases, Hollingsworth this month notified two Technician
licensees that they must stay off all repeaters on the 144, 222, and 440-MHz
bands for the next three years.
Hollingsworth invoked Section 97.27 of the FCC's Amateur Service rules to
modify the licenses of Ted R. Sorensen III, KC6PQW, of Agoura Hills,
California, and Joseph Mattern, KG4NGG, of Orlando, Florida. Both licensees
have been the subject of repeater-related enforcement inquiries.
Sorensen's restriction was among other actions recently taken in conjunction
with the Los Angeles-area W6NUT repeater. In February, the FCC asked
Sorensen and Gregory S. Cook, ex-KC6USO, of Chico, California, to respond to
allegations that they conspired in making late-night one-way transmissions
on W6NUT that originated from Sorensen's station.
In March the FCC accepted Cook's voluntarily surrendered license. For his
part, Sorensen, who did not dispute the allegations, wrote the FCC offering
to accept a year's banishment from the W6NUT 147.435 repeater "as fair
punishment." Instead, the Commission imposed a ban on the use of all
repeaters on the three most popular repeater bands for the next three years.
Mattern, who formerly held the vanity call sign WW4WJD as a Tech Plus, was
called for retesting last September after the FCC received allegations that
the licensee had been using amateur repeaters in his area to solicit traffic
reports for his employer, a company that markets the reports. In a reply to
the FCC, Mattern characterized his traffic-reporting activities as "a hobby"
that earned him very little money. He also agreed to abide by the wishes of
repeater control operators who had asked him to stay off their machines.
Mattern failed all elements of last year's retest, but he passed the
Technician exam earlier this year, and was granted KG4NGG on May 3. In
reaction to numerous additional complaints from Central Florida amateurs the
FCC set aside that license grant until the Enforcement Bureau could
investigate. Mattern's application was granted on June 8 with the repeater
restriction imposed.
FCC to Prohibit Automatic Control on LA Area Repeater
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 18, 2001--The FCC has told the owner of the W6NUT repeater in the Los Angeles, California, area to expect a letter terminating authority
to operate the machine under automatic control until further notice. An FCC review into the repeater's operation initiated last winter followed allegations
that the licensee or control operator failed to address "long periods of jamming by users, broadcasting, music playing as well as a plethora of other violations."
The latest chapter in the W6NUT saga came in a September 7 letter to repeater owner Kathryn Tucker, AA6TK, from FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement
Riley Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth specifically cited incidents of alleged rules violations in early February on W6NUT and reiterated that extensive monitoring
of W6NUT showed "no evidence that a control operator even exists for this repeater." The FCC also has reported receiving numerous complaints about W6NUT.
In her reply to the FCC, Tucker identified her husband, Roy Tucker, N6TK, as the primary control operator "24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks out of
the year." But elsewhere in her response, Tucker noted that he was not on duty during the alleged misbehavior in early February that prompted the FCC review.
Tucker also told the FCC that it was not the repeater's policy "to attempt to remove unruly operators" from using W6NUT. As for complaints, Tucker told
the FCC that the W6NUT policy was to let them "go in one ear and out the other."
Hollingsworth's September 7 letter suggested that Tucker was misinformed about the FCC rules governing repeater operation. He also asked Tucker to document
her designation of Roy Tucker as the W6NUTcontrol operator, and he noted that the rules hold licensee and control operator "equally responsible for the
proper operation of the station." Automatic control does not absolve the licensee or control operator of the responsibility for illegal or improper conduct
that airs, Hollingsworth explained. While there's an exception for inadvertent communications that violate the rules, he said, FCC rules do not consider
improper or illegal conduct that's repetitive or continues for hours or days to be inadvertent.
The rules do "not exempt the repeater station licensee from responsibility for the proper operation of his or her station or allow a repeater station licensee
to ignore complaints, Hollingsworth wrote. "Given your response, it is evident that you do not understand the duties of a control operator," Hollingsworth
said. "Further, we find no merit to your implication that the responsibility of the owner/licensee/control operator of a repeater ends with technical operation
of the station's equipment."
Hollingsworth said Tucker's understanding of automatic control--as indicated by her reply--was "in error." Automatic control is not a method of operator
control, he said. Under automatic control, a repeater may be operated without a control operator to babysit the repeater, provided devices and procedures
are in place to ensure technical compliance.
Hollingsworth requested that the licensee or the control operator conduct a time and usage study of W6NUT's operation for 14 consecutive 24-hour periods
to demonstrate that the repeater can comply with FCC rules without a control operator on duty. He said the FCC wants to know the date, time and length
of transmissions, the stations originating the transmissions, a brief summary of the content, notes about any apparent violations, the times the control
operator had to act to "insure the immediate proper operation" of the repeater, and any down periods. Hollingsworth said the repeater may continue to operate
using remote or local control in the meantime. Tucker was given 30 days to respond.
The W6NUT repeater on 147.435 MHz has attracted a following of what some observers call "nontraditional" amateur users. It also was said to have been radio
home of Richard Burton, ex-WB6JAC, sentenced earlier this year to prison for unlicensed operation.
As a result of the early February incident, Gregory S. Cook, ex-KC6USO, of Chico, turned in his license, and the FCC ordered Ted R. Sorensen III, KC6PQW,
of Agoura Hills off all repeaters on the 144, 222, or 440-MHz bands for the next three years.
Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO, responds to NALs
Jack Gerritsen, the ex-KG6IRO has responded to a pair of proposed fines issued to him by the FCC.
In his hand written statements now posted to an Internet website, Gerritsen denies any liability what so ever. He also continues to claim that he has an
unexpired license making any enforcement action against him illegal.
Gerritsen currently has a total of $52,000 in fines and proposed fines hanging against him. He faces a $10,000 fine the FCC affirmed in October of 2004.
The Notices of Apparent Liability to which he is responding now stem from further complaints of alleged interference that took place between June and September
of 2004. This includes the highly publicized incident where he is claimed to have jammed official U-S Coast Guard communications during a declared emergency.
By way of background, back in 2001, the FCC set aside Gerritsen's Amateur Radio license and K-G-6-I-R-O call sign shortly after both were issued. It took
this action after learning of an earlier California state conviction for interfering with police communications.
But Gerritsen continues to assert that the FCC can not take away his operating privileges without a hearing, that he still holds a valid Amateur Radio license
and allegedly continues to operate on Los Angeles area repeaters. As far as the FCC is concerned Gerritsen has no license and has warned him that he has
no authority to be on the air. His former KG6IRO call letters have been re-issued to a California radio club under the vanity call sign program.
In his response to the latest liability notices Gerritsen asserts that he has done nothing wrong and at one point claims that he the victim of others jamming
him as the reason for raising his transmit power from 5 to 50 watts.
He also cites his inability to pay the proposed fines but says he cannot provide proof he does not have the money. This claims Gerritsen, is because his
income is so low that he does not file a tax statement.
FCC Declines to Reconsider $10,000 Fine in Gerritsen Case
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 4, 2005--The FCC has denied a Petition for Reconsideration and upheld a $10,000 fine against briefly licensed radio amateur and alleged
jammer Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO, of Bell, California. The FCC proposed the forfeiture last June after charging that Gerritsen had interfered with Amateur
Radio communications. The Commission affirmed the fine in a
2004/DA-04-3183A1
Forfeiture Order last October. The following month, Gerritsen, who claims he's still a Commission licensee, wrote the FCC challenging the fine and its basis.
The FCC turned away all of his arguments and suggested it was turning up the heat on Gerritsen, who now faces a total of $52,000 in FCC-imposed or proposed
fines
"Despite repeated warnings that he holds no valid Commission authorization, investigations by field agents in the Bureau's Western Region reveal that Gerritsen
persists in his unauthorized operations in the Amateur Service," the FCC said in a March 4 Memorandum Opinion and Order (
attachmatch/DA-05-534A1
MO&O). "Because of Gerritsen's ongoing illegal activity, we direct the Western Region to continue to coordinate with the United States Attorney for the
Central District of California in pursuing additional sanctions against Gerritsen." Signing the MO&O was FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David H. Solomon.
The FCC said Gerritsen raised one argument that it had already considered and rejected, but he also brought up two new ones in his November 2 handwritten
letter, which the FCC considered a Petition for Reconsideration. The Commission turned away Gerritsen's contention that the federal government was attempting
to deprive him of his constitutional right of free speech. The FCC countered by noting that the right of free speech "does not include the right to use
radio facilities without a license and that the licensing system established by Congress in the [Communications] Act was a proper exercise of its power
over commerce."
Gerritsen also asserted that the Forfeiture Order deprived him of due process. The FCC pointed out that Sections 503 and 504 of the Communications Act contain
safeguards that legally satisfy due process requirements.
The FCC said reconsideration "is appropriate only where the petitioner either demonstrates a material error or omission in the underlying order or raises
additional facts not known or not existing until after the petitioner's last opportunity to present such matters."
The FCC gave Gerritsen 30 days from the release of the MO&O to pay the fine or face having the case referred to the US Department of Justice for collection.
In mid-December, the ARRL called upon Solomon to intervene with the US Attorney's office in the Gerritsen case, citing the urgency of the situation and
suggesting "that procedures other than monetary forfeitures be brought to bear." ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, suggested in the letter that the
time for gathering additional evidence was past, since the malicious interference continues. Several hundred ARRL members from the Los Angeles area have
complained to the League about Gerritsen's alleged activities.
California Man Fined by FCC for Intefering with CG Auxiliary Rescue Communications
A California man is now facing a total of $52,000 in fines afert allegedly interfering with radio communications of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The
Federal Communications Communication accuses Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California of violating Section 333 of the Communications Act by interfering with
a Coast Guard rescue effort last October 29 on amateur radio requencies.
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Los Angeles, CA (
PRWEB)
February 9, 2005 -- A California man is now facing a total of $52,000 in fines afert allegedly interfering with radio communications of the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary.
The Federal Communications Communication accuses Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California of violating Section 333 of the Communications Act by interfering with
a Coast Guard rescue effort last October 29 on amateur radio requencies.
According to the FCC, the incident involved efforts by an Auxiliarist to contact the sailing vessel Elke-Marie after a storm rendered the boat's VHF marine
radio non-operational. The vessel had working Amateur Radio gear, however. When the Auxiliary member attempted to contact the S/V Elke-Marie on behalf
of the Coast Guard, using a VHF amateur radio repeater on Catalina Island, "Gerritsen began speaking and transmitting a prerecorded message," according
to the FCC.
Although the Auxiliarist radio operator asked Gerritsen to cease operating, he continue to transmit on the frequency for about 40 minutes, accusing the
Auxiliarist of declaring a sham emergency in an effort to jam Gerritsen's transmissions.
Within 90 minutes of the incident, FCC agents tracked a signal on the repeater's input frequency to Gerritsen's residence. "Gerritsen's apparent willful
and malicious interference with the radio communications of the Coast Guard Auxiliary officer who was attempting to communicate with a ship in distress
is egregious," said FCC Los Angeles District Office District Director Catherine Deaton. "According to the evidence, Gerritsen knowingly operates, without
a license, radio transmission equipment." In its notice to Gerritsen, the FCC alleged that he continued to transmit "despite repeated warnings and requests
to vacate the frequency."
FCC records show that Gerritsen has been fined several times for interfering with government-licensed radio communications. In the latest incident, Geritsen
was fined $21,000, bringing the total fines imposed against him to $52,000. Gerritsen has previously briefly spent time in jail on a state conviction for
interfering with public safety radio communications.
Gerritsen has claimed that the FCC improperly rescinded his amateur radio license without holding a hearing.
The American Radio Relay League, the national association of radio amateurs, has called upon the FCC Enforcement Division to intervene with the U.S. Attorney's
office in the case, saying that malicious interference atttributed to Gerritsen has continued. The ARRL asks that "procedures other than monetary forfeitures
be brought to bear."
The Communications Act requires that all radio stations give "absolute priority" to radio communications or signals relating to ships in distress.
Hundreds of amateur radio operators in southern California have repeatedly complained to authorities about Gerritsen's alleged "jamming" activities during
the past several years.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer civilians who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions,
except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock,
performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in
1941. Its 35,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.
Jail Term Enforces Temporary Radio Silence on Former Amateur
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 27, 2004--All's quiet on the Western Front--at least for the time being. Now that former amateur licensee Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO,
of Bell, California, is back behind bars until March 24, Los Angeles-area Amateur Radio repeater owners and law enforcement agencies are breathing a short
sigh of relief. Hams and police have long complained to the FCC that Gerritsen has been illegally transmitting on repeaters using the ham radio call sign
he'd held for about a week in 2001 and has been jamming public safety transmissions.
Some two dozen amateurs and a handful of law officers were on hand to see Gerritsen get his day in federal court February 23 on a relatively minor charge
that he ignored a posted entryway to the courthouse roof--reportedly with a portable transceiver and extra batteries in hand. Federal Judge Carolyn Turchin
said the battery pack, wrapped in black electrical tape, looked like a possible bomb to the officers who arrested him.
Gerritsen received the maximum penalty on the trespassing charge--30 days in jail and a $2500 fine plus court costs. If he doesn't pay up by May 15, the
government will impose a real estate lien against Gerritsen's house. Many members of the amateur community had written Turchin regarding Gerritsen's alleged
on-the-air behavior. Turchin apologized to the amateurs because she could not take their unsolicited letters into consideration for the trespassing case.
She did forward them to federal probation officials handling Gerritsen's case, however.
Amateurs and law officers--some of them also amateur licensees--remain unhappy at the slow pace of progress in prosecuting Gerritsen on the radio interference-related
allegations, however. Some sheriff's deputies claimed this week that Gerritsen only recently had transmitted on public safety frequencies. Amateur repeater
owners already are in the habit of shutting down their machines altogether when transmissions they attribute to Gerritsen start up.
The FCC pulled Gerritsen's Technician ticket only a few days after granting it in 2001 after learning that he'd been convicted the previous year in state
court of interfering with Los Angeles Police Department radio transmissions. The FCC also had heard complaints from amateurs that Gerritsen was operating
without a license and causing malicious interference on numerous repeaters. Gerritsen has told ARRL that the FCC had no right to take away his ham radio
license without affording him a hearing, and he considers himself to still be a licensee. FCC administrative procedures permit the Commission to rescind
a license grant within 30 days without a hearing, however.
Last fall, the FCC also set aside Gerritsen's General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license, basing the action on what it described as "continuing unlicensed
operation and complaints of deliberate interference from transmitters you operate."
The next steps for the FCC are a forfeiture proceeding and criminal prosecution, although it can take months--even years--before such cases ever go to court.
A Hearing Designation Order for Gerritsen already is slowly working its way through the FCC bureaucracy. Gerritsen's Amateur Radio and GMRS applications
have reverted to pending status. FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth has told Gerritsen that the FCC will make the GMRS application
part of the record when it holds a hearing on his amateur application to determine if Gerritsen is qualified to be a Commission licensee. In such a hearing,
the burden of proof is on Gerritsen.
The FCC alleges that when Gerritsen was paroled after serving one year of a five-year sentence for earlier radio-related violations, he resumed operating
and caused deliberate interference to numerous amateur repeaters as well as to public safety radio systems. In May 2002, Gerritsen was sentenced to three
years in prison--with credit for good behavior, work time and time already served--but he was released early due to jail overcrowding, Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth says the FCC investigation into Gerritsen continues, but patience on the part of the amateur repeater owners and law enforcement agencies
is starting to wear very thin. Hollingsworth has expressed his own frustration that Gerritsen was released from prison with no conditions or restrictions
on possession or use of radio equipment, "which is what he was in there for in the first place."
"We are doing what we can, commensurate with the responsibilities of a very small FCC office having to cover a lot of real estate," Hollingsworth told one
frustrated member of the law enforcement community who expressed disappointment in the FCC's lack of action. "We'll all be glad when this is taken care
of."
FCC LIFTS AUTOMATIC CONTROL PRIVILEGES OF BUSY LA-AREA REPEATER
The call sign and owner have changed again, but the FCC alleges that
problems persist on the Los Angeles area's 147.435 MHz repeater, now
operated by Jeffrey Stieglitz, AE6NZ, of Torrance. The FCC Los Angeles
District Office recently informed Stieglitz that it was suspending automatic
control privileges for the repeater. That means the licensee or a designated
control operator must be at the repeater's control point whenever the
machine is operational.
"Your amateur station AE6NZ is under review by the Enforcement Bureau for
numerous and continued apparent violations of the Commissions rules," FCC LA
Office District Director Catherine Deaton wrote Stieglitz November 18. The
Commission alleges inadequate station control, deliberate interference,
failure of users to identify and use by unlicensed operators.
Stieglitz told ARRL he encourages users of the busy repeater to comply with
Part 97 rules and to make a reasonable effort to identify unlicensed
operators. "I believe that the 147.435 repeater attracts people to the hobby
and, overall, is consistent with the purposes of Amateur Radio," he said.
"Sometimes the talk on the repeater may resemble that of a boys locker
room," Stieglitz conceded, "but I think we more than make up for it with
charitable activities and technical sophistication."
Deaton says if AE6NZ is operated under automatic control prior to
notification from her office, enforcement action up to and including a
license revocation and suspension hearing, a fine or both could follow.
Deaton also asked Stieglitz to submit in advance the names and contact
numbers of other licensees who serve as control operators. "During any times
that no control operator is available, the repeater must be shut down,"
Deaton stated.
The odd-split 147.435 MHz repeater (the primary input is 146.400 MHz) has
been a lightning rod for controversy. In 2001, the FCC terminated the
automatic control privileges of the then-W6NUT repeater while it was
reviewing its operation. Since then the repeater has changed hands a few
times, and enforcement issues seem to have followed. Stieglitz believes
"heat from the FCC" was behind the frequent ownership changes.
"As the Jack Gerritsen case shows, there is very little the FCC can actually
do against a determined bootlegger," Stieglitz said. Gerritsen is set to
appear in federal court next week. "In my opinion, shutting down a repeater
because a third party breaks the rules just penalizes the honest operators."
FCC Enforcement Bureau Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth had another
perspective: "The repeater has been out of control long enough, and we have
been too patient too long," he told ARRL.
What does the word "remote" mean to you? It's likely that the first thing you thought of
was the controller for your TV set or audio/video player. What does "remote" stand for in this
case? It means remote control. Let's take this idea a little further. Have you ever operated a
remote control (RC) car or a remote control model airplane? When you operate these devices
you are able to control movement of different parts of the vehicle from a distance with radio
waves. The basic unit consists of a radio transmitter, a receiver and a system of servos connected
to the receiver. By attaching mechanical links to these servos it is possible to manipulate various
parts of the vehicle and control its direction and speed.
Remote control is used for operating a variety of vehicles from bomb disposal robots to
Martian planetary rovers. All of these devices are controlled by radio transmitters when it is
either dangerous, impractical, or impossible to be physically present to operate the device or
vehicle.
Amateurs have experimented with communications technology for the past 100 years. As
amateur operations have expanded, amateurs have employed remote control as well, especially
on the higher frequencies. Two forms of remote operation in the VHF and UHF bands include
repeater and satellite operations.
REPEATER OPERATION
VHF and UHF signals travel in a straight line. This is called line-of-sight propagation.
This limits operating distance in many areas. Sometimes hills and buildings interfere with the
signals. Even without obstructions, VHF and UHF signals won't travel much further than the
horizon. In order to increase operating distances at these frequencies, ham operators started using
devices called repeaters.
A repeater receives a signal
and retransmits it, usually at higher
power and from a better location, to
provide a greater communication
range. Repeaters are not only used
by amateurs but are also used by
police and fire departments, cell
phone companies, and other private
businesses that rely upon VHF or
UHF radio communications.
Repeaters are often located high
atop buildings or mountains to
increase their range. Any radio
operators who can hear the
repeater's transmitter on their radios
can use it to retransmit their own
signals over greater distances. This is especially useful for amateurs using handheld or mobile
radios.
Text Box:
A repeater receives a signal on one frequency
and retransmits it (repeats it) on another frequency. The
difference between the two frequencies is called the
repeater's offset. This is called duplex operation. The
repeater's receiving frequency is called the input and its
transmitting frequency is called the output. An amateur
operator who wants to use the repeater transmits on the
repeater's input frequency and listens on the repeater's
output frequency.
Many repeaters won't work unless they are
activated by a subaudible tone or a short "burst" of tones
that are sent along with a transmission. These are called
CTCSS (continuous tone-coded squelch system) or PL
tones (Private Line - PL is a Motorola trademark).
Most amateur repeaters are said to be open
repeaters. This means they are open to use by any
licensed amateur operator. In this way they provide a
public service. However, some repeaters are used
exclusively by private radio clubs. A repeater like this is called a closed repeater and is only
available for the use of club members. The club owns and maintains the repeater. Many clubs
welcome new members. If you would like to become a member, call the control operator of the
repeater, usually a designated club member.
How To Find A Repeater
Many communities in the United States have repeaters that are owned and maintained by
amateur radio clubs or individual hams. Most of these operate in the 2 meter band, the most
popular band for local amateur FM communication. Different repeaters in a local area operate on
different frequencies as determined by someone called a frequency coordinator. Different
frequencies are required so that the repeaters don't interfere with each other.
To find a local repeater, you can ask individual amateurs or contact local amateur radio
clubs. To find a list of clubs in your area go to the Internet at www.arrl.org. Click on "club
search." Another good resource is the ARRL Repeater Directory, a small handbook published
by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).
If you are using a repeater and an emergency call comes in, FCC rules require that you
must try to establish communication with the station calling for help and pass on the information
to the proper authorities. Also, if a repeater is already being used for emergency
communications, you should not try to use the repeater for casual contacts. Once the emergency
is over, the repeater can be used again for normal operation.
Simplex Operation
Sometimes when two amateurs are using a repeater, they realize they are close enough to
use simplex operation. Simplex means the two communicating parties can talk on the same
frequency without the use of a duplex repeater. This releases the repeater to someone else who
may need to use it. There are certain frequencies set aside for simplex communication. How do
Text Box: Repeater Input/Output Offsets
Band Offset
6 meters 1 MHz
2 meters 600 kHz
1.25 meters 1.6 MHz
70 cm 5 MHz
33 cm 12 MHz
23 cm 20 MHz
you know if you're close enough to use simplex? Listen to the repeater's input frequency instead
of the output frequency that you would normally listen to. This is the same frequency the other
station is using to transmit. If you can hear the other station on this frequency, then you are close
enough to use simplex. This may sound confusing but after you've learned how to use a repeater
it's not so hard to do.
Text Box: Common VHF/UHF FM Simplex Frequencies
2-Meter Band 1.25-Meter Band 70-cm Band
146.52* 223.42 446.0*
146.535 223.44
146.55 223.46 33-cm Band
146.565 223.48 906.5*
146.58 223.50*
146.595 223.52 23-cm Band
147.42 1294.5*
147.435 1294.000
147.45 1294.025
147.465 Every 25 kHz to 1295
147.48
147.495
147.51
147.525
147.54
147.555
147.57
147.585
How The Autopatch Works
An autopatch allows repeater users to make telephone calls through the repeater. Not all
repeaters have this function but many do. You can send the standard telephone company tones
from your radio to the repeater. The tones are generated from a touch-pad on your radio similar
to what you would find on a cell phone. The repeater is linked to a computer that makes the
connection with the local telephone company. Usually, you are restricted to just a few minutes
on your phone call before the repeater shuts off your connection. It's a service that provides a
convenience to amateur radio operators but long conversations or financial business are
inappropriate. Such calls should be placed over a standard telephone or cell phone. Also, since
the autopatch is connected through a repeater, other amateurs can listen to your phone call so you
won't have any privacy!
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Satellites have revolutionized wireless communications. Satellites are used to send
pictures of weather systems and to monitor environmental conditions on the Earth. Satellites
send radar signals to measure the shape of the ocean floor by detecting slight variations in sea
level due to gravity differences. Satellites are used to spy on the military systems of other
countries. Satellites provide a variety of commercial radio and television programming and are
part of worldwide communications networks. It may surprise you to know that amateur radio
operators have their own communications satellites as well.
Orbiting satellites provide another means of remote operation. They act somewhat like
repeaters in the sky. Signals are transmitted up to a satellite on one frequency (called the uplink)
and are retransmitted on another frequency (called the downlink). Because satellites are so far
above the surface of the Earth, it is possible to communicate over great distances using relatively
simple, inexpensive equipment.
At present, there are twelve amateur satellites
and manned spacecraft in orbit. Over the years
amateurs have enjoyed making contacts with
Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts on
amateur radio. Space communications is an exciting
area of experimentation for amateurs in any license
class. Amateurs have been launching their own
satellites since 1961. Amateur satellites are called
OSCAR satellites (Orbiting Satellite Carrying
Amateur Radio). Satellites can use batteries or solar
cells for power. OSCAR I and II were only
beacons, transmitting identification signals from
small transmitters in Morse code. Later OSCAR
satellites were equipped with linear transponders.
A linear transponder can receive a radio signal, shift its frequency, amplify the signal and then
retransmit it back to Earth. Linear transponders can handle a large number of signals at once. As
long as two Earth stations are within line of sight of the satellite, they can communicate with
each other. The farther up above the Earth's surface the satellite is, the longer the stations can
stay in contact. Also, stations can be further apart if the satellite is up higher. For example, low
altitude satellites permit ground stations to be 5000 miles apart but high altitude satellites permit
the stations to be 11,000 miles apart.
Text Box:
To better understand the distances involved, picture the Earth as being a ball with a 12-
inch diameter (about the size of a basketball). The orbits of the U.S. Space Shuttle and
International Space Station would be about 0.25 inch above the surface (the thickness of a
pencil). A low Earth orbiting spacecraft (LEO satellite) would be about 0.5 to 1.5 inches above
the surface. In comparison, a high altitude amateur spacecraft would be three feet above the
surface (the length of a yardstick).
New amateur satellites are being designed with high-powered transmitters and
sophisticated remote control systems. These have digital memory storage systems so they can
receive messages and then relay the messages a little later than received. This greatly expands
their communication capabilities. These are designed to be high altitude satellites. Some plans
even call for geostationary satellites, such as those used by the government and communications
industries. Geostationary satellites orbit the Earth at exactly the Earth's speed of rotation, so they
are always above a single point on the Earth's surface. This is useful for wide coverage
broadcasting and long distance communications. Although amateurs don't have a geostationary
satellite as yet, when one is finally launched it will be possible for amateurs to talk over great
distances. Someday, Amateur Radio may even play a part in interplanetary exploration.
AMSAT
No mention of amateur satellites would be complete without giving credit to the
organization most responsible for the amateur space program: The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation (AMSAT). AMSAT is a worldwide group of amateur radio operators who share an
active interest in building, launching, and then communicating through non-commercial Amateur
Radio satellites. Most of the people in AMSAT have volunteered their labor to design, build,
launch and maintain amateur satellites. AMSAT has played an important part in helping to
advance space science, space education, and space communications technology for many years.
International Space Station (ISS)
Would you like to try some radio that’s “out of this world?” How about the International
Space Station? Its first crew activated an Amateur Radio station aboard the ISS in late 2000. The
ISS station sports a powerful signal that you’ll usually hear on 2-meter FM. Some hams have
been lucky enough to snag voice contacts with the crew on 145.800 MHz and there have been
many scheduled contacts with schools as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) program.
Working the ISS on voice is very similar to working a DX pileup, where many hams are
trying to make a contact all at the same time. You sit with microphone in hand and wait until
you hear the crewmember complete an exchange. At that moment you key the mike and say
your call sign. Now listen. No response? Call again quickly! Keep trying until you hear him
calling you or someone else.
Hams have worked the ISS while mobile in their cars and some have worked the ISS with
hand-helds. As you might imagine, ISS QSL cards, the cards that get exchanged after a radio
contact, are highly prized!
The major problem with working the ISS is its erratic schedule. The crew (Figure 6.4)
has many duties and is not always able to find the time to operate their amateur station. They are
sometimes forced to turn off their equipment to avoid interference to other systems during
critical tests.
In these last two units we have covered a wide variety of information dealing with the
Amateur Radio side of wireless communications. Learning how to communicate effectively is
important to everyone, not just hams but all of us in everyday life. Taking time to improve our
communication skills is time well spent. You never know when these skills will be called upon.
Whether you are using Family Radio Service radios, ham radio or working for the government
organization, good verbal skills one day could save someone’s life.
REMOTE-CONTROLLED VHF/UHF AND HF
A third form of remote operation is just now becoming popular with radio amateurs. It
involves connecting an amateur radio to the Internet through computers. Internet users have been
communicating through the Internet using voice and video for years now. All that is required is a
computer with a sound card, a microphone and a camera. It wasn't long before amateurs started
connecting their VHF/UHF FM radios to their computer sound cards. Local repeaters were then
linked to computers so that now amateurs around the world could talk to each other using
repeaters linked to the Internet. This is an exciting form of "hybrid" technology that uses the best
of what Amateur Radio and the Internet both have to offer. The audio quality is better than the
usual Internet voice audio. Amateurs who only have a Technician license can now talk to
amateurs around the world using high quality FM communication. Typical communication
problems such as interference and fading found in traditional radio modes are eliminated.
What if you want to work HF? The same technology that is used to connect repeaters can
be used to connect a computer to a remote HF station. So what is the advantage? If you live in an
apartment with no possibility of putting up a tower and antenna, you can still operate HF through
your computer.
In order to operate a remote base station, the following are required:
list of 3 items
• Radio - any HF radio that is controllable from a computer;
• Internet Connection - ideally, a full time broadband connection with a fixed Internet protocol (IP) address;
• Computer - any 300 Mhz or faster IBM compatible system with a sound card, compatible microphone and headset, and with at least a 5 Gb hard drive and MS
Windows 95 or later operating system.
list end
Because Remote Base operating is just becoming popular with the amateur community, there
is a lack of information available for the time being. What follows is a list of articles and Web
sites with information on remote base operating:
list of 7 items
• Article in November 2001 QST, pages 47-48
• Article in July 2002 Worldradio, pages 6-7
• www.lamonica.com
• www.w4mq
• www.irlp.net
• http://status.irlp.net
• www.qsl.net/ve6bpr/page2.htm
list end
Hollingsworth Era" of Amateur Enforcement Enters Fourth Year
Riley Hollingsworth
Riley Hollingsworth is a frequent attraction on the ham radio convention circuit. [ARRL Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 12, 2001--FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, this week praised the overall level of Amateur
Radio compliance with FCC rules as "outstanding." Hollingsworth's assessment came as the current era of Amateur Radio enforcement under his guidance and
direction enters its fourth year.
"The vast majority of operators are proud of the service and want to contribute to it and want to pass on the great legacy that it has become," Hollingsworth
said in a statement prepared to mark the occasion. "May it last a thousand years!"
An amateur for 41 years, Hollingsworth also declared his pride in the Amateur Service. "I saw the energy and compassion and excellent operating of amateurs
at the Pentagon and World Trade Center after September 11," he said. "I've seen and heard it at the National Hurricane Center in Miami--home of W4EHW--and
in countless meetings with individual amateurs and at amateur events all over the United States."
Hollingsworth said US hams "have a lot to be proud of," and he urged them to "participate in Amateur Radio with enthusiasm, celebrate it, enjoy it and share
it, because you have made it an incredible national resource and the only truly fail-safe communication service on the planet Earth."
In his statement, Hollingsworth again reminded amateurs to be acutely aware of the image they present to anyone who might be listening. "I hear far too
many operators who don't realize what a bad reflection they are on American amateur operators," he said. This has been an oft-repeated refrain during Hollingsworth's
convention and hamfest visits, where he's encouraged amateurs to serve as on-air ambassadors and urged them to avoid questionable on-air practices, language
and antics.
Riley-Shack-1
"
I am proud of the Amateur Service." Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, at home in his well-equipped basement ham shack. Hollingsworth's gear includes several "vintage"
operating positions. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo]
Now nationally recognized and respected within the amateur community, Hollingsworth was relatively unknown outside the FCC bureaucracy when he volunteered
to take on the challenge of amateur enforcement in 1998. For several years prior, the FCC had all but abandoned amateur enforcement. Hollingsworth notes
that it was not until another plea went out from the ARRL to the FCC in the summer of 1998 that the FCC responded. The agency transferred Amateur Service
enforcement from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to what was then called the Compliance and Information Bureau.
"Amateur enforcement thus began in this renewed context in November 1998," Hollingsworth recalled. The FCC subsequently created the Enforcement Bureau to
handle agency-wide enforcement activities.
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, lauded Hollingsworth as "a great gift" to the amateur community and expressed appreciation on behalf of the League for
what he's been able to accomplish during his tenure. "Over the past three years, Mr. Hollingsworth has breathed new validity and vitality into the enforcement
of Amateur Radio," Haynie said. "His strong support for the amateur community as a whole and the ARRL's initiatives, has been unwavering."
Haynie said that Hollingsworth--guided by his passions for Amateur Radio and for the law--"has given hams across the nation reason to pause, think, promote
and yes, even laugh about ourselves."
Statement of Riley Hollingsworth Marking His Three Years of Amateur Enforcement
In the summer of 1998, the ARRL wrote yet another letter to the FCC imploring it to beef up amateur enforcement. It was October when the letter arrived
in the Compliance and Information Bureau. By November, amateur enforcement had been transferred carte blanche from the Wireless Bureau, which retained
its licensing and policy functions. Amateur enforcement thus began in this renewed context in November 1998.
In this three-year period, the Commission established an Enforcement Bureau and enhanced its enforcement presence across the board in the various areas
it regulates--from broadcast to tower lighting, unsolicited faxes and long-distance carrier slamming to pirate radio cases. Enforcement in the Amateur
Service was folded into the Enforcement Bureau and continued as well in a vigorous and determined way.
Now moving into the fourth year of diligent amateur enforcement, I have strong feelings about the Amateur Radio Service and its diverse participants. I
personally believe that it has the brightest potential in 25 years, and there are several reasons why. The overwhelming majority of amateur operators care
about Amateur Radio, want it to thrive and want to share their joy and enthusiasm for it. They want to be proud of it and proud to demonstrate it to a
niece, neighbor or news reporter. That's why we have had a 99.9% support level for the enforcement program.
Amateur Radio remains at the leading edge of technological experimentation, especially in the digital arena. The satellites, Amateur Radio participation
in the space program, the array of new equipment and the convergence of Amateur Radio and computers--perhaps best exemplified by the popularity of PSK31--all
point toward great things ahead for Amateur Radio.
It is the task of you, as individual amateurs, to educate the public and the media about the wonderful benefits of Amateur Radio. You need to do a better
job of that. You also need a greater realization that you are, indeed, heard throughout the world and you need to be more aware of how you sound to the
rest of the world. I hear far too many operators who don't realize what a bad reflection they are on American amateur operators. Additionally, you, as
well as any other serious national activity, business or service, need to continue to support a vigorous national voice in Washington.
But I can honestly say, from this three-year perspective, that the overall level of rule compliance in the Amateur Radio Service is, simply put, outstanding!
The vast majority of operators are proud of the service and want to contribute to it and want to pass on the great legacy that it has become. Your enthusiasm
is contagious.
I am proud of the Amateur Service. I saw the energy and compassion and excellent operating of amateurs at the Pentagon and World Trade Center after September
11. I've seen and heard it at the National Hurricane Center in Miami and in countless meetings with individual amateurs and at amateur events all over
the United States. Amateur Radio operators in America have a lot to be proud of.
Participate in your service with enthusiasm, celebrate it, enjoy it and share it, because you have made it an incredible national resource and the only
truly fail-safe communication service on the planet Earth.
I am proud of all of you. My personal and professional goal for Amateur Radio is the same: May it last a thousand years!
FCC's Hollingsworth Set to Retire in July
Riley
Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth plans to retire on July 3. [Photo, S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA]
Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth has announced plans to retire from the FCC later this year. "My intention,"
Hollingsworth told the ARRL, "is to head out in July, assuming the results of the second round of the PAVE PAWS/440 repeater monitoring in California present
no complications. It has been a privilege to work with and for the Amateur Radio licensees and the land mobile frequency coordinators. I am extremely fortunate
to work for two wonderful groups of people: Those at headquarters in the Enforcement Bureau, and for the Amateur Radio operators." Hollingsworth had planned
to retire earlier this year, but changed his mind, saying, "There [were] several issues on the table that I want[ed] to continue to work through with the
amateur community."
While his successor has not been named, he was quick to point out that the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program will continue.
Hollingsworth said he considered it an honor to have given something back to "the incredible enjoyment and benefits that Amateur Radio has given me since
age 13. And to every one of the thousands of you that thanked us for our work, many of whom waited for long periods after a forum or radio meeting just
to come up and express appreciation for what the FCC was doing in enforcement, you have no idea how much that was appreciated every single time. It sure
wasn't a 9 to 5 job, but it was a gift and a daily joy to work for the best group of people on earth. The only bad day in nearly 10 years was September
21, 2001, when we lost Steve Linn, N4CAK. We still miss him." Linn, deputy chief of the Licensing and Technical Analysis Branch for private wireless within
the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and his wife Lesley were killed in a car accident on their way to the Virginia Beach hamfest.
Hollingsworth told the ARRL he was "so very impressed" with the young people who are involved with Amateur Radio: "To the very young Amateur Radio operators
I met at Dayton, who have dreams of being scientists and astronauts and communications engineers, we will be pulling for you; I have a strong feeling we
won't be disappointed."
"The Amateur Radio Service is part of the American heritage, and I am going to stay as actively involved in it as I possibly can," Hollingsworth explained.
"Thank you all for working tirelessly to provide the only fail safe communications system on Earth and for helping this country keep its lead in science
and technology. What an incredible gift it has been to work with you every day, and how fortunate we are to love the magic of radio!"
==>"ENHANCED SSB" BANDWIDTHS "EXTREMELY INCONSIDERATE," FCC SAYS
The FCC has sent advisory notices to four enthusiasts of what's become
known as "enhanced SSB"--the practice of engineering transmitted
single-sideband audio to approach broadcast quality. Letters went out
earlier this month to amateurs in Illinois, Florida and New Jersey who are
aficionados of enhanced SSB, also known as "upper wideband" and "lower
wideband."
"The Commission has received numerous complaints regarding the operation
of your station," FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote Paul
Christensen, W9AC, John Anning, NU9N, Anthony Latin, W4NSG, and Sareno
Salerno, W2ONV, on April 3. Hollingsworth said complaints to the FCC
alleged that the bandwidths of the stations' enhanced SSB emissions were
"wider than necessary and contrary to good engineering practice."
"Wideband overly-processed audio, especially when coupled with the high
intermodulation levels of certain amplifiers, results in the use of
bandwidths extremely inconsiderate of other operators," Hollingsworth
said. Such transmissions may violate FCC rules and may be at odds with
what Hollingsworth described as "the expectation that the Amateur Service
be largely self-regulated."
NOTE: The FCC subsequently withdrew its Advisory Notice to Latin,
indicating that it had been issued to him "in error" and apologizing for
"whatever inconvenience that letter may have caused you." The FCC also
later wrote Christensen to indicate that the Advisory Notice was based on
a single complaint, not "numerous" complaints as it had indicated. The FCC
also apologized to Christensen for the error but went on to say that the
points raised in the Advisory Notice "still stand."
Occupying more bandwidth than necessary in a heavily used amateur band,
Hollingsworth wrote, not only could generate ill will among operators but
lead to petitions asking the FCC to establish bandwidth limits for amateur
emissions. At present, the FCC imposes no specific bandwidth limits on
various amateur modes.
Hollingsworth cited §97.307(a) of the Amateur Service rules that requires
the signal of an amateur station not to occupy "more bandwidth than
necessary for the information rate and emission type being transmitted, in
accordance with good amateur practice." Some amateurs have complained that
enhanced SSB signals can take up 8 kHz or more of spectrum, cause splatter
and unnecessarily interfere with other stations.
"The Amateur Service is not a substitute for the Broadcast Service,"
Hollingsworth said, "and the frequencies allocated to the Amateur Service
were not allocated for a 'broadcast quality' audio emission or sound."
Hollingsworth suggested the enhanced SSBers operate when the bands are
less busy or on bands that are not heavily used.
The many complaints the FCC has been getting--20 or so per week--leads to
the conclusion that the stations' enhanced SSB operation is having "a
negative impact" on the Amateur Service, Hollingsworth said. He requested
that the four amateurs "fully review the rules" and make sure their
stations conform to them.
FCC to Get Tough on Offending Power Companies
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 26, 2002--The FCC plans to get tougher on electric utilities that fail to fix problems causing interference with Amateur Radio and other
licensed communications. Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth met recently at ARRL Headquarters with Ed Hare, W1RFI, and John Phillips,
K2QAI, of the ARRL Lab staff to discuss various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues. As a result of that session, changes will be made in the way
ARRL and FCC cooperate on power-line cases.
(L-R) ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL EMC Specialist John Phillips, K2QAI, and FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth met July 18 at ARRL Headquarters
to discuss EMC issues, including power-line interference cases.
(L-R) ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL EMC Specialist John Phillips, K2QAI, and FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth met July 18 at ARRL Headquarters
to discuss EMC issues, including power-line interference cases.
"What we've done is to review all cases that the League has worked on where we had no cooperation," Hollingsworth said this week. "In at least three instances,
the power company in question hasn't cooperated as it should have." Hollingsworth said these cases will "go to the next step," which likely will entail
involving the appropriate FCC field office for additional investigation and appropriate enforcement. In the future, initial letters from the ARRL and the
FCC will impose a shorter compliance window and will be more firmly worded. In addition, a follow-up letter from the FCC will be sent to utilities that
fail to respond appropriately to the initial inquiry.
The routine FCC letter to a power company cites the requirement to rectify problems with their equipment "if the interference is caused by faulty power
utility equipment." FCC Part 15 rules classify most power-line and related equipment as "incidental radiators." This means the utility equipment does not
intentionally generate any radio-frequency energy but may create it as an incidental part of its intended operation. The FCC urges a utility to locate
sources of any interference caused by its equipment and make necessary corrections "within a reasonable time."
FCC Part 15 rules require that utilities and other operators of "incidental radiators," such as power lines, cause no harmful interference to licensed operations.
Typical was a recent letter from the FCC's Consumer Information and Governmental Affairs Bureau to Commonwealth Edison of Chicago citing radio frequency
interference complaints from five Illinois amateurs. According to the FCC, the amateurs had attempted without success to work through the utility's complaint
resolution channels.
Utilities that appear unwilling to abide by Part 15 rules regulating unintentional radiation are in the minority, Hollingsworth said. By and large, utilities
contacted by ARRL as a result of power-line noise complaints from amateurs have been extremely cooperative, and he had high praise for the League's role
in resolving complaints in the early going. Only a handful of cases--perhaps a dozen in all--have ended up being forwarded by the ARRL to the FCC for action.
"The League's record is outstanding here," Hollingsworth said. "The ARRL has resolved the vast number of these cases." Cases necessitating FCC follow-up
action have been minimal, he said, and most of those stem from the utility's failure to understand its obligations under Part 15.
Over the past year, the League has worked with amateurs on behalf of the FCC to handle 72 complaints of suspected power-line interference. Hare, the ARRL
Lab supervisor, says that the effort has had its successes, some cases may require more than an advisory letter from the FCC. "Having the FCC field offices
investigate those cases where a power company is not willing or able to assume its responsibilities is a good next step," he said. "The League and the
FCC both hope that continued cooperation will bring these cases to a satisfactory end without having to resort to drastic enforcement measures."
==>FCC COMMENDS BAND PLANS IN ENFORCEMENT LETTER
FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth used
the occasion of an enforcement letter to commend the value of band plans.
"Although band plans are not mandatory, they exist to enhance the required
cooperation and sharing of frequencies in the Amateur Service,"
Hollingsworth said in an enforcement inquiry to a Connecticut ham.
The FCC wrote Advanced licensee Alan J. Koepke, K1JCL, on October 11, 2000,
citing complaints received by the Commission alleging that Koepke was
operating an uncoordinated AM-mode repeater on 144.65 MHz that was causing
interference to coordinated repeaters in Massachusetts and New York using
that frequency as an input.
"Evidence indicates that you have been coordinated, but not for that
frequency configuration," Hollingsworth wrote. The ARRL Repeater Directory
indicates that the Connecticut Spectrum Management Association coordinated
the K1JCL 2-meter machine for output on 145.25 MHz and a 600-kHz negative
offset input.
Hollingsworth says Koepke apparently has flipped the input and output
frequencies for which his 2-meter repeater was coordinated, contrary to the
prevailing band plan. In addition, Hollingsworth said, Koepke has been using
a non-standard spacing that may be contrary to its coordination. He has
asked Koepke to explain that and to answer other questions about the
repeater's coordination and operation.
"A repeater operating contrary to coordination is an uncoordinated
repeater," Hollingsworth told Koepke. Citing Section 97.205 of the rules,
Hollingsworth said that where there is interference between a coordinated
and an uncoordinated repeater, "the licensee of the uncoordinated repeater
has the responsibility to resolve the interference."
"Band plans minimize the necessity for Commission intervention in Amateur
operations and the use of Commission resources to resolve amateur
interference problems," Hollingsworth wrote in expressing the FCC's position
on band plans. "When such plans are not followed and harmful interference
results, we expect very substantial justification to be provided, and we
expect that justification to be consistent with Section 97.101."
Hollingsworth said he included the statement to reiterate where the FCC
stands on the question of band plans. "You can't possibly have a rule for
every circumstance," he said.
Last December the FCC dismissed an ARRL petition calling on the Commission
to equate observance of voluntary band plans with "good amateur practice."
The FCC said defining band plans as the ARRL had proposed "would have the
effect of transforming voluntary band plans into de facto required
mandates," something inconsistent with current FCC policy.
FCC OFFICIAL MEETS HAMS ON THEIR OWN TURF
The FCC's Amateur Radio enforcer, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, turned up in an unexpected place January 13--75 meters! In what could be an unprecedented
move, Hollingsworth, legal advisor for amateur enforcement within the FCC's Compliance and Information Bureau, showed up on 3894.5 kHz to discuss enforcement
and encourage compliance.
"A couple of them were pretty shocked," he said. "This has never been tried before," Hollingsworth said the next morning. He said he broke in on an argument
that was growing increasingly nasty in an effort to settle things down, then stayed to discuss enforcement with the hams on frequency.
Hollingsworth says he thinks one key to compliance is just getting people to listen to what he has to say. "Most people, if you can just get to them on
a one-to-one basis, they'll listen," he said, reflecting his overall enforcement approach to attempt to reason violators into voluntary compliance rather
than writing them up. During his time on the air, Hollinsgsworth confronted one individual he'd already been in touch with about alleged on-air misbehavior.
Among other things, he told those on hand that noncompliance and inappropriate on-air behavior could even threaten the hobby's HF allocations. Hollingsworth
advised hams to be more tolerant and patient and to avoid confrontation or retaliation.
"We all have to realize we're on a mission here--to save Amateur Radio," he said the day after his 75-meter appearance. "There are going to be licenses
lost and fines owed." The jammers already are well on their way to "hanging themselves" right now, he said.
Even as he preached better behavior, Hollingsworth says he understood from the others on frequency that someone was attempting to jam his signal. "I hope
the monitoring folks were on the frequency too," he said.
Hollingsworth advised the hams on 75 to contact him with enforcement problems, and he gave out his e-mail address and telephone number (
rholling@fcc.gov
; 717-338-2502). "I don't know what effect it will have," he said of his on-air foray. Hollingsworth says he'll "do what it takes" to improve amateur compliance,
and that could include future on-air visits with amateurs.
"I've gotten a lot of feedback this morning by phone and e-mail asking me to do it more often," he said. "We'll be listening more and asking to be allowed
in QSOs more."
Hollingsworth, who's based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, took over the FCC's most recent Amateur Radio enforcement initiative last September (see
related story).
FCC WARNS ALLEGED MAJOR AMATEUR OFFENDERS
The FCC has issued strong warnings to two amateurs in Indiana and a third in New York who are on the Commission's top ten list of alleged major amateur
offenders. The FCC's amateur enforcement point man, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, says the warning letters sent earlier this month are the last step before
the FCC initiates formal enforcement proceedings. One case primarily involved malicious interference on VHF repeaters, while the other two involved interference
to an HF net.
"We have been cutting bait a while, now it's time for us to fish," said Hollingsworth, the legal advisor for enforcement within the FCC's Compliance and
Information Bureau.
The FCC did not make the names or call signs public, but Hollingsworth said all those who received the letters were put on the FCC's Alert List with FCC
field offices. "The Alert List is the FCC equivalent of an all-points bulletin," Hollingsworth explained. He said Field Office monitors would be making
a special effort to listen for further violations by stations on the Alert List.
Since taking over Amateur Radio enforcement within the CIB last fall, Hollingsworth says he's sent out dozens of warning letters of a much milder nature.
"Now, we're distilling that activity to the worst offenders," he said of the latest epistles. Hollingsworth indicated that similar actions were imminent
in other major cases of alleged amateur rules infractions. He also said he has sent out another three dozen or so routine warning letters "generally based
on a collection of complaints received over the holidays."
The letters sent out January 7 and 8 spell out the agency's expectations in no uncertain terms. In the case of the alleged HF offenders, Hollingsworth's
letters state that the Commission "has additional evidence that you have been deliberately and maliciously interfering with the operations of other licensed
amateurs," primarily a 75-meter net. Both hams--whose cases are related--already had received official Notices of Violation last fall for similar conduct,
and the FCC had imposed restricted operating hours on one of them. But the FCC says that the troublesome behavior has continued.
Hollingsworth said the alleged illegal activities not only put the hams' licenses in jeopardy but open them up to possible fines and even put transmitting
equipment at risk of seizure. He said he also has cautioned the controllers of the net involved to not engage hecklers or those attempting to harass or
interfere, nor to call up the net on a busy frequency. "One thing these nets have to understand is that the nets don't own the frequency," he said.
The case of the alleged VHF offender had a similar pattern. The amateur license of the ham in question already had been suspended at one point, but violations
are said to have continued, even during the suspension period. Beyond amateur violations, Hollingsworth said that the FCC's evidence indicated the amateur
had threatened FCC employees and others. He told the ARRL that additional warning letters went out to eight other individuals whom he described as "cohorts"
to the alleged prime VHF offender.
Hollingsworth requested that all of the amateurs contact him immediately to discuss the allegations. After a lengthy telephone conversation with one of
them, Hollingsworth expressed optimism that the situation would be resolved.
In an unrelated case, Hollingsworth recently mailed warning letters to six individuals in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area regarding alleged malicious
interference on VHF.
==>FCC THREATENS NEW YORK AMATEUR WITH HEARING
The FCC has told a Technician-class operator from New York to stay off 20
meters or risk having to defend his license at a hearing. FCC Special
Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote Alexander Sandbrand, N2NNU, of Yonkers
December 12 notifying him that the FCC plans to designate his ham ticket
for revocation and suspension proceedings if it learns of additional
incidents of out-of-band operation.
"This serves as notice that if you engage in any additional incident of
out-of band operation, the Enforcement Bureau intends to designate your
Amateur station license N2NNU for a revocation hearing before an
Administrative Law Judge," Hollingsworth wrote, "and, further, that we
intend to designate your Technician-class operator license for suspension
for the remainder of the license term, August 26, 2011."
An initial Warning Notice regarding alleged operation on the 20-meter
phone band went out to Sandbrand in August 2001, but the FCC has reports
that Sandbrand has operated on HF phone since then.
"Information before the Commission indicates that on at least nine
occasions subsequent to receipt of that warning letter, you operated out
of band," Hollingsworth wrote. He cited reports that N2NNU had operated at
various times on 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters between September 2001 and June
2002.
Hollingsworth told ARRL that after the first Warning Notice, Sandbrand
called him to complain that it wasn't fair that he had to pass additional
examination elements to operate on HF phone. "I told him if he wants to
operate on HF, he has to take the test like everybody else," Hollingsworth
said.
In the latest Warning Notice, Hollingsworth informed Sandbrand that the
FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will not process any upgrade
applications from him until the matter is resolved. He said this week that
he has not heard anything further from Sandbrand.
you 2 seriously need to get the fuck outside and find a girl.
you might take up your own suggestion as I've read your board as well regarding opie and Anthony which I'm a fan of by the way. So as long as having a board and various conversation threads deprives one of a life, well I'd have to say that you're speaking from experience. Thanks for your comment.
WHO'S JAMMING WHOM? GETTING THE STORY STRAIGHT
It turns out that the 40-meter "wobble-and-buzz jammers" heard by many in
the US over the past year or so are Iranian stations that are attempting to
block Iraqi stations--not the other way around as recently reported (see
"Mother of All Jammers Continues to Plague 40 Meters" in The ARRL Letter,
Vol 20, No 1). Several members of the monitoring community had questioned
the earlier ARRL report, which was based on information from typically
reliable sources.
"I began to doubt our information on January 8, when I received second-hand
reports from SWL DXers that the jammer and jammee were backwards," said ARRL
Monitoring System Coordinator Brennan Price, N4QX. "Further investigation
confirms their reports."
Larry Van Horn, N5FPW, the assistant editor of Monitoring Times, forwarded
several SWL reports to ARRL that suggested the jamming signals definitely
were coming from Iran and already were well-known within the monitoring
community. SWL reports indicated that the signals typically operate in the
range from 7020 to 7090 kHz.
The ARRL's sources said this week that the object of the jamming is an Iraqi
pirate station--which several SWLs identified as The Voice of the
Mojahadin--broadcasting in Persian into Iran on various 40-meter frequencies
as well as in the Aeronautical Band. The pirate station operates on a
specific frequency--or frequencies--until it's spotted by the Iranians, who
then attempt to jam the signal. The broadcaster then hops to another
frequency to avoid the jamming, which explains why the jammer will suddenly
pop up on a frequency for several minutes at a time and then disappear.
IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator Martin Potter, VE3OAT, concurs
with the ARRL's latest information. He says the jammer often puts "a
thundering great signal into my antenna."
The jamming signals are broad and noisy. They typically land on multiples of
10 kHz and occupy some 10 kHz of bandwidth.
The Iranian and the Iraqi governments are reported to have ignored
complaints by the US and the United Kingdom. Price says that in light of the
strained relations between the US and both Iran and Iraq, there's not much
hope that the problem will be resolved anytime soon.
FCC COMPLETES W5YI-VEC SOUTH CAROLINA INQUIRY
The FCC has wrapped up its probe into alleged irregularities at three 1999
South Carolina Amateur Radio exam sessions. The FCC says it found "nothing
improper" at an October 9, 1999, W5YI-VEC test session in Iva, but it
suggested the VEC could have avoided problems with forgeries at exam
sessions in Clemson in July and August of 1999.
The FCC initiated an audit of the W5YI-VEC last year, and the VEC has
cooperated in the probe. In December, the FCC asked W5YI-VEC to detail how
it screens and accredits VEs and its procedures for verifying the results of
W5YI-VEC test sessions.
In a letter to W5YI-VEC's Fred Maia, W5YI, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur
Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth said the forgeries and a Clemson
"sub-session" where two volunteer examiners are alleged to have fraudulently
upgraded themselves "constitute an alarming failure of oversight and
integrity in the Volunteer Examiner program at those sessions."
The "sub-session" followed a scheduled exam session on July 14, 1999, in
Clemson. The FCC alleges that then-volunteer examiners William J. Browning,
ex-AB4BB and AF4PJ, and James F. Chambers, KF4PWF--in Hollingsworth's
words--"apparently awarded themselves upgrades to Extra class" at the ad hoc
exam session at Browning's home by forging the signatures of other VEs.
The FCC also says someone forged the signature of VE Grady Robinson, AK4N,
on applications for all 10 examinees at an August 26, 1999, session in
Clemson. Hollingsworth said that Robinson "was not present at the session
and was in no way at fault."
As a result of the Clemson inquiry, Browning forfeited his Amateur Radio
license. Chambers has been called in for retesting and his role "is still
under review," Hollingsworth said. Browning and Chambers handled all
paperwork for both the regular exam sessions and the "sub-session" in
Clemson.
"It would appear that these forgeries and the upgrading of the volunteer
examiners at their own 'sub-session' could have been detected by merely
attempting to verify the presence of the volunteer examiners whose names and
call signs appeared on the examination session documents," Hollingsworth
told the W5YI-VEC.
Hollingsworth said Maia has responded to the FCC's letter. When contacted,
Maia offered no comment on the FCC's latest request for information about
W5YI-VEC's examination procedures. In the past he has said his VEC screens
volunteer examiner applicants as well as it can and carefully logs every
exam session.
==>"MOTHER OF ALL JAMMING STATIONS" CONTINUES TO PLAGUE 40 METERS
For some months now, regular users of the 40-meter band have been plagued
from time to time by strong, very broad, frequency-hopping signals that
somewhat resemble a slow-scan TV transmission. The signals, it turns out,
originate from jamming stations in the Middle East.
"We know exactly what this is," said ARRL Monitoring System Coordinator
Brennan Price, N4QX. "This is a very high-power Iraqi jammer of a very
high-power Iranian shortwave broadcast station."
The loud buzzing signals have been heard on the 40-meter CW and phone bands
and have even been "spotted" on packet. The jammers occupy about 10 kHz of
spectrum.
Price says the shortwave broadcast station involved is The Voice of the
People of Kurdistan, transmitted via The Voice of the Islamic Republic of
Iran facility in Teheran. "The Iranian station has a daily transmission on
7100 kHz from the same facility, and Iraq has jammed that one also," he
says.
Price explains that the Iranian station--which broadcasts anti-Saddam
Hussein propaganda, hence the jamming--jumps frequencies several times each
broadcast in order to avoid the jamming. Unfortunately for 40-meter users,
the Iraqi transmissions follow. This results in a situation where it's hard
to predict when the jammers might show up on a given frequency block or how
long they'll stay.
Price said that neither station is transmitting where it is supposed to be.
"The Iranian and Iraqi telecommunications administrations have been advised
of this," he said.
Price says that such "politically motivated" intruders typically don't
disappear until the political situation changes. "The 'woodpecker' went away
when the Cold War did," he said. "This one will probably not go away until
Saddam Hussein does."
Yeah I listen to O N A on a thing called sbkradio. They broadcast the regular and the XM shows and you can find them on shoutcast. Also someone to comment about productivity or lack of sure has their share of messages they've posted almost catching up to me. So I'd have to say, spoken like a true fuckin lid. Apparently you didn't see the amount of messages posted to this person's credit. Well I looked and I'd have to say that's high qualifications for a fuckin lid; way to go.
Intentional interference with Distress Communications
FROM: Bill Scholz, USCGAUX, BC-OTR
SUBJ: Intentional interference with Distress Communications
DATE: 12DEC05
The famous "Jack Gerritsen" radio interference case in Southern California is now history. I had a central role in the case in Federal Court this past
week and I believe that there are some significant lessons for CGAUX communicators in the case so I am taking the liberty to pass along some observations
and conclusions in the hopes that if or when others in the Auxiliary get involved in such a situation, those lessons may be of use.
Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California had a long history (3 to 4 years) of being a nuisance on the amateur radio two meter band. He would regular show up on
a repeater and broadcast a tape recording that contained one or more political messages. The Southern California ham community tried in innumerable different
ways to deal with the man, with no success. The FCC was involved, Gerritsen?s Technician class license (callsign KG6IRO) was ?set aside? but he continued
to transmit on two meters and on the 70 centimeter band. The FCC invoked multiple sanctions against him and levied fines as well. But except for a few
instances when Gerritsen was incarcerated on unrelated charges, his ?jamming? of ham communications continued.
In October of 2004, a sailing vessel (S/V Elkemarie, a 36 foot sloop) had set off, singlehanded but in company with another singlehander, to sail from Los
Angeles to Cedros Island off the Mexican coast, about 700 miles away Both vessels were caught in an early storm with some nasty weather. One was able to
make it to Cedros Island, but the other suffered significant damage to sails (a blown out jib and a blown out main) and decided to return to Catalina Island.
Part of the damage to the sailboat was the loss (to green water) of the vessel?s marine VHF radio. The skipper had contacted his wife using HF radio and
a phone patch, but as of about 0900 on 29OCT, the vessel had not been heard from for about 36 or 40 hours. The skipper?s wife contacted the Coast Guard
in Los Angeles to report the overdue vessel, but because the boat had no working marine VHF radio neither CG Group LA nor Sector San Diego could contact
the vessel. However, the skipper who was licensed as an amateur radio operator, did have a ?ham? two meter handheld radio on board and had been heard on
one of the local two meter repeaters.
At about 0930 on 29OCT, the Senior SAR Controller on duty at GRULA contacted me by landline and asked if I would try to raise the vessel and determine its
present position and condition. GRULA did not have the ability to speak directly with the vessel because they have no two meter amateur equipment. The
SAR controller knew that I, as DSO-CM for District 11 South and controller of CGAUX RADSTA Upland One, did. I was able to contact the vessel, gather the
requested information and relay it to GRULA. The SAR controller then tasked me (i.e. tasked my ham and CGAUX radio station) with maintaining radio guard
with the vessel until she was close enough for a rendezvous with one of the local harbor patrol boats from Catalina Island.
Then began a two hour period that is by far the most difficult and stressful time I have ever spent on the radio. From about 1000 to just before 1200, every
time I transmitted on the ham repeater, the jamming station would either transmit a pre-recorded message touting his political views on the President and
on the war in Iraq or would respond directly to me with messages such as ?Hey dum dum, is this a real emergency? There?s no emergency, it?s all a hoax?
etc. etc. Nonetheless, I was able to maintain comms with the vessel and get updated position and condition reports and relay those to GRULA.
At any rate, by 1200 local time, the vessel was close enough to be met by the Avalon Harbor Patrol (Catalina Island) and she was escorted to a safe anchorage
where the skipper could get some well deserved sleep (the first in some forty hours) and could begin repairs on his vessel. Coast Guard Group LA told me
I could stand down and I released the frequency for normal use.
Immediately following the incident, I picked up the telephone and called the Special Counsel for the Enforcement Bureau of the FCC (who I happen to know),
related the incident to him, and asked him what he would like me to do. He requested that I document the incident in a letter to him. I wrote what turned
into a three page letter which I faxed to him (and to Group LA) that afternoon. I also contacted my chain of command in the Auxiliary so that they were
informed about the incident I also contacted my District?s DSO-Legal and was referred to the Judge Advocate General?s Office for Coast Guard District 11.
After several go arounds over the next few days, all settled down and I returned to ?normal? operations.
Fast forward to May of 2005 --- based on the incident I was involved with (as well as a couple of others) the FBI and FCC sought and received a federal
indictment against Mr. Gerritsen for alleged violation of the Communications Act of 1934 which gives ?absolute priority? to distress communications regardless
of the frequency and regardless of the station conducting the communications. This is, by the way, the legal basis for the Coast Guard?s (or for that matter
any other station?s) ability to declare ?Seelonce Mayday?. Violation of that section is a felony under federal law. Other misdemeanor charges (a total
of six counts) were also brought in the indictment.
Mr. Gerritsen was arrested by the FBI and jailed, and about a week later, he posted the required $250,000 in bail and so was released pending trial.
In late November of 2005, I was contacted by the FBI and by the Assistant US Attorney who would be prosecuting the case in Federal Court and I received
a subpoena to appear as a witness for the prosecution. I met with both agencies and we built a case to be presented in court. At the time of the incident,
and unknown to me when the incident occurred, all of the transmissions had been recorded, so we had a complete and full record of all communications.
The trial opened in Federal District Court in Los Angeles on 06DEC05. Because I was a witness, I could not be in the courtroom except when I was actually
testifying, so I was not privy to all the details until the trial was completed. I did know however that besides myself, major testimony was being given
by FBI agents, by FCC enforcement agents, and some others who represented organizations such as the American Red Cross and the US Army Military Affiliate
Radio System.
My testimony, lasting about 2 hours (direct, cross examination, re-direct, and re-cross examination) occurred on Wednesday afternoon (07Dec). I decided
that it would be important that I be in uniform for my testimony and after some discussion, I received permission from the attorney in the Coast Guard
Judge Advocate General?s office to do so. The prosecution completed its case on Thursday morning and the defense presented its case on Thursday afternoon.
The case went to the jury on Friday morning and in less than an hour the jury returned its verdict: Guilty on all counts. Based on the verdict, the judge
revoked Mr. Gerritsen?s bail and he was immediately remanded to custody pending sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for 06MAR and Mr. Gerritsen is facing
up to 15 years in prison.
In addition to the convictions in federal court, Mr. Gerritsen has been found liable for a total of $52,000 in fines from the FCC under their civil and
administrative actions.
For anyone who wishes to explore the details, they are available at several websites:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-3124A1.doc
http://fishing.about.com/od/fishingonthebank/a/blnwscgradio.htm
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/12/09/4/?nc=1
And now to the lessons learned from the experience.
A working relationship with local CG SAR units is critical. The fact that the Senior SAR Controller knew that he had access to communications assets through
the Auxiliary was central in being able to meet the special requirements of this situation. While formal mechanisms for communicating availability and
capability exist (for example, a CG District?s Operational Readiness Plan) nothing is quite as effective as regular informal connections between the Auxiliary
and CG units.
Regular testing and use of AUX (and supporting) communications equipment is very important to a quick and effective response to a request for assistance.
In the case of CGAUX RADSTA Upland One (and amateur radio station W1HIJ), the radios are used at least several times per week. Consequently, I could be
on the requested frequency with no more effort than pushing a button to turn on a radio, turning a knob to select the repeater frequency, and pressing
the push to talk switch. I knew with 99% certainty exactly what capabilities my RADSTA had.
Ideally, a formal arrangement with the owners and/or control operators of key amateur communications assets (repeaters) should be in place, BEFORE THE NEED
ARISES. In the case of the Catalina Repeater, I personally knew the control operator and the owner, so even though no formal arrangement was in place,
I could establish permission to use the asset for CG activity with a simple call on the radio. In the majority of cases however, such direct personal connection
may not be present. Therefore, the formal arrangement is required.
A related issue is that formalized, documented knowledge of communications assets that fall outside the CGAUX communications structure, but are relevant
to solving comms problems should be part of a District?s Communications Plan and the associated training.
Regular and frequent practice in the use of equipment and in communications procedures is important. Such practice not only ensures knowledge of equipment
capabilities, but also ensures that the operators can focus on the details at hand instead of being worried about ?correct? procedures.
Getting involved in a situation that ultimately involves not only the CG, but also the FBI, FCC, etc. can be a bit scary. I found that the referral that
I received to the CG Judge Advocate General?s Office for PACAREA was tremendously helpful. In my case specifically, LT Moon of the JAG office was superbly
supportive and knowledgeable. If you have questions (after the fact) that you?re not sure of the answers to, don?t hesitate to ask for help.
In summary, this situation not only helped to provide a desired end to a long standing problem, but also demonstrated the value of CGAUX Communications
in support of CG SAR Operations.
Bill Scholz, USCGAUX
Chief, Telecommunications Resources Branch (BC-OTR)
JACK GERRITSEN BEATS THE SYSTEM; FRANK TURNEY STILL UNDER THE GUN
BY DON DOIG
Court authorities around the country are getting touchy about FIJA's literature distribution efforts in front of courthouses, and have gone so far in two
recent cases as to charge FIJA activists with jury tampering. Now really, FIJA literature distribution has nothing in common with jury tampering, which
involves bribing or intimidating jurors in order to influence the outcome of a particular case. As long as the case being heard is not even mentioned by
people distributing FIJA literature, the authorities don't have a legal leg to stand on. But since the conviction rate for victimless crimes is falling,
apparently as a result of FIJA's educational efforts, the powers that be are getting desperate.
Jack Gerritsen of Los Angeles went to trial on felony jury tampering charges for handing out FIJA's "True or False?" brochures, and the jury hung 5 for
acquittal and 7 for conviction. The prosecutor, after talking to the jury, decided he would be unable to seat a jury which would be willing to convict,
so he dropped all charges! VICTORY!! The jury spent 3 days in deliberation. The group in favor of acquittal was led by a black lady. (See his letter of
Sept. 3 reproduced in the letters section.) Jack had to put up $5,000 to the bail bondsman to cover the $50,000 bail, and he's out that amount. Contributions
can be sent to Jack at 6217« Palm Ave, Bell, CA 90201.
Undaunted, Jack continues to distribute FIJA literature at the Criminal Courts Building, once or twice per week. One of the 60 courtrooms in this building
houses the O.J. Simpson trial.
Former FIJA State Coordinator Frank Turney is facing felony jury tampering charges in Fairbanks, for encouraging jurors to call 1-800-TEL-JURY. Prosecutors
in the Fairbanks area are reportedly becoming desperate that they can no longer get all the convictions they were used to, due to the large number of hung
juries lately. The trial date has been set for December 5, though Frank is seeking a continuance to February.
The straw that broke the camel's back was supposedly a recent case in which a man, drunk in the privacy of his home, blasted his television and fish bowl.
No one was injured. But since he was a convicted felon, technically he was not allowed to own a gun.
Frank gave FIJA information to five of the jurors, and others saw the 800-TEL-JURY number displayed and the result was an acquittal. Prosecutors went to
the grand jury for a supposedly secret indictment of Frank, but word leaked out. The prosecutor admitted they were poking around in a privileged area,
but that didn't stop him. Eight of the jurors were hauled before the grand jury, where some of them said that they had seen Frank's 1-800-TEL-JURY sign,
and had called the number. They said this information influenced their verdict. One juror also said he saw a show on the Arts and Entertainment network
which dealt with the Kevorkian trial, and which discussed jury veto power. (The A & E network had contacted FIJA HQ for information.) A tape of the 800-TEL-JURY
message, which features Gary Dusseljee's voice, was recorded and played (and re-played 7 or 8 times) by the prosecutor for the grand jury! The grand jury
hearing lasted for 3 days. Gary may be subpoenaed from California to testify.
The jurors were asked whether they were members of the NRA, or FIJA, and how many guns they had in their homes. They were also asked whether they went along
with the judge's instructions, and were asked what went on during jury deliberations.
Some of the jurors were extremely upset, and juror Rick Ellis met with Frank, and went to the media with his complaints. Two jurors may file a civil suit
against the court.
A data base on potential jurors has been established by local authorities, and a professional manager has been hired to ensure "well managed jurors".
The evidence which the prosecutor intends to introduce is simply the 800-TEL-JURY number, and presumably the tape recording made by the prosecutor. Whether
he will also introduce a copy of the Jury Power Information Kit, which you get if you call the 800 number, is not known. Frank insists he never mentioned
anything about any particular case while distributing literature, and he is not charged with doing so, though he did tell jurors to call the 800 number
verbally. The judge placed a gag order on Frank, prohibiting him from discussing this "evidence" (!) with the media or anyone else, and kept him from coming
within 2 blocks of the courthouse. On Sept. 22, the gag order was lifted.
Prior to the issuance of the gag order, Frank appeared on most local radio and television stations. He also put in an appearance every Monday and Tuesday
in front of the courthouse, passing out FIJA literature. He gave literature to two grand jury members as they came out, and they in turn were questioned
by the prosecutor. Many articles have appeared surrounding this controversy (see the collage section). Frank also has 3 signs up in the vicinity of the
courthouse.
While the gag order was in effect, FIJA state Coordinator Don Burnett made numerous television and radio appearances, and gave interviews with the print
media. He has also organized regular protests at the courthouse ("every Monday from now on"), including one on Jury Rights Day, which received excellent
coverage. Don said he is under investigation himself.
Attorney Robert Sparks volunteered to do preliminary work on behalf of Frank, for which we are grateful. Mr. Sparks was not experienced in felony defense
cases, so an attorney to handle the defense was sought. An enthusiastic attorney with the Alaska Department of Public Advocacy, John Franich, has stepped
forward, prepared to fight the case on constitutional grounds. FIJA activist Jack Gerritsen from Los Angeles, himself the victim of unfounded jury tampering
charges, called Frank to offer his support. (Jack's jury refused to convict him--see the California news.)
All Eyes on California
California has perhaps one of the longest and most voluminous sets of laws dealing with monitoring and the scanner hobbyist. With all the attention
the State has received with the recall election for the governor’s seat in California, this month we turn our attention West to the Golden State and its
listening laws.
State Law
Most of its laws can be found under Chapter 1.5, Title 15 Miscellaneous Crimes, California Penal Code, Sections 630 to 637.9 and cover the
gamut of eavesdropping violations. However, of all the sections one is of particular interest to the scanner listener -- section 636.5 titled "Police Radio
Communications; prohibited interceptions; penalty."
Section 636.5 prohibits any person who is not authorized by the sender, to intercept any public safety radio service communication, by use
of a scanner or any other means (such as online scanner audio on the Internet), for the purpose of using that communication to assist in the commission
of a criminal offense or to avoid or escape arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment. It also punishes those who divulge to any person he or she knows
to be a suspect in the commission of any criminal offense, the existence, contents, substance, purport, effect or meaning of that communication concerning
the offense intending that the suspect avoid or escape arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment. Violations of Section 636.5 in California are considered
a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or jail for less than one year or both.
Section 636.5 goes on to say that, “Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution of any person under Section 31 or 32.”
Sections 31 and 32 of the California Penal Code are the state statutes that deal with and explain the liability of principals to a crime,
those primarily involved in the planning and execution of criminal activity, and those who are mere accessories to a crime.
This provision in the law allows California to prosecute the scanner listener who helps others commit a crime, not just for the illegal scanner
use, but also for his or her part in the actual crime that was being committed to the extent that the law would already consider them either a principal
or an accessory. For example, if Billy Badguy (as he is often called in law school examples) decides to help his buddies commit a robbery and offers to
bring along his scanner to help. When he hears on his police scanner that the police are on their way and honks the car horn to signal his partners in
crime, he not only violates Section 636.5 but may also remain guilty of his role in the robbery.
Section 636.5 defines "public safety radio service communication" as a communication authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to
be transmitted by a station in the public safety radio service. This is a common definition used by other states as well.
Listening in Los Angeles
Southern California scanner listeners also have local laws to contend with. The City and County of Los Angeles both have ordinances dealing
with scanners. In Los Angeles County a 1944 law still on the books makes it an infraction equip any vehicle with, or operate any vehicle equipped with,
a short wave radio receiver. The ordinance defines a short wave radio receiver as any radio receiver or other device capable of receiving messages or communications
transmitted on any radio transmission station operating on a frequency between 1600 kilocycles and 2500 kilocycles, or on a frequency between 30 megacycles
and 40 megacycles, or between 150 megacycles and 160 megacycles.
Similarly, the City of Los Angeles in two local ordinances restricts the use of scanners within the city limits. First, SEC. 52.44 titled "Willfully
listening to Police and Fire Departments portable radio messages prohibited" makes it unlawful for any person to willfully listen by means of any radio
receiving device located in or upon any vehicle to any official message which is being transmitted by the Police Department or Fire Department of the City
of Los Angeles or any law enforcement agency over a radio transmitting station owned or operated by such city or agency.
The City ordinance does not apply to persons to whom a permit to listen to such radio messages has been issued in writing by the Chief of Police
of the City of Los Angeles. And those permits are completely discretionary, which means they may be issued after he determines that public interest will
be served by the issuance of such permit but don’t have to be issued. The City law does not apply by its own language to any officer, agent, or servant
of any government agency or public utility, the performance of whose duty as such officer, agent or servant, requires that he listen to such messages.
The City of Los Angeles, like the State of California, also prohibits listening for financial or, most certainly, criminal advantage. Its Sec.
52.46 titled "Use of Short Wave Radios" provides that “[n]o person who intercepts, overhears or receives any message or communication transmitted by any
radio transmission station operating upon a wave length or radio frequency assigned by the Federal Communication Commission for use by any police or law
enforcement department shall, for the financial benefit of himself or another communicate such message or communication to another or directly or indirectly
use the information so obtained.”
California also has state versions of many prohibitions we see at the Federal level in the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). For
example, Californians have their own state ban on listening to cellular radio telephones (Penal Code Section 632.5). Cordless phone listening is prohibited
by Penal Code Section 632.6 which requires the interception be malicious and without the consent of all parties to the communication.
One Recent Example
California authorities do prosecute people who violate their police radio laws as they did in the summer of 2000 when a ham radio operator
received a five-year prison sentence for interfering with police frequencies. It took the combined effort of the FCC, California Highway Patrol, and several
local agencies to arrest Jack Gerritsen of Bell, Calif., six months earlier. CHP officers caught him in the act as he made an illegal transmission. At
the time of his arrest Gerritsen had a tape recording of the transmissions that had been heard on frequencies since the fall of 1999. A cassette with the
recording , "You Rampart pigs are a bunch of a****s," along with other recordings that had plagued many amateur, GMRS, law enforcement, and media radio
systems was confiscated at the time along with several radios.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
enforcement Riley Hollingsworth told the Dayton Hamvention FCC Forum May 21 "all you need to know to enhance your radio service--in
one simple lesson." Drawing upon his nearly seven years experience as the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement point man, Hollingsworth told his audience "what
I personally think you need to do to make the Amateur Radio Service thrive and to enjoy the incredible opportunity" to have fun and engage in public service
activities.
"Overall, amateur compliance, I think, is very, very good--I'm really happy with it," although, he said, "we still have a good distance to go" in certain
areas. Complaints also have continued to decline steadily over the past year. "I think that's a good sign," he said, predicting the trend would continue.
He advised hams to avoid ugly on-the-air situations and confrontations. "Just use the VFO and go somewhere else," he said.
On the other hand, enthusiasm and happiness on ham radio are contagious, Hollingsworth asserted, and amateur licensees themselves are responsible for creating
and maintaining a hospitable operating environment. Among the good things going on in ham radio, Hollingsworth elicited a round of applause by singling
out Pennsylvania teacher Sean Barnes, N3JQ, whose classes have helped 60 youngsters to obtain Amateur Radio licensees over the past three years.
The most high-profile recent enforcement case--involving former amateur licensee Jack Gerritsen in the Los Angeles--"is not technically an amateur case,"
Hollingsworth explained. He pointed out, however, that the FCC is looking to determine who supplied Gerritsen with Amateur Radio equipment and "encouraged
him."
His final admonishment: Good amateur practice means "not operating so that whoever hears you becomes sorry they ever got interested in Amateur Radio in
the first place." He urged hams to look to the future and "get involved in the good things in Amateur Radio" and spread the word among to acquaint the
public and even legislators, lawmakers and government officials.
"It's not about enforcement. It's about your obligation," he said. Enforcement can't cure all Amateur Radio's ills. "It's all about you and what you're
doing with [Amateur Radio]," he concluded. "Look beyond enforcement."
Source:
The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 24 June 17, 2005
ments about this article!
Riley Hollingsworth to Amateur Radio Community: 'Lighten Up!'
FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth advised those attending the FCC forum at Dayton Hamvention 2006 to try kindness instead of confrontation
when problems arise on the bands. Hollingsworth spoke May 20 to a nearly full house at Hara Arena, and for the most part he praised the behavior of the
majority of Amateur Radio operators, especially those who volunteered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year. But, he noted, radio amateurs still
could be more courteous and less inclined to fly off the handle at some perceived on-the-air offense.
"You need to lighten up and not embarrass the Amateur Radio Service," Hollingsworth advised. "All of us make mistakes, especially with the new features
you have on radios today. It's very easy to make a mistake, to be on the wrong frequency or be operating split and not know it--there's a hundred ways
to make mistakes." Hollingsworth said experience has shown him that at least 75 percent of the interference complained about is absolutely unintentional.
In Hollingsworth's view, radio amateurs all too often are hypersensitive and rude. "We have a radar going to detect offenses at all times, we assume the
worst in people, we rarely give people the benefit of the doubt," he said. He joked that if there were three amateurs in a town, there would be two Amateur
Radio clubs.
"And there'll be two hamfests with 20 people each, because they wouldn't dare consolidate them," he added.
Hollingsworth acknowledged that "certain problem operators" remain, but the real troublemakers are rarely the newcomers to Amateur Radio. "If there's a
downfall in Amateur Radio, it won't be caused by no-code Technicians or codeless anything else," he said. "It'll be caused by the microphone--no doubt
in my mind." He advised his audience to ignore the troublesome operators and not give them the attention they crave by engaging them on the air.
"Now, think about it: If what you're hearing annoys you, or angers you or is stupid, use the 'stupid filter,' which is that big knob--that VFO that will
take you somewhere else," he quipped. "It's the largest knob on the radio." He recommended moving to another frequency or even another band altogether.
Hollingsworth praised the Volunteer Examiner program as "outstanding" and noted there had not been a single complaint in the past year stemming from an
examination session. He also said the Amateur Radio community should have a greater appreciation for what the ARRL is doing on its behalf.
"Most of you have no idea how much work is done in Newington for you and the Amateur Radio Service generally," he said. "I see it every day, but I think
you have no idea of the hard work and dedication that comes out of that office up there, and I don't think we would be there if it weren't for [the League]."
"This country's communications infrastructure needs Amateur Radio," Hollingsworth emphasized, praising Amateur Radio's overall performance following Hurricane
Katrina. "You have a tremendous amount to be proud of."
He also suggested that radio amateurs have an obligation to stay informed about what's going on in Amateur Radio that might affect their activities. "You
have to not only keep up, you have to lead the way, because it's in your charter," he said, pointing to §97.1 of the Amateur Service rules.
Hollingsworth noted at the start of his talk that he could not address any questions dealing with the FCC's long-awaited decision on the Morse code requirement
(Element 1), because he works in the Commission's Enforcement Bureau. "We don't meddle in rule making," he explained, but added that he didn't expect CW
to decline if the FCC does drop the 5 WPM Morse requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes as it's proposed to do.
The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) handles Amateur Radio rule makings, Hollingsworth noted, including the "Morse code" proceeding, WT Docket
05-235, and the so-called "omnibus" proceeding, WT Docket 04-140. The WTB has said it will rule first on the omnibus proceeding, then tackle the Morse
code proceeding, but it has not indicated when to expect either Report and Order.
No representative from the WTB was at Dayton Hamvention this year.
Source:
The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 21 May 26, 2006
fFCC AUDITS SOUTH CAROLINA EXAM SESSION:
Following up on allegations of irregularities, the FCC is auditing a July 14 W5YI-VEC Amateur Radio examination session in Clemson, South Carolina. FCC
Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth this month sent inquiries to several individuals said to have been involved with the
session, including four W5YI-VEC Volunteer Examiners. Several licensees who took and passed examinations at the session also were designated for retesting.
"We had some very serious allegations from some of the examiners that their signature appeared on the 610 forms as well as the manifest for the exam and
they weren't present," Hollingsworth said this week. "We have some other evidence that we're not revealing at this time, but we're just auditing the Clemson
exam and we'll be looking at some other tests as part of this same investigation."
At the core of the issue is an examination "sub-session" arranged following a regularly scheduled test session the same day in Clemson. The W5YI-VEC, which
has cooperated with the FCC in the investigation, says there's reason to believe that VEC paperwork may have been forged, some of the alleged volunteer
examiners actually were impostors, and one examiner also was an examinee.
Hollingsworth has written volunteer examiners Eugene D. Watring, AF4DB; "Dale" Martin, KT4NY; Grady P. Robinson, AK4N; and Mikel T. Blackwell, N4OPD, asking
each if he signed the manifest or any Forms 610 or authorized anyone to sign on his behalf; if he was present for the exam session or any part of it, and,
if so, the time and location; the nature of his involvement, if any, in the July 14 examination session, and, if he were not present, how he became aware
that "your purported signature appeared" on the exam session documents.
In a prepared statement, Fred Maia, W5YI, said the FCC is especially interested in the circumstances of the upgrade of William J. Browning, AB4BB (ex-AF4PJ
and KE4BWS), from General to Amateur Extra. Maia says Browning "upgraded his General class license at a second session held after he acted as team leader
at his regular examination session held the same day at the same location." Maia says the second exam session appears to be "a concocted session to upgrade
a specific licensee."
Maia says Browning asked Watring to assist in both examination sessions, and Watring served as team leader at the second one. He says that when Watring
showed up to help monitor the second session "he was introduced to other VEs whom he did not know." The other VEs-- Blackwell, Martin and Robinson--furnished
signed letters to the W5YI-VEC stating they did not participate in either examination session. "It appears that Watring, Blackwell, Martin and Robinson
may be totally innocent,." Maia said.
Robinson and Blackwell are shown as VEs on Browning's application as well on those of examinees Frank D. Cox, KF4UJQ; Joseph A. Cox, KF4RMH; and James F.
Chambers, KF4PWF. The FCC has requested that Browning, Frank Cox, Joseph Cox, and Chambers retake their Amateur Radio examinations before January 31, 2000.
Following up on an audit of a May 2, 1999, examination session in Yonkers, New York, Hollingsworth also posed similar questions to ARRL-VEC volunteer examiner
James Bonnett, KA2ZSA. Hollingsworth asked Bonnett on December 8 if he actually signed Form 610s for two examinees at the session or authorized anyone
to sign for him; the nature of his involvement, if any, in the May 2 session; and if he was not present how he came to know that his "purported signature"
appeared on the forms. Hollingsworth also asked if Bonnett had applied any of the marks found on answer sheets from the session.
Hollingsworth also wrote to session examinee Winston Tulloch, KC2ALN, who had attempted to upgrade from General to Advanced at the session. The FCC subsequently
dismissed applications from Tulloch and others because of alleged irregularities and put a cloud over their future amateur applications.
In his December 8 letter, Hollingsworth encouraged Tulloch to retake the examination and said his application "would be processed routinely." Alleged irregularities
at the session, Hollingsworth told Tulloch, "were not your fault and in no way reflect adversely on your qualifications to be a licensee."
FCC TURNS AWAY HAM-BAND BROADCASTING PETITION:
The FCC has turned down a request by Michael R. Reynolds, W0KIE, to permit amateurs to make one-way transmissions intended for reception by the general
public on Amateur Service frequencies above 420 MHz. Reynolds had said that, if adopted, his proposal would provide new opportunities for noncommercial,
community-oriented radio and additional diversity on the radio dial. He also asserted that Amateur Service frequencies above 420 MHz are "seriously underutilized."
The FCC dismissed the petition November 18, apparently without ever assigning it a rulemaking number or soliciting comments. In dismissing the petition,
the FCC said that the Amateur Service was not intended to be used for broadcasting, that authorizing broadcasting in the 420-450 MHz band could cause harmful
interference to other stations that share the band with amateurs, that the band is well-populated with repeaters, and that 420 MHz is the lowest amateur
frequency available for spread spectrum and ATV. The FCC also noted the pending petition to create a low-power FM broadcasting service.--W5YI Report
FCC RESCINDS 146.52 MHz ADVISORY NOTICES
FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth has told five
amateurs in Ohio and Michigan to disregard his earlier admonitions to
avoid lengthy QSOs on 146.52 MHz. That's the generally recognized national
simplex calling frequency and is endorsed as such by the ARRL's 2-meter
band plan. Acknowledging, however, that some confusion exists within the
amateur community as to whether 146.52 is a national calling channel or
just another simplex frequency, Hollingsworth decided to simply rescind
the five advisory notices he'd sent October 15.
"We made an error in issuing that Advisory Notice, and you may disregard
it," Hollingsworth wrote October 23 in letters to the affected amateurs.
Commenting to ARRL, Hollingsworth was blunt yet good-natured. "I goofed,"
he said. "If I were worried about making a fool of myself from time to
time, I never would have become a lawyer in the first place."
Amateurs commenting to the FCC and on various newsgroups reportedly were
bewildered by the FCC advisory notices. An ARRL error apparently
contributed to the confusion. Hollingsworth did not find 146.52 MHz
singled out as the national simplex calling frequency in his edition of
The ARRL's FCC Rule Book (12th edition, 1st printing). The designation
does appear in subsequent printings of the Rule Book, however, as well as
in recent editions of The ARRL Operating Manual and The ARRL Repeater
Directory 2002/2003.
Hollingsworth says that operation that does not comply with a generally
accepted band plan such as ARRL's is not illegal. He points out, however,
that band plans--to the extent that they're followed--do help to keep down
friction among various users and make his job a lot easier.
"I don't consider it a big deal. I was just trying to raise awareness," he
said, adding that the FCC has no intention of making band plan compliance
mandatory.
Hollingsworth told ARRL this week that he had initially written four
amateurs in Ohio and one in Michigan on the basis of complaints about
lengthy contacts on 146.52 MHz in late September and early October. Those
QSOs, he said, averaged 45 minutes and in some cases lasted up to an hour.
Two of the amateurs who had received the October 15 advisories already
have contacted Hollingsworth and agreed to cooperate with the original
requests, now rescinded.
"In an ideal world, stations making initial contact on 146.52 MHz probably
should move off to another accepted simplex channel to continue their
conversation," Hollingsworth said. "The main thing is, we're all in this
together, and the goal is to make Amateur Radio last 1000 years."
All ARRL band plans are available on the ARRL Web site
<
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bandplan.html>.
BAY AREA REPEATER SHUT DOWN AFTER FCC ORDER
The San Francisco area's K7IJ Grizzly Peak repeater system is off the air in the wake of an FCC shut-down order, and the FCC's amateur radio enforcer Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, says he's been in touch by telephone with the repeater's licensee and owner, Bruce Wachtell of Carson City, Nevada. Citing what it
called "an alarming and unacceptable lack of control over the operations of these repeaters," the FCC had notified Wachtell that it was ordering his system
shut down for 120 days as of midnight, February 28. The K7IJ system includes repeaters for the 146, 222, and 440 MHz bands.
Wachtell, 64, a shipboard operator on a container vessel, has been at sea in the Pacific and did not receive the FCC's notification. Subsequent efforts
to reach him by satellite telephone proved unsuccessful. On March 2, after he had not heard from Wachtell and was unable to contact him, Hollingsworth
got the repeater site owner to shut down the four K7IJ machines and lock out access. Hollingsworth said he considered the K7IJ system "a runaway repeater"
since the licensee apparently was not in control and was unavailable to the FCC.
Hollingsworth said that while he and Wachtell had a generally fruitful conversation, the repeater will remain shut down, and the FCC still expects Wachtell
to respond fully and in writing to FCC inquiries. In his letter to Wachtell, Hollingsworth requested a reply within 30 days as to "any detailed steps you
may propose to take to correct the operational problems with your repeater system and in regard to the control operator."
In the meantime, the FCC continues to look into "actions and omissions" of the individual identified as the K7IJ control operator, Blake B. Jenkins, N6YSA,
as well as the conduct of an alleged secondary control operator Steven R. Rossi, KE6LNH. Hollingsworth said the FCC has information indicating that Jenkins
"invited unlicensed operators to use the repeater, encouraged jamming, and has otherwise taken no action to control the repeater systems to ensure compliance
with our rules."
The K7IJ shutdown has put some repeater operators into a panic, Hollingsworth said. "There is no general cause for alarm," he advised. The only repeater
owners who need to be worried are those who fail to maintain control over their repeaters, he said.
In a related move, the FCC also set aside recent license grants or upgrades of four operators while it continues its investigation. The FCC said three of
the four--James C. Walker, KF6VAA; Michael J. Nichols, KF6UAS; and Eric B. Shuler, KF6BMG (ex-KF6UJU)--used the K7IJ system before obtaining their amateur
licenses. The Commission said it had evidence that the fourth operator, Gordon B. Reese III, KF6QKA, was "engaging in rebroadcasts of cordless telephone
calls and other broadcasting, along with profanity & obscenity." The FCC has permitted Reese, who had just upgraded to Tech Plus, to retain his Technician
operating privileges for now. Hollingsworth said he's been in touch with all four individuals and will carefully consider their written explanations.
The FCC also issued warnings to Mervyn Ehambrave about alleged unlicensed operation on the K7IJ repeater, and to Timmy O Sheen Sr, N6MZA, about alleged
jamming and rebroadcasts of cordless phones.
ALLEGED ILLEGAL "AMATEUR" TRANSCEIVER MARKETING DRAWS HUGE FINE
The FCC has proposed fining Pilot Travel Centers LLC $125,000 for
allegedly marketing unauthorized RF devices--specifically, transceivers
labeled as Amateur Radio Service (ARS) equipment but intended for use on
both Citizens Band and amateur frequencies. CB transmitters must receive
FCC certification--formerly called "type acceptance." Amateur Radio
equipment does not require FCC certification. The Notice of Apparent
Liability (NAL) released November 22 asserts that Pilot continued to
market CB transceivers labeled as amateur gear despite multiple citations
and warnings.
"Commission field offices issued a total of nine citations to Pilot's
corporate headquarters and its retail outlets warning Pilot that future
violations would subject Pilot to penalties including civil monetary
forfeitures," the NAL said. The Commission alleges that from October 2002
until last July, Pilot, in 47 separate instances, offered for sale various
models of non-certificated Galaxy CB transceivers labeled as "amateur
radios" that easily could be modified for CB operation. The FCC says in
some instances, Pilot employees referred to the units as "CBs."
The ARRL expressed its full support for the FCC's enforcement action
against Pilot. "The marketing as 'Amateur Radio' equipment of transceivers
that are intended for other uses causes widespread interference to
licensed radio amateurs operating within their allocated frequency bands,"
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ said on the League's behalf. "We hope that the
Commission's long-awaited action will be followed by additional measures
taken against marketers who persist in similar violations."
Following up on complaints received between 2001 and 2003, FCC Enforcement
Bureau field agents visited 11 Pilot retail outlets in Texas, Oregon,
California and Nevada. "At these locations, the stores displayed and
offered for sale various models of non-certified CB transceivers marketed
as ARS transmitters," the NAL said. The FCC's Office of Engineering and
Technology (OET) already had determined that the units could be modified
easily for CB operation and were subject to FCC certification prior to
marketing.
Responding to the citations, Pilot told the FCC that all of the radios in
question were "marketed as amateur radios and, as sold, operate on the
10-meter amateur band." Pilot contended the units fell under Part 97 rules
and didn't require FCC certification. In January 2002, the FCC Dallas
Field Office advised Pilot that the devices referred to in the Citation
had built-in design features to facilitate CB operation and that the FCC
considered them CB transmitters that fall under Part 95 rules. The NAL
says the Dallas Field Office received no further response from Pilot.
The FCC pointed out that it requires a grant of certification for any
Amateur Radio Service transceiver designed to be easily user-modified to
extend its operating frequency range into the Citizens Band.
The FCC said that on three days last December, FCC agents purchased Galaxy
transceivers from different Pilot retail stores. The OET subsequently
determined that all were non-certificated CB transmitters under the FCC's
definition. Those sales provided the basis for the proposed fine.
Ultimately, the FCC alleged that Pilot offered non-certificated CB
transmitters for sale on 13 occasions in 2003 and 2004 "in apparent
willful and repeated violation" of the Communications Act of 1934 and FCC
rules.
Citing its concern with "the pattern of apparent violations" in the Pilot
case, the FCC actually adjusted the base forfeiture amount upward from
$91,000 to $125,000. "We are particularly troubled that Pilot continues to
violate these rules despite receiving nine citations for marketing
non-certified CB transmitters," the Commission said in the NAL. "Pilot's
continuing violations of the equipment authorization requirements evince a
pattern of intentional noncompliance with and apparent disregard for these
rules."
Pilot was given 30 days to respond by paying or appealing the fine.
FCC DENIES AM, SSB BANDWIDTH PETITION
The FCC has turned down a Petition for Rule Making that sought to
establish specific bandwidth standards for full-carrier AM and SSB Amateur
Radio emissions. Michael Lonneke, W0YR, and Melvin Ladisky, W6FDR, filed
the petition, designated RM-10740, on May 27, 2003. The FCC said a
majority of the approximately 160 members of the amateur community who
commented on the petition opposed the concept.
"We conclude that petitioners' request for an amendment of our rules is
inconsistent with the Commission's objective of encouraging the
experimental aspects of the Amateur Radio service," wrote Public Safety
and Critical Infrastructure Division Chief Michael J. Wilhelm, WS6BR. The
FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released the Order November 24.
"The petition also fails to demonstrate that a deviation from the
Commission's longstanding practice of allowing operating flexibility
within the Amateur Service community is either warranted or necessary."
Lonneke and Ladisky had asked the FCC to "remove the ambiguity" in Part
97--specifically §97.307(a) and (b)--and they referenced Enforcement
Bureau letters sent to amateurs alleging overly wide SSB
signals--sometimes called "Enhanced Single Sideband." Additionally, they
said, some contesters purposely adjust their transmitters to exceed what
they called "the de facto SSB signal width of approximately 3 kHz" to gain
"elbow room" during contests.
On HF frequencies below 28.8 MHz, the petition recommended a maximum 2.8
kHz bandwidth SSB (J3E) emissions and a maximum 5.6 kHz bandwidth for AM
(A3E) emissions.
Asserting that most radio amateurs "operate in a manner consistent with
the basic purpose of the Amateur Service," the FCC said its existing rules
are "adequate to address any noncompliant practices by amateur operators."
Current FCC rules require that amateur transmissions not occupy "more
bandwidth than necessary for the information rate and emission type being
transmitted, in accordance with good amateur practice," and that emissions
outside the necessary bandwidth not interfere with operations on adjacent
frequencies. The FCC also said the petitioners failed to show that there
is "a particular problem" with stations using AM.
The Order said the FCC's Enforcement Bureau will continue to monitor
through its complaint process "nonconforming activities" of operators who
fail to abide by its rules. "In instances of willful and malicious
interference, the Enforcement Bureau will not hesitate to take appropriate
action," Wilhelm pledged.
ARLB021: Ham radio excluded from CB enforcement bill
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB021
ARLB021 Ham radio excluded from CB enforcement bill
ZCZC AG21
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 21 ARLB021
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 18, 1997
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB021
ARLB021 Ham radio excluded from CB enforcement bill
At the request of the ARRL, Amateur Radio has been specifically
exempted from a bill submitted April 17 by US Sen Russell Feingold
(D-Wisconsin) that would give states and municipalities authority to
enforce the FCC's CB regulations. Feingold's bill, designated as
Senate Bill 608, originated with efforts by the Beloit, Wisconsin,
City Council--responding to long-standing CB interference
complaints--to pass an ordinance allowing local authorities to
enforce FCC regulations. The bill is aimed at reducing radio
frequency interference stemming from the use of unauthorized
equipment or frequencies by CBers.
In presenting his bill, Feingold told his Senate colleagues that he
has received RFI complaints over the past several years from
numerous Wisconsin communities ''in which whole neighborhoods are
experiencing persistent radio frequency interference.''
If approved by Congress, Feingold's bill would amend the
Communications Act to allow state or local governments to enforce
regulations that prohibit the use of CB equipment not authorized by
the FCC (such as high-power linear amplifiers). As it now stands,
no license is required to operate on the 11-meter Citizens Band, but
the FCC does have strict requirements on the type of equipment that
CBers can legally use. Feingold's bill would preserve the federal
preemption of all other telecommunications matters. It would
exclude FCC-licensed services, including Amateur Radio, from state
or local oversight.
Also at the ARRL's request, the bill calls upon the FCC to provide
''technical guidance'' to states and municipalities in detecting and
determining violations. Those affected by a state or local
enforcement decision would be able to appeal to the FCC. ARRL asked
Feingold to add this provision as final safeguard for amateurs who
might be erroneously prosecuted despite the bill's other exemptions
for amateurs. Feingold's bill also would not preclude the FCC from
enforcing its own regulations as they apply to CB.
Feingold called his bill ''a common-sense solution to a very
frustrating and real problem which cannot be addressed under
existing law.''
NNNN
/EX
ARLB033: Local CB enforcement bill passes Senate
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB033
ARLB033 Local CB enforcement bill passes Senate
ZCZC AG33
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 33 ARLB033
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 14, 1998
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB033
ARLB033 Local CB enforcement bill passes Senate
A bill giving state and local governments the power to enforce
federal regulations covering illegal CB transmitters has passed the
US Senate. Senate Bill 608, introduced by Wisconsin Sen Russell
Feingold, was incorporated as an amendment into S 1618, the Consumer
Anti-Slamming Act, approved May 12 on a 99-to-1 vote (Sen Biden not
voting). The measure, as redrafted from the original bill with
assistance from the ARRL, totally exempts Amateur Radio from its
provisions.
The measure requires the FCC to provide technical guidance and
includes an appeals process.
It's not yet known if or when the entire bill will come up for a
vote in the House of Representatives.
In remarks read into the Congressional Record of May 12, Feingold
spoke about his cooperation with the ARRL and with hams in Wisconsin
and said the amendment incorporates a number of provisions suggested
by the League.
''First, the amendment makes clear that the limited enforcement
authority provided to localities in no way diminishes or affects
FCC's exclusive jurisdiction over the regulation of radio,'' he said.
''Second, the amendment clarifies that the possession of an FCC
license to operate a radio service for the operation at issue, such
as an amateur station, is complete protection against any local law
enforcement action authorized by this amendment.''
Feingold pointed out Amateur Radio's tradition as a self-regulatory
service. ''The ARRL is very involved in resolving interference
concerns both among their own members and between ham operators and
residents experiencing problems,'' he said.
Feingold introduced his original version of the bill nearly two
years ago after receiving complaints from constituents about
interference from illegal CB transmitters. In 1996, the City of
Beloit, Wisconsin, passed an ordinance giving the city the power to
enforce FCC regulations concerning CB interference.
NNNN
/EX
PRESIDENT SIGNS CB ENFORCEMENT BILL
President Bill Clinton has signed legislation that permits the enforcement
of certain FCC Citizens Band regulations by state and local governments.
Amateur Radio operators are exempt from the provisions of the law, now PL
106-521.
Congressional lawmakers saw the measure as a way to give a voice to those
experiencing radio frequency interference resulting from illegal CB radio
operation. The FCC will not yield its authority to regulate Citizens Band or
other radio services, however.
In short, the measure authorizes states and localities to enact laws that
prohibit the use of unauthorized CB equipment--consistent with FCC
regulations. This would include the use of high-power linear amplifiers or
equipment that was not FCC-certificated.
FCC-licensed stations in any radio service--including the Amateur
Service--are excluded from such state or local enforcement, and state or
local laws enacted under this legislation must identify this exemption.
The bill--HR.2346 is the House version; it was S.2767 in the
Senate--actually is the old Senate "Feingold bill" from several sessions
ago. The bill's sponsor, Rep Vernon Ehlers of Michigan says local hams asked
him to support the bill because of the bad rap they were getting from
illegal CBers using high-power linear amplifiers that resulted in TV and
telephone interference while the CBers involved hid behind federal
preemption.
As did Feingold before him, Ehlers asked the ARRL to review his measure to
ensure that it would not unintentionally harm Amateur Radio.
A copy of the new legislation is available on the ARRL Web site at
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2000/11/29/3/cbbill.html.
FCC, PILOT TRAVEL CENTERS CONSENT DECREE ENDS TRANSCEIVER MARKETING CASE
A consent decree has finally ended an enforcement action against Pilot
Travel Centers LLC that could have cost the company $125,000 in fines. In
November 2004 the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) asserting
that Pilot, despite multiple citations and warnings, continued to market CB
transceivers labeled as Amateur Radio gear but intended for use on both
Citizens Band and amateur frequencies. An FCC Order released May 11 adopts
the attached consent decree between the agency and Pilot and terminates the
forfeiture action. While Pilot agrees to make "a voluntary contribution" of
$90,000 to the US Treasury "without further protest or recourse," the
company does not admit any wrongdoing.
"The parties further agree that this consent decree is for settlement
purposes only and that by agreeing to the consent decree, Pilot does not
admit or deny any liability for violating the [Communications] Act or the
rules in connection with the matters that are the subject of this consent
decree," the agreement stipulates.
Under the terms of the consent decree, Pilot must refrain in the future from
marketing as "Amateur Radio" gear any transmitting devices with built-in
features to facilitate CB operation. The company also must determine in
advance that any CB transmitting gear it offers for sale is FCC
certificated. CB transmitters must receive FCC certification--formerly
called "type acceptance." Amateur Radio transmitting equipment does not
require FCC certification.
Should Pilot plan to sell legitimate Amateur Radio transceivers, it must
ensure before marketing or selling them that the ARRL Lab has reviewed the
equipment in question and determined that it transmits only in the Amateur
Radio bands. The ARRL Lab tests equipment both for QST "Product Review"
articles as well as for compliance with QST advertising policy, which
requires that items offered for sale meet FCC rules.
Further, the consent decree requires Pilot to remove from sale certain
Galaxy brand transceivers (models DX33HML, DX66V and DX99V) and any other
"Amateur Radio" transceivers that have not passed ARRL Lab muster in the
course of product review or advertising compliance testing. Pilot also will
have to ensure that any CB transceivers on sale by entities leasing space on
its premises are FCC certificated.
The consent decree brings to a close an enforcement action dating back more
than six years. In its 2004 NAL, the FCC cited 47 separate instances between
2002 and 2004 when Pilot allegedly had offered for sale various models of
non-certificated Galaxy CB transceivers labeled as "amateur radios" that
easily could be modified for CB operation.
The Order and the consent decree are on the FCC Web site
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-53A1.pdf>.
FCC Fines Colorado Company for Selling "Non-Certified Citizens Band (CB) Transceivers"
On Friday, March 21, the FCC released a
Forfeiture Order
in the amount of $7000 to CB Shop and More in Loveland, Colorado for "willful and repeated violations of Section 302(b) of the Communications Act of 1934,
as amended (
Act),
and Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Commission's Rules." According to the FCC, CB Shop and More was selling a "non-certified Citizens Band ('CB') transceiver."
Section 302(b) of the Act states: "No person shall manufacture, import, sell, offer for sale, or ship devices or home electronic equipment and systems,
or use devices, which fail to comply with regulations promulgated pursuant to this section."
Section 2.803(a)(1)
reads that "Except as provided elsewhere in this section, no person shall sell or lease, or offer for sale or lease (including advertising for sale or lease),
or import, ship, or distribute for the purpose of selling or leasing or offering for sale or lease, any radio frequency device unless in the case of a
device subject to certification such device has been authorized by the Commission."
Background
On November 25, 2002, an agent from the Enforcement Bureau in the FCC's Denver Office inspected the CB Shop & More in Loveland, Colorado and observed that
the store "displayed and offered for sale twelve models of CB transceivers, specifically, one Super Star 121 transceiver, one General Longstreet transceiver,
one Connex CX3300HP transceiver, one Connex CX4400HP transceiver, and eight Galaxy transceivers models DX33HML, DX44V, DX55V, DX66V, DX73, DX77HML, DX88HL,
and DX99V." After the agent reviewed FCC records, it was discovered that these devices "had not received an equipment authorization from the Commission."
The next day, the FCC Denver Office issued a Citation to CB Shop and More for violation of Section 302(b) of the Act and Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Commission's
Rules by selling non-certified CB transceivers. The Citation warned the CB Shop that "future violations may subject CB Shop to civil monetary forfeitures
not to exceed $11,000 for each violation for each day of a continuing violation, seizure of equipment through forfeiture action, and criminal sanctions
including fines and imprisonment."
According to the FCC, lawyers for CB Shop and More disputed the Citation, stating that the transceivers listed in the Citation were legal to sell. Their
attorneys further requested that the Denver Office withdraw the Citation within 14 days from December 3, 2002. In a response to the CB Shop, dated December
18, 2002, the Denver Office "reaffirmed the violation and warned that the marketing of the non-certified CB transceivers should cease immediately."
On January 26, 2007, and March 8, 2007, the Denver Office received complaints alleging that CB Shop and More was selling non-certified CB transmitters and
modified 10 meter band radios. On March 30, 2007, the Denver agents again visited CB Shop and More and noted that one of the CB transceivers offered for
sale was a Galaxy Model DX99V and asked if they could purchase the transceiver. "The Denver agents subsequently identified themselves as FCC agents, and
proceeded to interview the owner of the CB Shop. The owner acknowledged that he once received a Citation from the FCC, but he thought it was still legal
for them to sell the referenced CB transceivers."
On August 28, 2007, the Denver Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) in the amount of $7000 to CB Shop and More. In the NAL, the Denver Office
found that CB Shop and More "apparently willfully and repeatedly violated Section 302(b) of the Act, and Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Rules by offering for
sale a non-certified CB transceiver." CB Shop and More filed a response on September 17, 2007 (Response). In its Response, CB Shop argued that "Galaxy
Model DX99V does not require certification by the Commission because it is not a CB transceiver." Consequently, CB Shop and More argued that the forfeiture
should be cancelled.
Determining the Forfeiture Amount
According to the FCC, the proposed forfeiture amount in this case was assessed in accordance with Section 503(b) of the Act, Section 1.80 of the Rules and
The Commission's Forfeiture Policy Statement and Amendment of Section 1.80 of the Rules to Incorporate the Forfeiture Guidelines. In examining CB Store
and More's Response, Section 503(b) of the Act requires that "the Commission take into account the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation
and, with respect to the violator, the degree of culpability, any history of prior offenses, ability to pay, and other such matters as justice may require."
CB radio transceivers are subject to the equipment certification process and must be certified and properly labeled prior to being marketed or sold in the
United States. Unlike CB radio transceivers, radio transmitting equipment that transmits solely on Amateur Radio Service frequencies is not subject to
equipment authorization requirements prior to manufacture or marketing; however, some radio transmitters that transmit in a portion of the 10 meter band
of the Amateur Radio Service (28.000-29.700 MHz) are equipped with rotary, toggle or pushbutton switches mounted externally on the unit, allowing operation
in the CB bands after completion of minor and trivial internal modifications to the equipment.
To address these radios, the Commission adopted changes to the CB-type acceptance requirements by defining a CB transmitter as "a transmitter that operates
or is intended to operate at a station authorized in the CB." Section 95.655(a) of the Rules also states that "no transmitter will be certificated for
use in the CB service if it is equipped with a frequency capability not listed in Section 95.625 of the Rules" (CB transmitter channel frequencies). Also,
the Commission's Office of General Counsel released a letter on the importation and marketing of Amateur Radio transmitters, clarifying that transmitters
that "have a built-in capacity to operate on CB frequencies and can easily be altered to activate that capacity, such as by moving or removing a jumper
plug or cutting a single wire" fall within the definition of a CB transmitter under Section 95.603(c) of the Rules and therefore require certification
prior to marketing or importation. The Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology "evaluated Galaxy Model DX99V here and determined that it could
easily be altered for use as a CB transceiver."
CB Shop and More argued that the Galaxy DX99V transceiver does not require Commission certification "because it is not a CB transceiver." They state that
"the Galaxy DX99V is manufactured to operate solely on the 10 meter amateur band, and its intent in selling the Galaxy DX99V was that the transceivers
be used only as amateur equipment." Consequently, CB Shop and More argued that Section 95.603 of the Rules defines a CB transmitter as "a transmitter that
operates or is intended to operate at a station authorized in the CB," therefore, "the Galaxy DX99V, as manufactured by Galaxy and as marketed by CB Shop
is not a CB transceiver, as defined by the Commission's Rules."
The FCC did not agree with CB Shop and More's reasoning. The Commission felt CB Shop and More "fail[ed] to consider the OGC Letter, also discussed above
and in the NAL, which clarified that Amateur Radio Service transmitters that can easily be altered to operate on CB transmitter channel frequencies fall
within the definition of 'CB transmitter' under Section 95.603(c) of the Rules." Consistent with Sections 95.603(c) and the OGC Letter, and as stated in
the NAL, the FCC's "Office of Engineering and Technology evaluated the Galaxy Model DX99V and determined that it was a non-certified CB transceiver. CB
Shop provided no evidence to show that the Galaxy Model DX99V it offered for sale was not easily modified. Therefore, we find that Galaxy Model DX99V is
a CB transmitter pursuant to Section 95.603(c), regardless of CB Shop's now stated intent regarding the sale of the Galaxy Model DX99V."
CB Shop and More also argued that more than 10 years ago, the FCC's "Office of Engineering and Technology issued a public notice, 'trying to expand the
definition of a Citizen Band transmitter to transceivers capable of being "easily modified" to work on the Citizen Band service.'" CB Shop and More contended,
however, that this was "an amendment to the CB Rules, that the Commission cannot amend the Rules by merely putting out a public notice, and that its attempt
to do so violates the APA and due process."
The FCC, in assessing CB Shop's liability in the NAL, said "the Denver Office relied on the OGC Letter and its interpretation of Section 95.603(c), as well
as Office of Engineering and Technology's specific determination concerning Galaxy Model DX99V, and did not rely on the public notice cited to by CB Shop.
We note that CB Shop does not argue that the enactment of Section 95.603(c) violated the APA nor does CB Shop object to the clarification offered by the
OGC Letter. Therefore, we find no merit to this argument either."
CB Shop and More further stated that whether a transceiver can be "easily modified" is one of degree and referred to an e-mail from a Commission staffer.
The FCC did not agree with that conclusion. "First, the Commission has consistently held that regulatees are responsible for compliance with the Commission's
Rules and that they should not rely on informal opinions from Commission staff. Additionally, when the staff advice is contrary to the Commission's rules,
the Commission may still enforce its rules despite any reliance by the public. Second, the OGC Letter explains the concept of 'easily modified' as including
moving or removing a jumper plug or cutting a single wire. Third, CB Shop was on notice that the Galaxy transceivers it was offering for sale were considered
to be 'easily modified,' and therefore, non-certified CB transceivers for years prior to the issuance of the NAL." The FCC noted that CB Shop and More
received a Citation on November 26, 2002 that explained that if the store "continued to offer these transceivers for sale, it would be subject to civil
monetary forfeitures. After its attorney questioned the Citation, it received a follow-up notice from the Denver Office, on December 18, 2002, warning
that it should no longer offer for sale the Galaxy transceiver at issue. Despite these notices and warnings, CB Shop continued to sell the non-certified
CB transceivers."
Conclusion
The FCC examined the Response to the NAL "pursuant to the statutory factors above," and in conjunction with the Forfeiture Policy Statement. As a result
of the review, the Commission concluded that CB Shop and More "willfully and repeatedly violated Section 302(b) of the Act, and Section 2.803(a)(1) of
the Rules. Considering the entire record and the factors listed above, we find that neither reduction nor cancellation of the proposed $7,000 forfeiture
is warranted." The Commission ordered that, pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Act and Sections 0.111, 0.311 and 1.80(f)(4) of the Commission's Rules, "CB
Shop and More is liable for a monetary forfeiture in the amount of $7,000 for willfully and repeatedly violating Section 302(b) of the Act, and Section
2.803(a)(1) of the Rules."
FCC Turns Down Kenwood "Sky Command" Petition
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 28, 2000--The FCC has declared that use of Kenwood's "Sky Command" remote station control system does not comply with Amateur Service
rules. In an Order released today, the FCC also declined to grant a waiver of the rules to make Sky Command legal.
"We conclude that Sky Command does not comply with Section 97.201(b), and that a waiver of the rules is not warranted," the FCC said.
Sky Command, which lets the user control a fixed HF station via a pair of dual-band transceivers, has been on the market for almost three years. The ARRL
has declined to permit Sky Command advertisements in QST, however, maintaining that the system was not legal to use as configured. Sky Command operates
in full duplex, using a 70-cm frequency to transmit audio and control commands to a dualband transceiver at the remote station and a 2-meter frequency
to transmit received audio via the remote station's Sky Command transceiver to the operator's transceiver. The VHF channel also contains a Morse code ID.
In its petition, Kenwood expressed confidence that the Sky Command System "fully complies with the remote control, telecommand, and auxiliary station provisions
of Sections 97.109(c), 97.213, and 97.201." The manufacturer had asked the FCC to confirm in a declaratory ruling that the Sky Command System complies
with those rules or, failing that, to grant a blanket waiver of the rules for amateurs using the system.
The League said that Kenwood's use of a 2-meter frequency would cause amateurs using the system to violate Section 97.201(b), which limits auxiliary operation
to certain frequencies above 222.15 MHz. The FCC now has agreed.
The Commission turned away Kenwood's argument that because the 2-meter link was not used for telecommand, it should not be considered an auxiliary station.
"We disagree," the FCC said in its Order. Section 97.213(a) of the Commission's Rules requires that if radio is used for the control link between the control
point and the station, the control link must use an auxiliary station." The FCC said the VHF link was integral to Sky Command and that Kenwood's view represented
"at best a tortured interpretation" of the rules.
The FCC declined to issue Kenwood a requested blanket waiver of the applicable rules because it said the manufacturer failed to meet the standards required
to grant a waiver. To get a waiver, a petitioner would have to show (1) that the underlying purpose of the rules "would not be served or would be frustrated
by application to the present case" and that granting the waiver would be in the public interest, or (2) that unique or unusual circumstances make application
of the rule "inequitable, unduly burdensome or contrary to the public interest"--or that the applicant has no reasonable alternative.
"We find that Kenwood has met neither standard," the FCC said in its Order.
The ARRL filed comments on Kenwood's petition January 31. "The selection of appropriate frequencies for auxiliary operation is essential to efficient use
of the limited frequencies that are shared by amateur stations," the League said, citing an already densely populated 2-meter band.
Others commenting in opposition to Kenwood's petition included Robert G. Wheaton, W5XW, the Bexar (Texas) Emergency Amateur Repeater System; and Kendall
Amateur Radio Society. Going on record to support Kenwood's petition were Gordon West Radio School; Costa Mesa Emergency Service Amateur Communications;
Kenwood Communications; James M. Hicks, KG4K; and Robert A. Kile, KG7D.
The League has called Kenwood's Sky Command System "a fine product" that would be of interest to many hams if designed for frequencies on which auxiliary
operation is legally permitted. Carving out an exemption by waiving the rules for Kenwood's product, the League argued and the FCC agreed, would amount
to "inappropriate favoritism for a single manufacturer's product."
When first introduced, Sky Command used a special version of Kenwood's TH-79 dualband H-T. The League has suggested that Kenwood could remedy its problem
by using a similar transceiver, the TH-89, that operates in the 430 MHz and 1.2 GHz bands. "Auxiliary operation is permitted in both of these bands," the
League said. "Kenwood markets the TH-89 in Japan but has chosen not to export it to the United States."
In the past, the League has opposed lowering the minimum frequency for auxiliary operation. In 1984, the FCC turned down a petition by the QCWA to remove
frequency restrictions on auxiliary operation. In its comments on the Kenwood petition, the ARRL said the FCC's 1984 rationale for keeping the restriction
in effect remains, and nothing has occurred to make 2 meters any more appropriate now--especially given the growth in the amateur population and the use
of packet and APRS today.
Former Puerto Rico Section Manager Dies in Flying Mishap
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 31, 2000--Former ARRL Puerto Rico Section Manager Guillermo M. Schwarz, KP3S, and his wife, Hildelisa, died July 29 after Schwarz's experimental
aircraft crashed in Ohio.
Guillermo Schwarz and his wife, Hilda, at the 1998 Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League Convention.
An Associated Press report indicated that the small plane went down in a field Saturday afternoon in rural Wayne County, not far from Wooster, Ohio. The
mishap is said to have occurred as the plane was attempting a final landing approach at Wayne County Airport. According to the AP account, authorities
said the couple was removed from the wreckage and died after being taken to separate hospitals in Wooster and Akron.
The aircraft was a 1998 Zenair Zodiac single-engine, two-seat kit plane. The AP report quoted police as saying the plane might have banked too sharply before
making its final approach and went down.
Schwarz, 49, was Puerto Rico's Section Manager from October 1994 until September 1998 and had been serving as a Southeastern Division Assistant Director
since 1996. He was an ARRL member.
The couple, who lived in Guayanabo, Puerto Rico, had flown to the mainland on vacation. At the time of the mishap, the Schwarzes were said to be en route
from New York to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where a major air show continues through August 1.
The experimental aircraft Schwarz was flying.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were reported to be at the scene.
Puerto Rico SM Victor Madera, KP4PQ, called Guillermo Schwarz "an excellent ham, a good friend." He said that Schwarz, who had piloted B-52s in the service,
had only completed building the aircraft a few weeks earlier.
Survivors include the couple’s four children, Guillermo, Jose, Laura and Carlos, and Guillermo Schwarz’ father, William Schwarz, KP4EEB. Services were August
2 in Santurce.
FCC Confirms: Less Than One-Fifth of Hams are ULS-Registered
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 1, 2000--The FCC has confirmed that less than one-fifth of US Amateur Radio licensees--including club stations--are registered on the
Universal Licensing System. The FCC deployed the ULS for the Amateur Service just under a year ago, although registration has been available far longer.
The question of how many hams now were ULS-registered arose during the July 21 meeting of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, held
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Not even the FCC officials on hand had an answer. After the meeting, RC Smith, W6RZA, of the Greater Los Angeles VEC crunched
some numbers to see if he could supply one for his colleagues.
Starting with the 717,629 licensees in the FCC database at that point, Smith subtracted the 31,449 determined to be expired but within the two-year grace
period. Sorting on the Licensee ID Number field, Smith came up with 129,947 ULS registrants, or 18.9% of the remaining 686,180 licensees.
The FCC's Steve Linn, N4CAK, says the Commission ran its own numbers and came up with a similar figure--although without subtracting for those within the
two-year grace period. "The quick run done here looked at all active records--717,314--and how many had Licensee ID numbers, giving 18.1%," Linn said this
week. "Take out the grace records and we're in the same ballpark."
During his comments at the Dayton Hamvention FCC forum, Linn encouraged amateur licensees to register with ULS to "lock in" their FCC records. ULS registration,
he said, "protects your call sign within the system" and could prevent it from inadvertently being deleted or reissued due to a filing error.
All amateurs must be registered with the ULS in order to file applications with the FCC, even for such routine matters as a change of address or a license
renewal. Registration requires that licensees supply a Taxpayer Identification Number, or TIN--a Social Security number for an individual. Some amateurs
have protested that requirement citing privacy concerns, but the FCC has maintained that it's bound by the Debt Collection Improvement Act to require it.
Last month, the FCC announced that it has begun implementing the new Commission Registration System, or CORES. Registration in CORES eventually will replace
ULS registration. CORES registration also requires registrants to supply a TIN. Those already registered in ULS need not register again in CORES, however.
The FCC says the ULS will continue to be the primary Amateur Radio licensee database and the only means to file applications and updates.
The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau recently announced expanded hours for ULS technical support. ULS users may now reach the FCC Technical Support
Hotline, 202-414-1250, from 7 AM to 10 PM weekdays. Weekend service is newly available. On Saturdays the Hotline will be available from 8 AM until 7 PM
and on Sundays from noon until 6 PM (all times Eastern). Amateur applicants requiring an assigned TIN (ATIN) to register a club station in ULS should contact
ULS tech support to obtain one. Users also may contact tech support via e-mail at
ulscomm@fcc.gov.
For more information, to access the ULS or to register, visit the
FCC's ULS site.
Amateur Radio Titan Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, SK
Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, in a photo taken last May. [Neil Armann photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 2, 2000--An Amateur Radio legend and former ARRL Headquarters staff member has died. Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, of Mesa, Arizona, passed
away July 31. He was 84. His daughter, Marsha Ashurst, W1HAQ, informed the League of her father's death late Tuesday. "Dad left an extraordinary legacy
to ham radio," she said. "It is hard to believe he has gone." She said McCoy had not been feeling well for about seven weeks and was diagnosed as being
seriously ill only three weeks before he died.
As a member of the ARRL Headquarters staff from 1949 until 1978, McCoy gained a national and international reputation primarily for his articles in QST
and his pioneering work to combat TV interference. Retired ARRL Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, today recalled McCoy as a good friend and a
very popular figure in the amateur community. "He became a hero of all the Novices and beginners because his stuff was so down to earth and easy to read,"
he said. "He was a very dynamic personality--no question about it."
ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, described McCoy as "one of a kind" and "versatile." Sumner said McCoy "left his mark on future generations
of amateurs as QST's 'Beginner and Novice' editor." When FM repeaters came along, Sumner said, McCoy made it his mission to educate his ARRL colleagues
about their potential.
An ARRL Life Member, McCoy was first licensed as W9FHZ in 1946 in Chicago and later became W0ICP in Missouri, where he had served as an Assistant Section
Communications Manager.
Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, in 1975.
McCoy arrived at ARRL Headquarters in 1949 to fill the job of assistant communications manager for phone. Ironically, one of his first assignments was to
send Morse code practice over W1AW.
He went on to work in the Technical Department where he was able to take advantage of his ability to explain technical concepts in simple terms. During
his tenure he served as the first QST Novice editor and later as the "Repeater News" editor and wrote hundreds of columns, articles and reviews. He served
as the ARRL HQ liaison to the VHF Repeater Advisory Committee.
McCoy earned a reputation as a tireless traveler and goodwill ambassador for Amateur Radio and won a commendation from the ARRL Board of Directors in 1975
for winning many friends for the League. He first started hitting the road in the early 1950s after TVI had become troublesome for amateurs. He soon became
the League's TVI expert, touring the country with a TV set in tow to give TVI demonstrations to amateur groups and TV service personnel alike.
As Sumner described it:
When Mac McCoy first joined the ARRL staff in 1949, Amateur Radio faced a major threat in the form of television interference. TV sets were poorly made,
TV signals were weak, and most amateur transmitters were unshielded; it wasn't unusual for a ham to wipe out TV reception for blocks around. Inevitably,
some predicted that this meant the death of Amateur Radio. Not to Mac McCoy and the ARRL, though. One of his first assignments was a "road show" to demonstrate
how TVI could be conquered through filtering and shielding. For those of us who came to know him later, it is easy to imagine the sort of show he must
have put on.
Ashurst says she can still recall how the entire McCoy family rode along for some of the TVI tours:
Sharon and I both remember childhood summers spent traveling the United States with Dad, Mom, and the ubiquitous TV set and without auto air conditioning.
As children we also sat through many of his presentations and knew more about TVI than any other kids in the country. We were the first in town to have
a TV set so that Dad could monitor interference. Having a TV also made us very popular with the other kids, especially when Ed Sullivan had Elvis Presley
shaking his hips on Talk of the Town.
ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, credits McCoy with providing the foundation for the ARRL's current RFI expertise in helping hams to deal with interference
to consumer equipment and interference to hams from other sources. "He must have been very pleased to see his work continued and expanded," Hare said.
"His tutorial articles helped many hams of that era learn about radio electronics, antennas, propagation and a host of other subjects of interest to the
newcomer and old timer alike."
After authoring some 200 columns and articles, McCoy finally got a cover shot on QST for April 1963.
McCoy also was well-known for one of his projects, "The Ultimate Transmatch," an antenna tuner he described in a July 1970 QST article. Other articles by
McCoy frequently dwelled on antenna-related topics.
After leaving the ARRL Headquarters staff, McCoy continued as a QST contributing editor. He subsequently was a major contributor to other Amateur Radio
publications, including CQ.
During his active years on the air, McCoy was an avid DXer with more than 300 countries confirmed. More recently, he was active in the Quarter Century Wireless
Association, had served as QCWA president and a board member and had just been elected again to the QCWA's Board of Directors, something his daughters
never got to tell him before he died.
McCoy's first wife (of 60 years), Martha, died in 1998. Survivors include his wife, Clara Gibbs McCoy, and his daughters, Marsha Ashurst, W1HAQ--licensed
at age 8 and said at the time to be the youngest ham in the world--and Sharon Armann, ex-WN1GQR, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In accordance with McCoy's wishes, there will be no funeral or service. Marsha Ashurst said that she and her sister are planning a memorial service for
him in early December when his friends are back in the Phoenix area and would announce details later this year.
"We are very moved by the hundreds of messages from hams worldwide which Dad and we have been receiving in the last few days," Ashurst said. "It is very
comforting to us to hear about their personal connections to him, their affection for him, and Dad's contributions to Amateur Radio."
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorial donations in his name to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85014-5656. Condolences
may be sent to the family care of Marsha Ashurst, PO Box 2260, Lakeside, AZ 85929.
PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
445 12TH STREET, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 99-2344
News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov
Released: October 29, 1999
AMATEUR SERVICE OPERATION IN CEPT COUNTRIES
Subject to the regulations in force in the country visited, a U. S. citizen holding a Technician,
Technician Plus, General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class amateur radio service operator license grant
by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is authorized to utilize temporarily an amateur station
in a European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration (CEPT) country that has
implemented CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 with respect to the United States. CEPT Recommendation
T/R 61-01 is available on the internet at http://www.ero.dk/.
While operating an amateur station, the person must have in his or her possession a copy of this
Public Notice, proof of U. S. citizenship, and evidence of the FCC license grant. These documents must be
shown to proper authorities upon request.
When the privileges authorized by the FCC license grant are Technician Plus, General, Advanced,
or Amateur Extra Class operator privileges, the corresponding CEPT operator privileges are CEPT radio
amateur Class 1. When the privileges authorized by the FCC license grant are Technician Class operator
privileges, the corresponding CEPT operator privileges are CEPT radio amateur Class 2. When the
privileges authorized by the license grant are Novice Class operator privileges, the licensee is not authorized
any corresponding CEPT radio amateur privileges. As mentioned above, operator privileges are subject to
the regulations of the country visited.
Participating CEPT countries as of October 25. 1999, are: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,* Germany,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands,
Netherland Antilles, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, and the United Kingdom.**
*
Participating for France, Corsica, Guadeloupe, Guiana, Martinique, St. Bartholomew, St. Pierre/Miquelon, St. Martin, and Reunion/Dependencies.
** Participating for Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.
Amteurfunkdienst in den CEPT Laendern
Entsprechend den gueltigen Bestimmungen des besuchten Landes, darf ein Staatsangehoeriger der
USA, der eine gültige Amateurfunkgenehmigung - ausgestellt von der Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) - der Klassen: Technician, Technican Plus, General, Advanced oder Amateur Extra
Class besitzt, befristet eine Amateurfunkstation in den "European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administration" (CEPT) Laendern betreiben, die die CEPT Recommendation T/R 6101
unter Einbeziehung der USA implementiert haben. Ein Internet Link dieser Bestimmung T/R 61-01 ist:
http://www.ero.dk/.
Bei Betrieb einer solchen Amateurfunkstelle muss diese Person im Besitz einer Kopie dieser Note
sein, einen Nachweis seiner US-Staatsbuergerschaft sowie der gültigen Amateurfunkgenehmigung mit sich
fuehren. Diese Dokumente muessen berechtigten Behoerden auf Verlangen vorgelegt werden.
Wenn die Privilegien der ausgestellten Genehmigungsurkunden der FCC den Betrieb der Klassen
"Technician Plus", "General", "Advanced" oder "Amateur Extra" zulassen, darf Amateurfunkbetrieb
entsprechend der CEPT - Amateurfunkklasse 1 ausgeuebt werden. Wenn die Privilegien der ausgestellten
Genehmigungsurkunden der FCC den Betrieb der Klasse "Technician" zulassen ist die entsprechende
CEPT - Amateurfunkklasse 2. Wenn die Privilegien der ausgewiesenen Lizenzklasse der "Novice Class"
entsprechen, ist kein Betrieb entsprechend den CEPT Amateurfunk Bestimmungen erlaubt. Wie oben
erwaehnt, sind die Ausuebungsrechte der entsprechenden Bestimmung des Gastgeberlandes massgebend.
Die entsprechenden CEPT Laender als vom 25. October 1999 sind: Belgien, Bulgarien, Bosnien
und Herzegovina, Daenemark, Deutschland, Estland, Finnland, Frankreich, Grossbritannien, Irland, Island,
Italien, Kroatien, Lettland, Liechtenstein, Litauen, Luxemburg, Monaco, Niederlande, Die Niederlande
Antillen, Norwegen, Oesterreich, Slowakische Republik, Slowenien, Spanien, Tschechische Republik,
Tuerkei, Ungarn Portugal, Rumaenien, Schweden, Schweiz, Zypern.
ACTIVITÉ DES OPÉ RATEURS RADIOAMATEURS DANS LES PAYS DE LA CEPT
Selon les dispositions légales en vigueur dans les pays qu'il visite, un citoyen américain détenteur
d'une licence de radioamateur de classe Technicien, Technicien Plus, Technicien général, Technicien
avancé ou Amateur extra, décernée par la FCC aux États-Unis, est habilité à utiliser temporairement un
poste amateur dans un pays appartenant à la Conférence européenne des Administrations des postes et
télécommunications (CEPT) ayant adopté les recommandations T/R 61-01 de la CEPT concernant les États-
Unis. Une liaison permettant d'accéder aux recommandations T/R 61-01 se trouve à l'adresse
http://www.ero.dk/.
Lors de son activité en tant que radioamateur, cette personne doit être en possession d'un
exemplaire du présent avis au public, d'une preuve de sa nationalité américaine ainsi que de la licence
accordée par la FCC. Sur sa demande, ces documents doivent être présentés à l'autorité compétente.
Lorsque la licence accordée au particulier est une licence Technicien Plus, Technicien général,
Technicien avancé ou Amateur extra, les privilèges correspondants conférés par la CEPT sont ceux d'un
Radioamateur CEPT de première classe. Lorsque les privilèges accordés par la licence FCC sont ceux d'un
opérateur de la classe Technicien, les privilèges CEPT correspondants sont ceux radioamateur CEPT de
deuxième classe. Lorsque les privilèges accordés par la licence FCC sont ceux d'un opérateur de la classe
Novice, le détenteur de cette licence ne se voit accorder aucun privilège de radioamateur par la CEPT.
Comme mentionné plus haut, les privilèges de l'opérateur sont assujettis aux réglementations du pays visité.
Les pays participant à la CEPT sont: Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bosnie-Herzégovine,
Bulgarie, Chypre, Croatie, Danemark, Espagne, Estonie, Finlande, France, Hongrie, Irlande, Islande, Italie,
Lettonie, Liechtenstein, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norvège, Les Pays-Bas, Les Pays-Bas Antilles,
Portugal, Roumanie, Royaume Uni, Slovaquie, Slovénie, Suède, Suisse, Tchèque République, Turquie.
For further information, contact Marcus Wolf, International Bureau, at (202) 418-0736 or mwolf@fcc.gov.
-FCC
The FCC's New RF-Exposure Regulations
By Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Laboratory Supervisor
Excerpted from January 1997 QST
Copyright © 1997 by The American Radio Relay League, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Every so often, an event gets the Amateur Radio community buzzing. On August 1, 1996, the FCC announced a significant rules change: Effective January 1,
1997, most radio services must comply with new requirements regulating human exposure to RF radiated fields. The new regulations include Amateur Radio;
so, almost immediately, the telephones at ARRL Headquarters started ringing with members' questions. This overview accurately presents the best available
information as QST goes to the printer. Sources for frequent updates appear under "Stay Tuned" at the end of this article.
Background
In 1982, the IEEE developed the C95.1-1982 Standard that described appropriate limits for human exposure to RF energy.
[1]
Medical researchers, engineers and industry developed this Standard. Shortly, the FCC wrote a set of regulations that required radio services to comply
with the limits set in the Standard.
While the FCC was developing those early regulations, ARRL requested that the Amateur Radio Service be categorically exempt from any specific requirements
under the regulations. We urged the FCC to rely upon the demonstrated technical competence of amateur operators and self-education as sufficient tools
to ensure continued Amateur Radio safety. The FCC agreed, and we were categorically exempt from any specific requirement to perform a station evaluation
under the old RF-exposure regulations.
The ARRL RF Safety Committee
To address what was then an emerging issue, in 1979 the ARRL Board of Directors formed the ARRL Bioeffects Committee. The ARRL Board has since reorganized
this Committee as the ARRL RF Safety Committee. The committee consists of medical and research professionals. All of the current members hold Amateur Radio
licenses.
Over the years, this committee has monitored developments in the medical and Standards communities and offered RF-safety input to the ARRL Board of Directors
and Headquarters staff. Based on information in the Standards and other scientific studies, the committee wrote (and updates) an extensive set of recommendations
that appears in The ARRL Handbook and The ARRL Antenna Book.
[2]
New Standards
In 1991, IEEE published a new Standard, C.95.1-1991. (See the sidebar
"How the IEEE C95.1 Standard Was Developed.")
This Standard decreased the maximum recommended RF exposures and extended the frequency range covered by the original Standard. This set the stage for the
rule changes that currently affect Amateur Radio.
Enter the FCC
On April 8, 1993, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ET Docket 93-62), announcing that it intended to develop a new set of regulations for
all services, based on the C95.1-1991 Standard. ARRL filed comments asking that the Amateur Radio Service exemption continue, relying on the continued
technical expertise and education of amateurs. The Amateur Radio Health Group filed comments requesting that Amateur Radio be included in the new regulations,
citing some instances where amateur installations could exceed the exposure levels in the Standard and noting that not all hams have read the educational
material available on the topic. The FCC took no further action until the US Congress added a mandate to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 for FCC to
complete its work on revisions to the RF-exposure regulations.
It surprised ARRL when the FCC shortcut the process, going from a general proposal for new regulations to completed text in one fell swoop. FCC announced
the new regulations in the 96-326 Report and Order, "Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of Radio-Frequency Radiation."
[3]
The Regulations
First, let's look at the regulations as they stand at press time. (Also, see the sidebar,
"ARRL Petitions the FCC for Change.")
The most important change is that hams must now evaluate their stations for compliance with the FCC's RF-exposure regulations. (We were previously exempt
from the evaluation, not the regulations.) Some hams think that these regulations apply only to hams. That's not true. The regulations have always applied
to a wide range of services.
Most amateur stations already meet the exposure limits described in the regulations, especially considering things like duty cycle and antenna patterns.
Most hams need only understand some new regulations and perform a "routine analysis" of their station operation.
The regulations cover RF exposure, not RF emission. The regulations limit our signal strength in areas where it affects people.
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
The regulations have specific MPE requirements for radiated electric fields, magnetic fields and power density. (See
Table 1.)
MPEs are derived from the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) at which tissue absorbs RF energy, usually expressed in watts per kilogram (W/kg). The FCC MPEs
are not based strictly on IEEE C95.1, but rather on a hybrid between that Standard and one developed by the National Council on Radiation Protection and
Measurements (NCRP),
[4]
a body commissioned to develop recommendations for federal agencies.
From a safe SAR, the Standards and regulations set MPEs that vary with frequency. The most stringent requirements are from 30 to 300 MHz because various
human-body resonances fall in that frequency range.
MPEs assume continuous-duty and operation. The regulations, however, allow us to average the total power over 6 minutes for controlled environments and
30 minutes for uncontrolled environments. This average considers both the duty factor of the operating mode and the actual on and off times over the worst-case
averaging period.
Exposure "Environments"
The regulations define two primary RF-exposure environments: "controlled/occupational" and "uncontrolled/general public." In a "controlled" RF environment
people know that RF is present and can take steps to control their exposure. These are primarily occupational environments, but the FCC includes amateurs
and their immediate households (families). This applies to areas where you control access. The limits for controlled environments are evaluated differently
(less stringent) than those for uncontrolled environments.
"Uncontrolled" RF environments are those open to the general-public, where persons would normally be unaware of exposure to RF energy. This applies to all
property near your station where you don't control public access: sidewalks, roads, neighboring homes and properties that might have some degree of public
access.
The regulations require amateurs to evaluate their stations for both controlled and uncontrolled exposure areas.
Categorical Exclusions
All Amateur Radio stations must comply with the MPE limits, regardless of power, operating mode or station configuration. (Even Ed Hare's 10-mW station
must comply.--Ed.) However, the FCC presumes that certain stations are safe without an evaluation. Those are:
List of 2 items
• Amateur stations using a transmitter power of less than 50 W PEP at the transmitter output terminal.
• Mobile or portable stations using a transmitter with push-to-talk control.
list end
Paperwork
Other than a short certification on Form 610 station applications, the regulations do not normally require hams to file proof of evaluation with the FCC.
The Commission recommends, however, that each amateur keep a record of the station evaluation procedure and its results, in case questions arise.
Examinations
The regulations add five questions on the topic of RF exposure to each Amateur Radio examination for Novice, Technician and General class licenses. The
Question Pool Committee (QPC) is addressing this in the normal cycle of changes to the question pools. The Novice and Technician pools were released on
December 1, 1996. (ARRL has asked the FCC to extend the deadline for the General Class question pool to its normal cycle, December 1, 1997.)
This entire matter has very much been a moving target, with changes forthcoming from every direction. I commend all QPC members, including the ARRL/VEC,
for their diligent work to meet the tight deadlines imposed by these regulations.
Routine Station Evaluation
The regulations require amateur operators, whose stations are not categorically excluded, to perform a routine analysis of compliance with the MPE limits.
The FCC is relying on the demonstrated technical skill of Amateur Radio operators to evaluate their own stations.
The FCC regulations do not require field-strength measurements. Measurements are one way to perform an analysis, but they're very tricky. With calibrated
equipment and skilled measuring techniques, ±2 dB error is pretty good. In untrained hands, errors exceeding 10 dB are likely. A ham who elects to make
measurements will need calibrated equipment (including probes) and knowledge of its use. Many factors can confound measurements in the near field.
Most evaluations will be comparisons against typical charts to be developed by the FCC, relatively straightforward calculations of worst-case scenarios
or computer modeling of near-field signal strength. The FCC encourages flexibility in the analysis, and will accept any technically valid approach. Once
an Amateur Radio operator determines that a station complies, operation may proceed. There's no need for FCC approval before operating.
FCC Office of Engineering and Technology "Bulletin 65"
To help hams perform the routine evaluation, the FCC is revising an existing document: Evaluating Compliance With FCC-Specified Guidelines for Human Exposure
to Radio Frequency Radiation (also known as "OET Bulletin 65.")
At press time, Bulletin 65 is not complete. The ARRL and others have been offering specific comments to the FCC, after reviewing the first draft. There
has been considerable discussion about what the document should contain. So far, all parties agree on two points: The material should be easy to use, and
there should be more than the three pages devoted to Amateur Radio in the draft copy! The ARRL has gathered a group of technically astute volunteers to
help staff and the RF Safety Committee select the most useful course of action. When the document is complete, another article will discuss the details
of Bulletin 65.
Stay Tuned ...
This article accurately presents the best available information as QST goes to the printer. (Every time we got to "where it's at"--it moved.) You can get
frequent updates from
The ARRL Letter,
W1AW bulletins
and our
RF-Safety Resource
page as new information develops. If the FCC grants our several Petitions for Reconsideration, we will have ample time to update ARRL publications and write
additional QST articles to give you the specific information and tools you'll need to comply with the regulations.
Notes
[1] IEEE C95.1-1982 has been superseded by IEEE C95.1-1991. Copies are available from IEEE Sales Office, 445 Hoes Ln, PO Box 1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331;
tel 800-678-4333; fax 908-981-9667; e-mail
customer.service@ieee.org
; Web
http://stdsbbs.ieee.org/faqs/order.html.
[2] ARRL publications are available from your local ARRL dealer or directly from ARRL. Mail orders to Pub Sales Dept, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494.
You can call us toll-free at 888-277-5289; fax your order to 860-594-0303; or send e-mail to
pubsales@arrl.org.
Check out the full
ARRL publications line.
[3] These are available electronically on the FCC's
Office of Engineering and Technology Web page.
Contact the FCC's Int'l Transcription Service 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325; tel 717-337-1433 for paper copies. Note: FCC documents may refer
to ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1991 as C95.1-1992.
[4] NCRP Report No. 86, "Biological Effects and Exposure Criteria for Radio Frequency Electro-magnetic Fields," ISBN 0-913392-80-4. National Council on
Radiation Protection
and Measurements, 7910 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814; tel 301-657-2652, fax 301-907-8768, e-mail
ncrp@ncrp.com
; Web
http://www.ncrp.com/
Table with 7 columns and 13 rows
Table 1--Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) Limits
Controlled Exposure
(6-Minute Average)
Uncontrolled Exposure
(30-Minute Average)
Frequency Range (MHz)
Electric Field Strength (V/m)
Magnetic Field Strength (A/m)
Power Density (mW/cm2)
Electric Field Strength (V/m)
Magnetic Field Strength (A/m)
Power Density (mW/cm2)
0.3-3.0
614
1.63
(100)*
3.0-30
1842/f
4.89/f
(900/f2)*
0.3-1.34
614
1.63
(100)*
1.34-30
824/f
2.19/f
(180/f2)*
30-300
61.4
0.163
1.0
27.5
0.073
0.2
300-1500
--
--
f/300
--
--
f/1500
1,500-100,000
--
--
5
--
--
1.0
f = frequency, in MHz.
* = Plane-wave equivalent power. (This means the equivalent far-field strength that would have the E- or H-field component calculated or measured. It does
not apply well in the near field of an antenna.)
-- = Not specified.
table end
How the IEEE C95.1 Standard Was Developed
I recently attended a one-day seminar conducted by the Chairperson of IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 28, Non-Ionizing Radiation Hazards (SCC-28).
This group has developed a number of IEEE Standards that relate to exposure to electromagnetic fields from 3 kHz to 300 GHz. This seminar educated engineers
about the Standard and its development.
SCC-28 now has about 120 active members. About 200 more follow the Committee's work (including ARRL). SCC-28 is about 70% researchers, with others from
various organizations and industry.
SCC-28 considers a large number of input sources and research papers. It evaluates these against scientific criteria. For example, they exclude papers that
do not include measured RF field levels. The result included about 120 papers.
SCC-28 considered the topics and conclusions in these papers and combined them with the substantial collective knowledge of their learned membership. Finally,
they reached a consensus that a standard for exposure could be set and did so.
An SAR (see the text of this article) of 4 W/kg determines the final Standard. This is the approximate level at which several animal species demonstrate
temporary difficulty in performing complex tasks. (For example, a monkey trained to push a button six times to get a banana decided, when exposed to a
4-W/kg field, that he didn't want a banana. With removal of the field, he soon decided he was hungry, after all). The Committee deems these to be thermal
effects. Human volunteers exposed to such fields usually asked, "Who turned on the sun?" They felt warm.
The Committee applied a safety factor of 10, setting an SAR of 0.4 W/kg for controlled/occupational exposure and an additional safety factor of 5 (SAR =
0.08 W/kg) for uncontrolled exposure. The MPEs in the Standard and regulations account for how much energy the human body absorbs over different frequency
ranges.
Some have suggested that this whole topic is unfounded--there are no adverse effects of RF energy. Several ARRL committees and other technical experts advise
us that these Standards are realistic and we should heed them. I serve on two US standards bodies, and have participated in others. I know how difficult
it is to find common ground in a large group. Given that 120 members of SCC-28 agreed upon this Standard, it is almost certainly based on sound scientific
principles. -- Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Petitions the FCC for Change
No one, including ARRL, had an opportunity to comment on the specific regulations announced by the FCC. The regulations are significantly different from
what the FCC proposed in the original Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The FCC simply did not follow the "rules to make the rules." This lack of due process
forms a significant part of several Petitions for Reconsideration.
There are petitions "on the plate" from industry and the amateur community. When the regulations were first announced, ARRL filed an emergency petition
for relief from an implementation error that required question pools revision well before the effective date of the regulations.
Then our Laboratory staff, RF Safety Committee and outside experts pored over the 180+ page Report and Order (see
note 3).
We found many errors and flaws in the requirements as written.
The 50-W threshold for categorical exclusion is arbitrary: While the MPEs vary with frequency, the 50-W level does not. We ask that the 50-W level be increased
at some frequencies, consistent with the MPEs. Some other services have exclusions when the antenna location is 10 meters from areas of exposure. At HF,
150 W to any antenna would be unconditionally safe when the antenna is 10 meters from areas of exposure--with a significant safety margin. We asked the
FCC to add these criteria to the 50-W criterion already in the regulations.
We did not ask for any change to the 50-W criterion at VHF and higher, because some station and antenna configurations could result in fields that exceed
the MPEs.
We considered higher limits, for HF, with a greater antenna separation. A safety margin similar to that for the 150-W scenario would require a rather great
distance at some frequencies. We backed off this path because it might be misinterpreted. Local officials might assume that the worst-case distance for
such high-power stations should apply to all amateur stations.
Part of the ARRL's petition for reconsideration asks the FCC to preempt local regulation of RF exposure. The congressional mandate to the FCC included the
requirement to develop preemption of local regulation of RF exposure resulting from the operation of radios in the Personal Communications Services (of
which we're not). In order to do so, they needed the federal RF-exposure regulations. The result is that the Amateur Radio Service bears the burden of
these new regulations without the benefits of preemption.
As the FCC and amateur communities wrestled with understanding the requirements and rewriting Bulletin 65, it became apparent that neither the FCC nor the
amateur community could meet the January 1, 1997, implementation date. If the FCC manages to complete Bulletin 65 by the target date of December 1, 1996,
that would give amateurs only four weeks to obtain it, read it, understand it, perform the needed calculations and take steps to correct any problems.
For example, if a ham wants to move a tower, it could require zoning approval and other paperwork. In some areas of the country, winter would prevent completion.
At their October meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors voted to ask the FCC to extend the implementation date by one year. The ARRL then joined the growing
number of organizations and individuals seeking relief from the short deadlines for these regulations. At press time, there has been no decision on any
of the petitions for reconsideration before the FCC (although this may have all been decided by the time you read this). -- Ed Hare, W1RFI
FCC Issues Two Citations in Longstanding Power Line Noise Case
a_sm
Doug Hutton, W5JUV, verifies the noise source at the east entrance to an alley between 68th and 69th Streets in Lubbock, Texas.
b_sm
The noise source, identified by Hutton to be from an LP&L pole, is directly behind the home of Bryan Edwards, W5KFT.
c_sm
ARRL RFI Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, locates another noise source at 6508 Oxford on a pole maintained by Xcel. This noise source had a noise signature that
clearly matched a component of the interference at Edwards' home.
d_sm
By using the ultrasonic pinpointer, Gruber was able to determine that the actual source of the noise emanating from the pole at 6508 Oxford was in the vicinity
of the fuse hardware shown by the arrow.
e_sm
This pole, maintained by LP&L, just two streets away from Edwards' home, is a significant source of harmful interference coming from this general area,
according to Gruber. This source also has a signature that clearly matched a component of the interference from Edwards' home. The actual source of the
noise is in the area of the insulator on the left side (field phase) of the cross arm. An adjacent property owner reports she is unable to listen to radio
broadcasts as a result of interference.
f_sm
This photo of an LP&L pole shows a general lack of maintenance and upkeep. Gruber said it was "typical of several" seen during his investigation. This pole
is within about .05 miles of Edwards' home.
g_sm
Taken only three months after Gruber's investigation, this LP&L pole shows vegetation growing across the top arm.
The Federal Communication Commission's Dallas Field Office issued Citations on July 25 to two utilities in a longstanding power line noise case in Lubbock,
Texas. Bryan Edwards, W5KFT, of Lubbock, first reported the interference concerning the two involved utilities, Lubbock Power & Light (
LP&L)
and
Xcel Energy,
as early as 1994. The record shows that the FCC Dallas Field Office clarified the FCC rules with regard to power line noise for LP&L as early as 1998, and
issued three letters to LP&L in 2003 and 2004. Xcel Energy was first issued an FCC letter in 2004.
Mike Gruber, W1MG, of the ARRL's RFI Desk, took the opportunity to visit the site while visiting Lubbock on vacation in September 2005. His findings and
subsequent report
concluded there was a severe and widespread power line noise problem in the area; the FCC conducted a field investigation later that same month. Despite
repeated complaints to the City of Lubbock, the utility companies and the FCC, the problem continued with little or no action from either utility. Robert
Darling of the FCC conducted a second field investigation in late May of this year.
Edwards said dealing with LP&L and Xcel is like "night and day. Xcel has been most cooperative and most helpful. Every time I have called, they have responded
with an engineer or a service team to check out and try to resolve some of the problems. All my dealings with LP&L have, from the very beginning, been
almost adversarial."
Edwards said in the past 15 years, he has dealt with "three mayors, three city managers, two city attorneys and four heads of Lubbock Power & Light, as
well as other LP&L employees too numerous to even think about mentioning. I have literally thousands of pages of paperwork, many times that more in promises,
attended numerous meetings and it all has resulted in zero results. That's why I finally went to the FCC," regarding the power line noise.
According to Gruber, power line noise continues to be the single most reported noise source to the ARRL. "Some cases have dragged on for more than a decade
with little or no resolution, and FCC enforcement is crucial in these cases," he said.
Only
one other case,
in Lakeland, Florida, had resulted in a Citation from the FCC before the Lubbock cases. Although the Florida Citation was issued on May 16, 2006, the noise
remains ongoing, according to J. C. Flynn, W4FGC, the complainant in the case.
Florida
In the Florida case,
Lakeland Electric
was notified via the Citation that they were in violation of Section 15.5 of the FCC's Rules regarding the general conditions for operating incidental radiators.
According to the Citation, "On March 28, 2006, two agents from the Commission's Tampa Office of the Enforcement Bureau were dispatched in regards to a
complaint of interference to amateur radio frequencies in Lakeland, Florida. The Agents identified Lakeland Electric's utility poles number LE106273, LE106272
and LE106268 which were acting as incidental radiation devices [
47 CFR § 15.3(n)],
emitting radio frequency energy to the extent that it caused harmful interference to an authorized radio service."
The Citation warned Lakeland Electric that they were "hereby notified that operation of these utility poles was causing interference to a licensed service,
such that the service was seriously degraded, in violation of
Section 15.5(b)
of the Rules," and that they could request an interview at the closest FCC office, which is in Tampa. "Lakeland Electric may also submit a written statement
to the above address within 14 days of the date of this Citation. Any written statements should specify what actions have been taken to correct the violation
outlined above," the Citation said, and that violations "of the Act or the Rules may subject the violator to substantial monetary forfeitures."
Lubbock
The Citations to the Lubbock utilities went a few steps further. They said that due to an investigation conducted by the FCC's Dallas office on May 22-25,
2007, they found that both LP&L and Xcel "caused harmful interference to the reception of amateur communications to amateur licensee W5KFT in Lubbock,
Texas," and that "Section 15.209 sets the general radiated emission limits for intentional radiators. The limit for the band 30 to 88 MHz is 100 micro-volts
per meter measured at 3 meters [
47 CFR § 15.209].
The attached list of strong electrical arcing points appears to exceed the value allowed even for intentional radiators." The list, attached to each Citation,
included 44 separate "strong electrical arcing points" that were found near Edwards' home.
The FCC directed both LP&L and Xcel, pursuant to the Commission's Rules, to provide documents and information within 10 days of their respective Citations.
"Because the source of harmful interference is emanating from more than one power company and past attempts have not resolved the problem, you must submit
a written plan describing the planned resolution of this case," including LP&L's coordination with Xcel Energy, and Xcel's coordination with LP&L, according
to the Citations.
Also, each company is "directed to provide a report every sixty (60) days, of work completed to resolve the interference until your distribution system
is in compliance."
Each Lubbock utility was warned that "[v]iolations of the Act or the Commission's Rules may subject the violator to substantial monetary forfeitures, [47
CFR § 1.80(b)(3)] seizure of equipment through in rem forfeiture action, and criminal sanctions, including imprisonment [47 USC §§
401,
501,
503,
510]."
In rem is a civil forfeiture proceeding as opposed to a criminal forfeiture proceeding.
As in the Florida case, both LP&L and Xcel were told they could request an interview with the FCC, which must take place with 14 days of the Citation. They
were also told they could submit a written statement within 14 days that would "specify what actions have been taken to correct the violations outlined
above."
LP&L and Xcel Respond to FCC
In its undated
Response
to the FCC's Citation, LP&L stated that it "does not admit to and specifically denies any violation of the [Communications] Act [of 1934] or any rule pertaining
thereto," but "in order to comply with the...Citation, the City of Lubbock files this response."
The Response, signed by the City of Lubbock's City Attorney, clarifies that LP&L is Lubbock's municipally owned electric utility, while Xcel is an investor-owned
utility: "Over ninety (90%) of Lubbock Power & Light's service territory is in direct competition with Xcel Energy. Furthermore, each electric utility
operates and maintains its own distinct transmission and distribution system."
The Response said that "representatives from the City of Lubbock and Lubbock Power & Light corrected some areas that were causing a noticeable level of
radio interference during this investigation, including but not limited to an area identified at the intersection of 66th Street and Memphis Avenue," two
blocks from Edwards' home. "At this meeting general parameters regarding procedures that will be followed in investigating and resolving harmful interference
to the reception of amateur communications (hereinafter referred to as 'RFI issues') including those alleged to interfere with amateur licensee W5KFT were
discussed and agreed upon."
As a result of the Citations issued by the FCC, LP&L's Response stated that representatives from "Lubbock Power & Light met with Paul Leonard, P.E., Area
Engineer with Xcel Energy to discuss the alleged findings regarding harmful interference to the reception of amateur communications by amateur licensee
W5KFT in Lubbock, Texas."
At this meeting, both LP&L and Xcel developed a
flow chart
that "clearly outlines the steps to be followed by both electric utilities in the investigation and resolving of RFI issues. The flow chart also outlines
the steps to be followed in coordinating efforts in the event it is determined that both LP&L and Xcel Energy have RFI issues at a given location. The
flow chart also gives the steps in the follow-up and documentation of the efforts being made by each electric utility in trying to arrive at the solution(s)
of the alleged RFI issues," and "The information gathered in following the procedures outlined in [the flow chart] will form the basis of information presented
in reports to the Federal Communications Commission in the future including any reports made in compliance to the above referenced Citation."
In the Response, the City of Lubbock agreed to "attempt to coordinate efforts with Xcel Energy in resolving harmful interference to the reception of amateur
communications including those alleged to interfere with amateur licensee W5KFT, and where applicable, doing follow-ups with complainants to evaluate the
effectiveness of the efforts being made to resolve RFI issues."
Xcel's
Response,
submitted via their attorney, pointed out that the Citation acknowledges "that the source of harmful interference to amateur licensee W5KFT is emanating
from more than one power company." Xcel also alleges that it "has been working with amateur W5KFT for a number of years in an effort to identify the source
of, and a possible resolution for, the harmful interference he is experiencing. Xcel Energy has a good working relationship with the licensee and has coordinated
with him on numerous occasions in attempting to resolve his interference problems."
In addition to Xcel's claims of working with Edwards, they also note in their Response "that it has worked with technical representatives of the American
Radio Relay League...and has brought in a technician...with significant experience in radiofrequency interference ('RFI') who concluded that the likely
cause of the interference is a source other than the electric power system."
Xcel said the flow chart that was developed between LP&L and Xcel "is intended to memorialize the plan to be followed by the companies on the flow of information
and division of responsibilities for corrective action."
In their Response, Xcel promised "to continue to search for any problems with its electrical system that could be the cause of RFI to amateur licensee W5KFT.
To this end, Xcel Energy has developed a more formalized agreement with Lubbock Power & Light on responding to interference complaints, including the ongoing
assessment of RFI to W5KFT," and "the two utility companies have been working cooperatively to investigate and, to the extent possible, resolve RFI issues
with their respective power systems, and have a renewed commitment to do so in an efficient and timely manner."
Xcel goes on to assure the FCC that it will "retain an outside technical consultant to provide an unbiased assessment of whether the harmful interference
to W5KFT is attributable to Xcel Energy's power system and if so, what corrective measures would be required."
Edwards reported that on Thursday, August 30, he received a phone call from Paul Leonard, head of Xcel Energy in West Texas. Edwards said he was told that
Xcel has contracted with Mike Martin, K3RFI, to come out to Lubbock in October to work on the line noise. "Leonard said they tried to get LP&L to participate
with them and Mike, but they refused to do so," Edwards said.
Martin owns and operates RFI Services, a firm dedicated exclusively to RFI locating and training. He has been locating interference sources for more than
25 years, solving an average of 500 complaints a year, according to the ARRL Lab. Martin has also given power line interference workshops at ARRL Headquarters.
ARRL RFI Engineers Respond
Gruber reacted positively to the Citations: "I am encouraged by the depth and extent of the Lubbock citations. The two involved utilities are both being
directed to provide written plans for resolution, including coordination with each other. Perhaps more importantly, they are being required to provide
a written report every 60 days that describes work completed. It appears the FCC is serious about bringing closure to this matter. The laundry list of
44 'strong electrical arcing points noted near Amateur licensee's residence' suggests the FCC conducted a very thorough investigation in this matter. This
could have been easily avoided had the involved utilities properly addressed this issue years ago."
Gruber continued: "I can appreciate the effort Xcel Energy made to resolve this problem. They made a lot more of an effort than LP&L did, including blinking
a part of their system, pulling power meters and bringing an RFI investigator from Denver. Their RFI investigators, however, lacked proper equipment and
training."
ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said, "I am pleased to see the FCC taking a strong enforcement step in this case. It has gone on for a long time, and this
Citation should serve to finally get things resolved. It is unfortunate that some of the power line cases the ARRL is handling can't be resolved without
the FCC taking formal action, but I expect that electric utilities across the country will now take notice of this case. Every opportunity -- and then
some -- was given to both utilities to resolve this without FCC help, but as can be seen in the Responses the utilities just sent to the FCC, some of the
finger pointing that led to this Citation still continues."
Hare also notes that the FCC identified 44 separate noise sources near the complainant. "This shows that it is in utility companies' best interests to resolve
interference complaints in a reasonable and timely fashion. In this case, the FCC indicated that the entire system appears to be noisy, with noise levels
above the FCC limits for intentional unlicensed transmitters. What could have been addressed by correcting a handful of noise sources now has the FCC looking
at the entire system. This is an example of how utilities should not respond to customer complaints about radio and television interference."
Most power line noise sources in fact can be located quickly and economically, Gruber said; many utilities in fact handle power line noise complaints as
a matter of routine maintenance. "All it takes is a properly trained RFI investigator with modern noise locating equipment. By using noise signature techniques,
the utilities would have had only to address those sources actually contributing to the problem. Now they are given a citation with a laundry list of 44
problem areas, something that could have easily been avoided. The message to utilities here is clear. Don't ignore power line noise complaints! Don't make
the FCC get involved!"
All photos courtesy of the ARRL Lab.
FLORIDA MAN IMPRISONED, FINED FOR DELIBERATE INTERFERENCE
Florida Citizens Band enthusiast William "Rabbit Ears" Flippo will spend a
total of 15 months in federal prison--including two months already
served--and pay a $25,000 fine for jamming Amateur Radio communications
and transmitting without a license. He'll also spend a year on supervised
probation following his release, during which he cannot own radio gear or
firearms. Flippo was convicted in federal court earlier this year on eight
misdemeanor counts. The sentence is believed to be a record for
convictions of this type.
"It's sent a shock wave across the Amateur Radio and CB communities in
South Florida," said Ed Petzolt, K1LNC, who was among the amateurs
targeted by Flippo and who testified at his trial. "The CB guys are
running for cover. You can buy an illegal CB amplifier pretty cheap right
now," he quipped. Hams were surprised by the severity of the sentence.
Federal District Court Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley imposed the sentence
August 29 on Flippo, of Jupiter. He had been found guilty June 19 of four
counts of operating without a license and four counts of deliberate and
malicious interference. Flippo has remained in custody since the guilty
verdict and underwent a psychiatric evaluation prior to sentencing. The
judge also said he wants a full financial disclosure from Flippo, who may
face other legal actions unrelated to his radio operation convictions.
At the sentencing, Flippo reportedly wept, said he'd turned over a new
leaf and claimed he was sole support for his wife and two daughters. None
of his family members was in the courtroom for the sentencing, however.
The judge was not persuaded, telling Flippo, 60, that he was old enough to
have considered the consequences of his actions. Hurley also alleged
numerous incidents of perjury during the course of Flippo's testimony
during his June trial, which ran six-and-one-half days. The jury took
about a half hour to determine that he was guilty on all counts.
According to trial testimony, Flippo primarily had targeted members of the
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group for jamming and regularly interfered with
amateur operations, especially on 10 and 2 meters, over an approximately
three-year period. Following up on the amateurs' complaints, personnel
from the FCC's Tampa District Office visited the Jupiter area at least
twice in 1999 and reported tracking the offending signals to Flippo's
residence.
Flippo had faced a maximum of eight years in prison--one year on each
count--and up to $80,000 in fines. Available opinions were mixed on
whether the sentence Hurley imposed was appropriate. Petzolt, who assisted
the FCC in gathering evidence and, at one point, had his car rammed by
Flippo's vehicle, said he felt Flippo should have received at least three
years.
"I thought it was a slap on the wrist," said Petzolt, the 1999 ARRL
International Humanitarian Award winner who also testified at the trial.
John Criteser Jr, KC4JLY, agreed. "I think he should have gotten more--at
least five years," Criteser said outside the courthouse. Other amateurs
who attended the sentencing session, including Jupiter-Tequesta club
member Bert Moreschi, AG4BV, were satisfied with the penalty, however.
Last year, Flippo was convicted in state court of criminal mischief--also
a misdemeanor--after ramming Petzolt's vehicle. He was sentenced to a
year's probation and ordered him to dispose of his radio equipment. A ban
on possessing radio gear also was a condition of his federal bond, which
Hurley revoked during the trial.
Federal authorities arrested Flippo in July 2000. The criminal charges of
which he now stands convicted covered violations allegedly committed
between June 1999 and April of 2000. The defendant already faces a $20,000
fine levied in 1999 for unlicensed operation, willful and malicious
interference to Amateur Radio communications, and failure to let the FCC
inspect his radio equipment.
Hurley ordered Flippo immediately back into custody to start serving his
sentence. Flippo reportedly was led into and out of the courtroom in
shackles and leg irons.
==>POP STAR LANCE BASS PASSES TECHNICIAN TEST AS PART OF HIS QUEST FOR
SPACE
Lance Bass of the pop singing group 'N Sync is still hoping to travel to
the International Space Station in late October through Russia's "space
tourist" program. Bass passed his Technician license examination August 30
at an ARRL-VEC test session, and, if all arrangements can be worked out,
ham radio could be a part of his space visit. He has not yet been issued a
call sign.
In the US this week for training with NASA, Bass worked with the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) volunteer team, which
included Nick Lance, KC5KBO, ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and
Carolynn Conley, KD5JSO--the Amateur Radio integration manager at the
Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
"I will be staying in contact the whole time I'm up there," Bass said
during a NASA-hosted Web chat with students across the US August 29. "I'm
getting my ham license this week--that's one of my goals this week--so I
can talk to different schools around the world via ham radio. That'll be a
lot of fun." An audience of youngsters ranging in age from 9 to 12 from
Pearl Hall Elementary School, Pasadena, Texas, also joined Bass in the
Johnson Space Center studio to ask questions face-to-face.
Bauer said Bass knows the rules and regulations and that the ARISS team
also supplied training on the ARISS hardware and operations from space.
"We gave him some sessions where he could listen to typical QSOs on orbit
and school group contacts from the ground; he is now well versed on what
to expect." Bass also received training with the ham radio hardware during
his Russian training stay.
At this point, however, nothing is finalized to ensure that Bass will get
on the air from the NA1SS/RS0ISS ham station on the ISS. Daily discussions
continue between members of the ARISS team and Celebrity Mission LLC--the
group handling Bass's affairs. If all goes well, the stage may be set for
Bass to communicate with the Amateur Radio community from space this fall.
Bass would be part of a three-person Soyuz "taxi crew" that will blast off
from Kazakhstan on October 28.
At 23, Bass would be the youngest person ever to travel into space. A
remaining potential roadblock still appears to be completion of financial
arrangements with Russia, which has claimed that it had not received a
promised payment from Bass's organization. At one point, Russia even
halted Bass's training, but he was subsequently permitted to resume. The
round-trip ticket price has been generally estimated to be in the vicinity
of $20 million, but all sides are keeping mum about the exact cost.
For more information about the International Space Station, the Expedition
5 crew and the taxi crew of which Bass will be a member, visit the NASA
Human Spaceflight Web site <
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov>.
From Father to Son
By Tom Miller, W1PDI
April 15, 2004
A father helps a son develop an interest in Amateur Radio, first in the 1960s and again in 2002, after becoming a silent key.
Miller_kid
The author in 1967, copying Morse out of his Dad's Heathkit HR-20. The rest of the station consisted of a DX-40 transmitter, an AM-2 SWR bridge and an SB-600
speaker. [Photos courtesy of Tom Miller, W1PDI]
If I was a little older at the time, I might have guessed what my dad was up to. The signs were there: a Knight-Kit Span Master shortwave radio for Christmas
in 1962, followed by a pair of Knight-Kit walkie talkies the following year and a CB radio--yes, another Knight-Kit--as a Christmas gift in 1964. To this
day I can still remember my CB call sign, KKB1757.
It was early in 1966 that my dad had something else to share with me--a Morse code practice oscillator he had built. That's when things started to become
a little clearer and make sense. He suggested that if I learned both the code and some basic technical information that I could take a test to move up
from my CB radio status to obtaining a ham "ticket," just like he had.
Growing up, I can remember all kinds of radio equipment around the house. My dad's ham gear was set up in an attic loft, along with many years' worth of
QST magazines neatly organized by year. And how could I forget his framed Amateur Radio license, which he'd had as long as I could remember?
I studied the ARRL How to Become a Radio Amateur handbook, learned the required 5 WPM code requirement, took my test and received my Novice license, WN1GLS,
in the spring of 1966. Even before my license arrived, Dad excitedly began to assemble and set up the necessary Novice equipment in my bedroom. It included
his Heathkit HR-20 receiver, a DX-40 transmitter that he brought home from work one day and a matching Heathkit AM-2 SWR bridge. We re-routed the Lattin
Radio Labs 5-band dipole lead into my "shack" and now I was ready to operate. All I needed was my license.
Two Hams for the Price of One
For me, one of the great byproducts of becoming a ham was that it renewed my father's interest in the hobby. My dad, who was a long time engineer at radio
station WELI in Hamden, Connecticut, even started a local ham radio club that was sponsored by the station and he was trustee of the club's license, WA1HRC.
Miller_dad
John Miller, W1PDI (SK), at his operating position in 1984, with a Kenwood TS-520SE transceiver and some homebrew RTTY gear.
During the next few years we held our club meetings in the radio station's remote building, where the emergency on-air studio was housed. It was there that
we built and operated our club station of Heathkit equipment. I recall how we built other equipment, including a 15 meter Yagi one Saturday at the radio
station after my dad convinced the broadcast station to purchase and erect a 50-foot crank-up tower. We participated in several Field Day adventures and
even made a few trips to ARRL Headquarters.
My interest in Amateur Radio faded when I went to college in 1972 and my dad lost interest soon thereafter. He soon left his position with the radio station
to start a two-way radio sales and service company that eventually led to a very successful commercial mobile/cellular telephone business.
In 1981 I returned to the air and was active for a few years, and again this renewed my father's interest in returning to the hobby. As a birthday gift
in 1982, I presented him with the exact same equipment I was using at the time: a Kenwood TS-520SE transceiver and matching AT200 antenna tuner.
By 1983 my level of activity waned once again and I sold my equipment. My father kept his gear and was active until around 1988. During his "active" period
I helped him put up a 160-meter long wire. Dad constructed some RTTY equipment and wrote an article about the experience that appeared in the June 1985
issue of 73 magazine.
QST--Calling All Amateurs
After my dad retired and he and Mom moved to Sarasota, Florida in 1991, I always assumed that he sold his equipment, among other things, prior to the move.
My father passed away in August 2002. Shortly after, I made it a point to notify the ARRL and requested that he be remembered among other silent keys in
QST.
Two generations of W1PDI
Also included with the equipment my dad kept were a dozen or so old QSTs from the 1950s and '60s. [
Full Story]
Later that year I received in the mail the December 2002 issue of QST, which surprised me because I hadn't been a member of the ARRL in well over 30 years
and I hadn't seen a copy of QST since the early 1980s. But in that issue my father's listing appeared in the silent keys column. To this day I am not sure
who sent me that issue of QST.
For several weeks I found myself going through that issue of QST over and over again, looking at the advertisements, reading articles and trying to understand
some of the unfamiliar terms that were nonexistent 20 years earlier. All the while I asked myself, "Why was it that I hadn't thought about getting back
into the hobby again? If I had done so earlier, maybe I could have renewed my father's interest for a third time." We could have scheduled contacts and
my children would have loved the opportunity of "getting on the radio" with their grandfather.
In early December 2002 my mom came to stay with us for a few weeks. One day she noticed the issue of QST that I had been thumbing through and said something
to me that seemed to make time stand still. She said that my father had kept a lot of his ham equipment and asked if I wanted what he saved. When I asked
why he kept the equipment, her reply was simply, "He wanted you to have all of it because he had hoped someday you would become interested in ham radio
again."
Because of that December 2002 issue of QST, my interest in returning to the air was already there. But now, learning that I had access to some equipment
and that it was kept with the hope that I might someday want to return to the hobby, well, the timing was right. Arrangements were made to have the equipment
shipped to me in January 2003 and I was back on the air by early February.
Miller_NoviceRigs
Tom Miller's Novice station looks as sharp today as it did back in the 1960s.
The Final Courtesy
Not only did my father keep the Kenwood equipment I had given him as a birthday gift 20 years earlier, but to my surprise the packages of equipment that
arrived that day included more than I ever could have imagined.
That shipment also included nearly all of the original equipment that my dad had set up for me when I first received my Novice ticket: the Heathkit HR-20
receiver, my DX-40 transmitter, matching SWR bridge, my first code key--with his call sign and mine still on the mounting board--and even the SB-600 Heathkit
speaker that I bought while still a novice. Also included were QSL cards my dad received over the years, all of his logbooks, his original Vibroplex bug
from 1947 and a handful of his own original QSL cards from 1946. What a treasure.
Life is full of odd circumstances. If it were not for the unexpected December 2002 QST showing up in the mail, plus the fact that unknown to me Dad had
kept his ham equipment, I seriously doubt that I would be back on the air today enjoying Amateur Radio like it was 1966 all over again. Well, maybe not
exactly like 1966, since Amateur Radio certainly has changed since then.
As a way to remember my dad, in April 2003 I applied for and was granted the amateur call he held from 1946 to 2002, W1PDI. I just had to keep my dad's
call sign in the family. It's good to be back in ham radio, but I just wish I had the chance to once again renew my dad's interest in the hobby that he
first introduced to me nearly 40 years ago.
Tom Miller, W1PDI, was first licensed in 1966 as WN1GLS, and upgraded to General a year later at the age of 13 with WA1GLS. He continues to operate the
equipment he inherited from his father and is very active on a number of nets, including the 3905 Century Club and OMISS. He enjoys contesting, QSO parties
and paper chasing. Miller's other interests include spending time with his children, sports car racing and baseball. He lives in Bay Village, Ohio, and
can be reached via e-mail at
w1pdi@arrl.nett.
FCC GOES AFTER ALLEGED 10-METER SCOFFLAWS
The FCC is working on at least two fronts to eliminate unlicensed
operation from the 10-meter band. In January, FCC Special Counsel Riley
Hollingsworth sent warning notices to two shipping companies regarding
reports to the Commission that some of the companies' vehicles may be the
source of illegal radio transmissions on the amateur band. One of the
companies, UPS, has offered its full cooperation.
"Many truckers use CB radio, which does not require a license,"
Hollingsworth pointed out in letters to UPS offices in Ohio and Indiana
and to R&L Transfer Inc of Ohio. "However, any person using a radio
transmitter on the Amateur Radio bands must possess a station and operator
license." Hollingsworth asked the over-the-road shippers to advise their
drivers that such radio operation could subject them to heavy fines and
seizure of their radio equipment.
UPS Attorney Daniel N. Tenfelde responded to assure Hollingsworth that his
company was taking its Warning Notice seriously and has launched a full
investigation. "We discovered that some employees had obtained CB radios
that contained a mechanism allowing them to switch frequencies into the
10-meter Amateur Radio band," he told Hollingsworth in a January 28
letter. "It is not UPS policy to allow equipment such as this to be used
in our vehicles." He said UPS' contract with the Teamsters Union allows
only for CB radios.
Tenfelde said UPS is working with its transportation and labor groups to
let drivers know that such unlicensed operation violates both UPS policy
and FCC regulations.
In a parallel development, the FCC issued a Citation to Jonathan Edward
Stone, doing business as Omnitronics/Pacetronics for alleged violation of
§302(b) of the Communications Act and §2.803(a)(1) of the Commission's
rules. An investigation by the FCC's Dallas field office led the
Commission to allege that Omnitronics/Pacetronics was offering more than
two dozen uncertificated "Citizens Band" transceivers via its Web site.
The FCC says Omnitronics/Pacetronics was marketing the units as Amateur
Radio equipment, which does not require FCC certification (formerly known
as "type acceptance").
"The Commission has evaluated radio frequency devices similar to those
listed and concluded that the devices at issue are not only amateur radios
but can easily be altered for use as Citizens Band devices as well," said
the FCC Citation from FCC Dallas District Director James D. Wells. The FCC
said it concluded that the devices fall within the definition of CB
transmitters that "cannot legally be imported or marketed in the United
States." That would include so-called "export" models, the Citation said,
pointing to a 2000 revision of §2.1204(a)(5) of its rules.
Citing §95.655(a) of the FCC's rules, Wells noted that "dual-use CB and
Amateur Radio of the kind at issue here may not be certificated under the
Commission's rules." The clarification was added to Part 95--which governs
the Citizens Band--"to explicitly foreclose the possibility of
certification of dual-use CB and amateur radios and thereby deter use by
CB operators of frequencies allocated for Amateur Radio use," he said.
The FCC Citation also warned Unitronics/Pacetronics regarding the
requirement of FCC certification of external RF amplifiers or amplifier
kits capable of operating below 144 MHz as well as the prohibition against
marketing RF amplifiers or amplifier kits capable of operating between 24
and 35 MHz.
FCC TURNS DOWN CB DX PETITION
The FCC has denied a petition that would have amended the FCC's Part 95 rules to permit DXing on the 11-meter Citizens Band. The petition sought to amend
§95.413 of the rules that prohibits communications or attempts to communicate with CB stations more than 250 km away and to contact stations in other countries.
Designated RM-9807, the petition was filed by Popular Communications Contributing Editor Alan Dixon, N3HOE.
"Dixon's request is inconsistent with the purpose of the CB Radio Service and could fundamentally alter the nature of the service," the FCC said in turning
town the petition.
The FCC action was adopted August 18. The Order was released August 21.
The FCC said CB operators generally supported the proposal and stated that the present rule was unenforceable. The ARRL commented in opposition to the petition.
"The Amateur Radio Service is the proper forum for the desired long-distance communications sought by the Dixon petition," the League told the FCC.
The National Association of Broadcasters also opposed Dixon's petition. The NAB said that the restriction was necessary to deter CBers from operating at
excessive power levels and that consumers must be protected from illegal CB transmissions that interfere with radio, TV and other consumer electronics.
The FCC agreed with the ARRL and said it did not intend to create a service paralleling the Amateur Service when it authorized the Citizens Radio Service.
"Amending the rules to permit long-distance and international communications would undermine the purpose of the CB Radio Service rules and compromise one
of the core distinctions between the CB Radio Service and the Amateur Radio Service," the FCC concluded.
CALIFORNIA PRB-1 BILL HEADED FOR GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
California's PRB-1 bill, SB-1714, has passed both houses of that state's legislature. The measure now goes to Gov Gray Davis for his signature.
SB-1714 cleared the California Assembly on August 18 and the California Senate on August 22, when the upper chamber agreed to several amendments. The Senate
initially had approved the bill three months ago. The bill won final Senate passage on a 39 to 0 roll call vote, with 1 abstention.
Amateur Radio operators in California are being urged to write the governor to encourage him to sign the measure into law. Davis has until September 30
to sign the bill. SB-1714 would incorporate the essence of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1 into California law.
SB-1714 would require any ordinance that regulates Amateur Radio antenna structures to "reasonably accommodate amateur radio service communications" and
"constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the city or county."
Unlike
PRB-1 bills in other states,
the current California measure carries a price tag of between $70,000 and $100,000 to fund studies and a model ordinance that the lawmakers required. As
approved, the bill, requires the legislature's Office of Planning and Research to prepare and publish a technical assistance bulletin for local officials
to use in drafting amateur antenna ordinances. It also requires the planning and research office to prepare and publish a model antenna ordinance that
municipalities could adopt. For both endeavors, the bill specifies that the Director of the Office of Planning and Research consult with the ARRL and the
FCC, among other organizations and individuals. SB-1714 also requires a report to the legislature and the governor on any recommendations for changes to
state law regarding state or local regulation of Amateur Radio antennas.
The three steps are to be completed by next July 1.
In his
Pacific Division Update
newsletter, ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell, W6CF, notes that Gov Davis "pays close attention to the cost of legislation." He said amateurs will
need to work hard to "convince the Governor that it is in the best interests of the citizens of California for him to sign SB-1714."
Letters to Gov Davis may be sent
via e-mail
; fax to 916-445-4633, or via the US Postal Service to Gov Gray Davis, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Details on the bill itself can be found
on the Web.
Click on "Bill Information," enter "SB-1714" in the "Bill number" search field, and click "Search."
FCC DOCKS TRAVEL CENTER FOR MARKETING NON-CERTIFIED CBs AS AMATEUR GEAR
The FCC has fined Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, $25,000 for violating the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,
by offering for sale non-certified Citizens Band (CB) transceivers. The
Forfeiture Order (NoF)
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1936A1.pdf>
released September 29 recounts a history of alleged violations dating back
to 2001, when the Commission issued the first of seven citations to Love's
for marketing non-certified CB transceivers. All CB transmitting equipment
must first receive FCC certification before it can be marketed or sold in
the US.
"Based on the evidence before us, we find that Love's willfully and
repeatedly violated Section 302(b) of the Act and Section 2.803(a) of the
rules by offering for sale non-certified CB transmitters on three instances
-- two on February 23, 2005, and one on February 25, 2005," said the NoF,
signed by the FCC Enforcement Bureau's South Central Region Director Dennis
P. Carlton. The FCC said that between March 2004 and January 2005,
Enforcement Bureau field agents, following up on complaints, visited 10
Love's retail outlets in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and California. "At these
locations, the stores displayed and offered for sale various models of
non-certified CB transceivers marketed as ARS [Amateur Radio Service]
transmitters," the FCC NoF noted.
According to the NoF, Love's attorney had argued that because the radios in
question were marketed as Amateur Radio equipment and "as sold" operate only
on the amateur bands, the transceivers fell under the FCC's Part 97 Amateur
Radio Service rules. The FCC pointed out, however, that its Office of
Engineering and Technology (OET) had specifically tested the two Galaxy
models in question (DX99V and DX33HML) and found both to be "dual-use"
Amateur Radio and CB transmitters.
"Each of the models could be modified to allow transmit capabilities on CB
frequencies," the FCC said in the NoF. In 1999, the OET clarified that ARS
transceivers that have "a built-in capability to operate on CB frequencies
and can easily be altered to activate that capability, such as by moving or
removing a jumper plug or cutting a single wire" fall under the FCC's
definition of a CB transmitter.
"We conclude that seven citations were more than sufficient to provide
Love's actual notice that marketing this equipment is unlawful and that
continued violations could make Love's liable for severe sanctions," the FCC
said.
The Love's case was reminiscent of other FCC enforcement proceedings
alleging marketing of uncertified CB transceivers labeled as Amateur Radio
gear, including one against Pilot Travel Centers LLC that could have cost
the company $125,000 in fines. That case ended last May with a consent
decree. While Pilot agreed to make "a voluntary contribution" of $90,000 to
the US Treasury "without further protest or recourse," it did not admit to
any wrongdoing.
In June, the FCC affirmed a $7000 fine on TravelCenters of America in
Troutdale, Oregon, for marketing uncertified CB transceivers as 10-meter
Amateur Radio transceivers. The FCC turned away TravelCenters' argument that
the transceivers in question were not CB transceivers, which require FCC
certification, but Amateur Radio transceivers, which do not.
FCC AFFIRMS FINE FOR MARKETING NON-CERTIFICATED CBs AS HAM TRANSCEIVERS
The FCC has affirmed a $7000 fine it proposed to levy on TravelCenters of
America in Troutdale, Oregon, for marketing uncertificated Citizens Band
(CB) transceivers as 10-meter Amateur Radio transceivers. In a Forfeiture
Order (NoF) released June 29
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1334A1.pdf>,
the
FCC turned away TravelCenters' argument that the transceivers in question
were not CB transceivers, which require FCC certification, but Amateur Radio
transceivers, which do not. The Commission says its Office of Engineering
and Technology (OET) determined that the radios in question -- manufactured
by Galaxy -- could be easily modified to operate on CB channels.
"TravelCenters provides no evidence to show that the Galaxy models it
offered for sale were not easily modified," the FCC said in its NoF.
"Therefore, we find that the subject Galaxy models were CB transmitters
pursuant to Section 95.603(c), regardless of the signs TravelCenters placed
near the point of purchase." The signs advised that the units were Amateur
Radio transceivers, not CB radios, and a license was required.
In May, an FCC Order concluded a similar case in which the Commission had
imposed $125,000 in fines on Pilot Travel Centers LLC for continuing to
market CB transceivers labeled as Amateur Radio gear but intended for use on
both CB and amateur frequencies. Under the terms of a consent decree, Pilot
agreed to make "a voluntary contribution" of $90,000 to the US Treasury
"without further protest or recourse," but did not admit to any wrongdoing.
Pilot further agreed to refrain from marketing as "Amateur Radio" gear any
transmitting devices with built-in features to facilitate CB operation.
The FCC required Pilot to remove from sale Galaxy transceiver models
DX33HML, DX66V and DX99V. Those units also were among the radios the FCC
cited in the TravelCenters proceeding. Some of the Galaxy transceivers at
issue in the TravelCenters' case have only CB-like channel knobs and
indicators for tuning, although the more expensive models sport a digital
frequency readout. Most of the units transmit only in AM and FM mode.
In affirming the $7000 fine, the FCC cited a 1999 letter from the FCC's
Office of General Counsel (OGC) on the importation and marketing of ham
radio transceivers. The OGC's letter clarified that transmitters having "a
built-in capacity to operate on CB frequencies and can easily be altered to
activate that capacity, such as by moving or removing a jumper plug or
cutting a single wire" fall within the definition of a CB transmitter and
must obtain FCC certification prior to importation or marketing.
The FCC also turned away TravelCenters' argument that Commission efforts 10
years ago to clarify the definition of a CB transceiver in an OET Public
Notice violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The FCC countered that it
had relied on the OGC's letter and its interpretation of §95.603(c) as well
as the OET's recent determination regarding the specific transceiver models
in question. The Commission further noted that §95.655(a) of its rules
states that no transmitter will be certificated for CB use if "equipped with
a frequency capability" not listed in Part 95 as CB transmitter channel
frequencies.
The TravelCenters case dates back to the fall of 2001, when an FCC agent
visited the TravelCenters' retail store in Troutdale and observed six models
of "CB transceivers" that had not received FCC certification. The FCC's
Portland, Oregon, Field Office issued a Citation to TravelCenters' Troutdale
store later that fall for selling non-certificated CB transceivers. It
warned TravelCenters that future violations could lead to fines and seizure
of equipment.
In July 2005 the FCC's Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Apparent
Liability (NAL) proposing the $7000 fine for "apparently willfully and
repeatedly" violating §302(b) of the Communications Act and §2.803(a)(1) of
its rules "by offering for sale a non-certified CB transceiver."
FCC KEEPS UP PRESSURE ON ALLEGED UNLICENSED 10-METER OPERATIONS
The FCC is continuing efforts to stem alleged unlicensed
operation--primarily by long-haul truckers--on the 10-meter amateur band.
Enforcement Bureau Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, this month wrote
FedEx Corporation CEO Frederick W. Smith enclosing a complaint asserting
that some FedEx drivers have used "Amateur Radio transmitters to
communicate on the 10-meter Amateur Radio band without a license,"
Hollingsworth said. The complaint focused on alleged operations in
Tennessee.
"Many truckers use CB radio, which does not require a license,"
Hollingsworth told Smith. "However, any person using a radio transmitter
on Amateur Radio frequencies must possess both a station and operator
license, for which an examination is required." He pointed out that some
truckers have been known to use uncertificated dual-purpose CB radios that
also can transmit on 10 meters. CB gear must be FCC certificated, formerly
known as type acceptance, but ham radio gear does not need to be.
So-called dual-use ham/CB transceivers may not be sold or marketed under
FCC rules.
Two additional trucking firms this month were the target of FCC warning
notices involving complaints of unlicensed operation on 10 meters.
Hollingsworth wrote Carl Leonard Ross of CLR Transport in Saluda, North
Carolina, citing allegations that a CLR Transport vehicle traveling on
I-85 in North Carolina "was the source of unlicensed radio transmissions
on the 10-meter Amateur Radio band on July 14, 2003." Cassidy's Express of
Bristol, Pennsylvania, heard from the FCC regarding reports that one of
its vehicles was the source of unlicensed radio transmissions while under
way in Pennsylvania last October 9.
Hollingsworth asked Smith to advise FedEx drivers that such operation of
radio transmitting equipment without a license is a violation of federal
law and could subject violators to stiff fines and even jail time as well
as seizure of equipment. Pointing out the same penalties for violators,
Hollingsworth asked the other two trucking firms to contact him to discuss
the allegations.
Earlier this year, the FCC sent warning notices to two shipping companies
in the wake of reports to the Commission that some of the companies'
vehicles may have been illegally transmitting on 10 meters. At least one
of the companies, UPS, offered its full cooperation and promised to
investigate.
FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
COMPLIANCE & INFORMATION BUREAU
Telephone Interference
Bulletin CIB-10 August 1995
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HEAR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ON YOUR TELEPHONE
Interference occurs when your telephone instrument fails to
"block out" a nearby radio communication. Potential
interference problems begin when the telephone is built at the
factory. All telephones contain electronic components that
are sensitive to radio. If the manufacturer does not build in
interference protection, these components may react to
nearby radio communications. Telephones with more features
contain more electronic components and need greater
interference protection. If you own an unprotected telephone,
as the radio environment around you changes, you may
sometimes hear unwanted radio communications. Presently,
only a few telephones sold in the United States have built-in
interference protection. Thus, hearing radio through your telephone is a sign that your phone lacks adequate
interference protection. This is a technical problem, not a law enforcement problem. It is not a sign that the
radio communication is not authorized, or that the radio transmitter is illegal.
Because interference problems begin at the factory, you should
send your complaint to the manufacturer who built your telephone.
A sample complaint letter is provided here.
You can also stop interference by using a specially designed
"radio-proof" telephone, available by mail order. A recent FCC
study found that these telephones, which have built-in interference
protection, are a very effective remedy. A list of Radio-Proof
telephones is provided here.
Interference problems in telephones can sometimes be stopped
or greatly reduced with a radio filter. Install this filter at the
back of the telephone, on the line cord, and/or at the telephone
wall jack. Radio filters are available at local phone product stores and by mail order. (See attached list, Radio
Interference Filters.) A list of Radio Interference filters is provided here.
To get started, follow these steps: If you have several telephones, or
accessories such as answering machines, un-plug all of them. Then plug each
unit back in, one at a time, at one of your wall jacks. Listen for the radio
communication. If you hear interference through only one telephone (or only
when the answering machine is plugged in), then the problem is in that unit.
Contact the manufacturer of that unit for help. Alternatively, simply stop
using that unit, replace it with a radio-proof model, or install a radio filter.
(NOTE: Only a very small percentage of interference problems occur in the
outside telephone lines. Your local telephone company can check for this
type of problem.)
Next, it's important to follow through and contact the manufacturer. Telephone
manufacturers need to know if consumers are unhappy about a product's failure to
block out radio communications. Also, the manufacturer knows the design of the
telephone and may recommend remedies for that particular phone.
To file a complaint, write a letter to the manufacturer, using the sample letter at the
end of this document. To help the manufacturer select the right remedy, be sure to
provide all the information in the sample, including the type of radio communication
that the telephone equipment is receiving. You can identify the type of radio communication by listening to it.
There are three common types:
(1)
AM/FM broadcast radio stations - Music or continuous talk distinguishes this type of radio communication. The station identifies itself by its call letters
at or near the top of each hour.
(2)
Citizen's Band (CB) radio operators - These radio operators use nicknames or "handles" to identify themselves on the radio. Usually, the CB operator's voice
is clearly heard. You may also hear sound effects or other noises.
(3)
Amateur ("ham") radio operators - Amateur radio operators are licensed by the FCC. They use call letters to identify their communications. The amateur's
voice can be heard but may be garbled or distorted.
Cordless telephones are low-power radio transmitters/receivers. They are highly sensitive to electrical noise,
radio interference, and the communications of other nearby cordless phones. Contact the manufacturer for
help in stopping interference to your cordless telephone.
Final note: Current FCC regulations do not address how well a telephone blocks out radio communications.
At present, FCC service consists of the self-help information contained in this bulletin. A partial list of
radio-proof telephones and radio filters is also attached.
The FCC strongly encourages manufacturers to include interference protection in their telephones as a benefit
to consumers. The telephone manufacturing industry has begun to develop voluntary standards for
interference protection. The FCC will continue regular meetings with manufacturers and will closely track the
effectiveness of their voluntary efforts.
If you are not satisfied with the manufacturer's response, contact the Electronic Industries Association, 2500
Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22201, phone: (703) 907-7500.
Dear Manufacturer: I am writing to register a complaint about telephone equipment I purchased
(manufactured by your company). Unfortunately your product is receiving a nearby radio communication,
making it difficult for me to complete phone calls. Please contact me within 30 days to discuss what steps
your company will take to make my telephone work properly. Thank you for your help. I look forward to your
prompt reply.
SOURCES OF RADIO-PROOF TELEPHONES AND
RADIO FILTERS FOR TELEPHONES
The lists below show companies that sell radio-proof telephones and radio interference filters. If you would
like to try a radio-proof telephone or radio interference filter, make sure that you can return it for a refund,
and keep the purchase receipt.
THE FCC DOES NOT ENDORSE OR RECOMMEND THE USE OF ANY PARTICULAR GOODS OR
SERVICES LISTED BELOW. SUCH GOODS OR SERVICES ARE LISTED FOR INFORMATION
ONLY AND HAVE BEEN FURNISHED BY THE ORGANIZATIONS. FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION, CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS.
RADIO-PROOF
TELEPHONES:
TCE LABORATORIES, INC.
2365 Waterfront Park Dr.
Canyon Lake, Texas 78133
(830)
899-4575 Notes: Desk and wall models available. Will do custom orders for multiple-line phones, speaker phones, answering machines, etc. Advertises 30-day
money-back guarantee.
PRO DISTRIBUTORS
2811 74th Street, Suite B
Lubbock, TX 79423
(800)
658-2027 Notes: Desk and wall models available. Advertises 30-day money-back guarantee.
RADIO INTERFERENCE FILTERS:
AT&T
(800)
222-3111 Notes: Also available at AT&T and GTE Phone Center stores.
COILCRAFT
1102 Silver Lake Road
Cary, IL 60013
(800)
322-2645 Notes: Filters for computers and printers also available.
ENGINEERING CONSULTING
583 Candlewood Street
Brea, CA 92621
(714)
671-2009 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS (ICE)
P.
O. BOX 18495 Indianapolis, IN 46218-0495
(317)
545-5412 Notes: Also available hard-wired filter for wall-mount telephone.
K-COM
P.O.
Box 82 Randolph, OH 44265
(330)
325-2110 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
KEPTEL, INC.
56 Park Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
(732)
389-8800
KILO-TEC
P.
O. Box 10 Oak View, CA 93022
(805)
646-9645
OPTO-TECH INDUSTRIES
P.O.
Box 13330 Fort Pierce, FL 34979
(800)
334- 6786, or (407) 468- 6032
RADIO SHACK (ARCHER)
Available at nearest Radio Shack store.
Catalog #273-104.
SNC MANUFACTURING
101 W. Waukau Avenue
Oshkosh, WI 54901-7299
(800)
558-3325, or (414) 231-7370
SOUTHWESTERN BELL FREEDOM PHONE ACCESSORIES
7486 Shadeland Station Way
Indianapolis, IN 46256
(800)
255-8480, or (317) 841-8642
TCE LABORATORIES
2365 WATERFRONT PARK DRIVE.
CANYON LAKE, TEXAS 78133
(830)
899-4575 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
SAMPLE COMPLAINT LETTER:
Name
and address of
telephone manufacturer
Dear Manufacturer:
I am writing to register a complaint about telephone equipment I purchased
(manufactured by your company). Unfortunately, your product is receiving
a nearby radio communication, making it difficult for me to complete
telephone calls. Please contact me within 30 days to discuss what steps
your company will take to make my telephone work properly.
Thank you for your help.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Name:___________________________ Telephone:_________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________
City/State/Zipcode:___________________________________________________
Type of telephone equipment:__________________________________________
Model Number:_________________________________________________________
Description of Interference (AM/FM, CB, Amateur, etc):
Bill Seeks BPL Interference Study, Report to Congress
Mike Ross, WD5DVR
US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), is starting his fourth term in the US House of Representatives.
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 18, 2007 -- US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), has introduced a bill in the 110th Congress calling on the FCC to study the interference
potential of broadband over power line (BPL) technology and report its findings back to Congress. One of two radio amateurs in the House, Ross submitted
the "Emergency Amateur Radio Interference Protection Act of 2007" (
HR 462)
on January 12. The bill's official text became available today. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, says the League shares Ross's concern about interference
to emergency communication networks.
"We wholly support his effort to ensure that public safety remains a priority over flawed political agendas regarding communication technology," Harrison
commented.
The bill calls for the FCC to conduct "a comprehensive BPL service study leading to improved rules to prevent interference." If the measure is adopted by
both houses of Congress and signed by the president, the FCC would have to undertake a study of BPL's interference potential within 90 days of enactment
and report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In 2005, Ross introduced a non-binding House resolution, HRes 230, in the 109th Congress that would have had the FCC conduct "a full and complete analysis"
of radio interference from BPL with an eye toward revising the FCC rules that govern BPL to minimize the potential of harmful interference. It was unsuccessful.
Last year, the US House passed a telecommunications bill containing language that Ross proposed requiring the FCC to study the interference potential of
BPL systems. The study requirement did not make its way into the final version of the bill, however.
HR 462 would require the Commission to address several technical facets, including variations in BPL emission field strength with distance from power lines
and a technical justification for using a particular distance extrapolation factor when making measurements.
The FCC also would have to investigate the degree of notching necessary "to protect the reliability of mobile radio communications," and provide a technical
justification for permitted BPL radiated emission levels relative to ambient noise levels. Finally, the study would have to outline options for new or
improved BPL rules aimed at preventing harmful interference to public safety and other radio communication systems.
Ross's bill zeroes in on some of the same issues the ARRL cited last October when it asked the US Court of Appeals -- DC Circuit to review certain aspects
of the Part 15 BPL rules. The ARRL specifically has taken issue with §15.611(c)(1)(iii), which sets a lower standard of protection for licensed mobile
stations in any radio service, including public safety, that may receive BPL interference.
The League's lawsuit also faults the FCC's decision not to adjust the 40 dB per decade "extrapolation factor" applied to BPL emission measurements taken
at distances from power lines other than those specified in Part 15. The ARRL contends that BPL measurements made according to existing BPL rules underestimate
actual field strengths and that an extrapolation factor closer to 20 dB per decade would be more appropriate.
The League's Petition for Review asserts that the BPL rules "exceed the Commission's jurisdiction and authority; are contrary to the Communications Act
of 1934; and are arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and otherwise not in accordance with law."
The Association of Maximum Service Television and the National Association of Broadcasters are supporting the ARRL lawsuit as intervenors.
HR 462 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Codeless Amateur Radio Testing Regime Appears Set to Begin February 23
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 19, 2007 -- The ARRL has learned that the FCC's Report and Order (
R&O)
in the "Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235, is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register Wednesday, January 24. Assuming that occurs, the new Part
97 rules deleting any Morse code examination requirement for Amateur Radio license applicants would go into effect Friday, February 23, 2007. The League
cautions that this date is tentative, pending official confirmation and publication.
"This change eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may discourage current Amateur Radio operators from advancing their skills and participating
more fully in the benefits of Amateur Radio," the FCC remarked in the Morse code R&O.
Publication of the R&O in the Federal Register starts a 30-day countdown for the new rules to go on the books. The FCC reportedly completed its work on
the R&O this week and forwarded it to the Federal Register receiving desk. The Federal Register must make the document available for public inspection
24 hours prior to publication. Federal Register personnel are constrained by law from saying if a particular R&O is in the publication queue, however.
Rules and regulations that appear in the Federal Register constitute their official version.
Deletion of the Morse requirement is a landmark in Amateur Radio history. Until 1991, when a code examination was dropped from the requirements to obtain
a Technician ticket, all prospective radio amateurs had to pass a Morse test. Once the new rules are in place, Amateur Radio license applicants no longer
will have to demonstrate Morse code proficiency at any level to gain access to the HF bands.
On or after the effective date of the new rules, an applicant holding a valid Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for a higher license
class will be able to redeem it for an upgrade. For example, a Technician licensee holding a valid CSCE for Element 3 (General) could apply at a VEC exam
session, pay the application fee -- which most VECs charge -- and receive an instant upgrade. A CSCE is good only for 365 days from the date of issuance.
Candidates for General or Amateur Extra between now and the effective date of the new rules still must have Element 1 (5 WPM Morse code) credit to obtain
new privileges, however.
The new rules also mean that all Technician licensees, whether or not they've passed a Morse code examination, will gain HF privileges identical to those
of current Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees without having to apply for an upgrade. Novices and Technicians with Element
1 credit have CW privileges on 80, 40, 15 meters and CW, RTTY, data and SSB privileges on 10 meters.
The FCC R&O includes an Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket 04-140 -- the so-called "omnibus" proceeding. It will modify the Amateur Service rules in
response to ARRL's request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations on 80 meters in the wake of other rule changes that were
effective last December 15. The Commission designated 3585 to 3600 kHz for such operations, although that segment will remain available for CW, RTTY and
data.
The ARRL has been posting all relevant information on these important Part 97 rule revisions on its "
FCC's Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235"
Web page.
New Vanity Call Sign Processing Hiatus Continues
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 23, 2007 -- The hold on processing new Amateur Radio vanity call sign applications continues, and there's been no word from the FCC on
when it will end. The Commission halted the processing of new vanity call sign processing while it modifies the software that handles vanity applications.
The suspension, which does not affect vanity call sign renewals, resulted from a new Amateur Radio Service rule that went into effect December 15 to discourage
the filing of multiple applications by one individual for the same call sign.
"The Commission continues to accept vanity call sign applications," says a brief announcement on the FCC's Universal Licensing System (
ULS)
Web page. "However, these applications will not be processed until software changes in accordance with the recent rule making have been fully implemented."
The FCC granted the last Amateur Radio vanity call signs on January 4 for applications received December 15. The current suspension affects new vanity call
sign applications submitted on December 18 or later. Once processing of new vanity applications resumes, the FCC says, it will process all applications
in the queue in the order in which they were received. Typically, it takes 18 days from the time the FCC receives a vanity application until the call sign
is issued -- or the application is denied.
The FCC's "omnibus" Report and Order (
R&O)
in WT Docket 04-140 stipulates that if the FCC receives more than one application requesting a vanity call sign from a single applicant on the same receipt
day, it will process only the first application entered into the ULS. The FCC will dismiss any subsequent vanity call sign applications from the same applicant
on the same receipt date. The FCC put new vanity call sign processing on hold after an applicant unwittingly submitted 30 applications for the same call
sign three days after the new rule became effective.
The current vanity call sign fee, payable for new applications as well as renewals, is $20.80 for the 10-year license term.
It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Ends Friday, February 23
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 24, 2007 -- Circle Friday, February 23, on your calendar. That's when the current 5 WPM Morse code requirement will officially disappear
from the Amateur Radio Service Part 97 rules in accordance with the FCC's Report and Order (
R&O)
in the "Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235. Beginning on that date, applicants for a General or Amateur Extra class Amateur Radio license no longer
will have to demonstrate proficiency in Morse code. They'll just have to pass the applicable written examination.
Publication
of the new rules in the January 24 Federal Register started a 30-day countdown for the new rules to become effective. Deletion of the Morse requirement
-- still a matter of controversy within the amateur community -- is a landmark in Amateur Radio history.
"The overall effect of this action is to further the public interest by encouraging individuals who are interested in communications technology or who are
able to contribute to the advancement of the radio art, to become Amateur Radio operators; and eliminating a requirement that is now unnecessary and may
discourage Amateur Service licensees from advancing their skills in the communications and technical phases of Amateur Radio," the FCC remarked in the
"Morse code" R&O that settled the matter, at least from a regulatory standpoint. The League had asked the FCC to retain the 5 WPM for Amateur Extra class
applicants, but the Commission held to its decision to eliminate the requirement across the board. The R&O appearing in the Federal Register constitutes
the official version of the new rules.
Until 1991, when a Morse code examination was dropped from the requirements to obtain a Technician ticket, all prospective radio amateurs had to pass a
Morse code test. With the change the US will join a growing list of countries that have dropped the need to demonstrate some level of Morse code proficiency
to earn access to frequencies below 30 MHz.
The new rules also put all Technician licensees on an equal footing, whether or not they've passed a Morse code examination. Starting February 23, all Technicians
will have CW privileges on 80, 40, 15 meters and CW, RTTY, data and SSB privileges on 10 meters. When the new rules go into effect Technicians may begin
using their new privileges without any further action.
On or after February 23, an applicant holding a valid Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for Element 3 (General) or Element 4 (Amateur
Extra) credit may redeem it for an upgrade at a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) exam session. A CSCE is good for 365 days from the date of issuance,
no exceptions. For example, a Technician licensee holding a valid CSCE for Element 3 credit would have to apply at a VEC test session and pay the application
fee, which most VECs charge, in order to receive an instant upgrade to General.
ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, cautions that a license upgrade is not automatic for those holding valid CSCEs for element credit.
"You must apply for the upgrade at a VEC test session, and you may not operate as /AG or /AE until you have upgraded and have been issued a CSCE marked
for upgrade," he stresses. "A valid CSCE for element credit only does not confer any operating privileges." Henderson also advises all radio amateurs to
know and fully understand their operating privileges before taking to the airwaves. Some Technician licensees reportedly started showing up on 75 meters
December 15 in the mistaken belief that they had gained phone privileges there.
The FCC R&O includes an Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket 04-140 -- the so-called "omnibus" proceeding. It will modify Part 97 in response to ARRL's
request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations on 80 meters in the wake of other rule changes that became effective last December
15. The Commission designated 3585 to 3600 kHz for such operations, although that segment will remain available for CW, RTTY and data. The ARRL had requested
that the upper limit of the CW/RTTY/data subband be set at 3635 kHz so there would be no change in the existing 3620 to 3635 kHz subband.
The ARRL has posted all relevant information on these important Part 97 rule revisions on its "
FCC's Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235"
Web page.
FCC Lets Former Licensee Re-Apply for Renewal; Reduces, Affirms Fines
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 30, 2007 -- The FCC has cut a Michigan man a break. If he acts within 60 days, David H. Norris of White Lake, who was W8WLU, may re-apply
to the Commission to renew his General class ticket, which expired in 2003. The FCC on January 29 released an
Order on Reconsideration
in the case dating back to September 2005 when Norris attempted to renew his license at the eleventh hour of the two-year grace period. The Commission dismissed
his application, however, because Norris checked the wrong box on the hard-copy FCC
Form 605
it received one day before the grace period expired. This week, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) reversed its stance and granted Norris's
Petition for Reconsideration to let him re-apply for renewal.
"We believe such an outcome is consistent with previous actions regarding amateur renewal applications," the FCC noted, citing a 2004 case. In its Order,
the Commission said that Norris "demonstrated a strong interest in retaining his license by filing an application form, completed by hand, and referencing
the correct call sign on such application which the Commission received before the grace period ended."
According to the FCC, Norris incorrectly marked the "purpose" of his Form 605 application as "Administrative Update" instead of "Renewal Only" or "Renewal/Modification,"
as appropriate, based on his interpretation of an ARRL information sheet that he claimed was misleading. In its Order, the FCC reminded all Amateur Radio
licensees that it's their responsibility to be aware of and to comply with FCC rules and regulations.
The ARRL VEC says its
instructions
clearly state that licensees using Form 605 should choose "RO - Renewal Only" when renewing without making other changes or "RM - Renewal/Modification"
when renewing and making other changes. "AU - Administrative Update" only applies when filing a change of address, ARRL VEC notes.
Ironically, had Norris been an ARRL member, the League not only could have reminded him when his license was due for renewal, it could have renewed it for
him free of charge. The ARRL does charge a fee to renew vanity call signs, however.
FCC Reduces, Affirms Fines
The FCC agreed in a January 26 Memorandum Opinion and Order (
MO&O)
to reduce drastically a $10,000 fine, levied in the case of CB operator-turned-radio amateur Robert A. Spiry, KD7TRB, of Tacoma, Washington. The Commission
cited Spiry for unauthorized operation on 11 meters that involved the use of uncertificated equipment and an illegal RF power amplifier. The alleged violations
occurred in 2002, and the FCC affirmed the fine in an October 2004 Forfeiture Order (
NOF).
Responding to an FCC Notice of Apparent Liability in 2003, Spiry admitted the violations but said he'd sold his CB equipment and had obtained an Amateur
Radio license, the FCC said. The Commission agreed to lower Spiry's fine to $1500 after he demonstrated an inability to pay the original fine.
The FCC said its agents committed "no impropriety" in discussing Spiry's case and considering its possible implications on his Amateur Radio license. "It
is well established that a violation in one service can impact on other licenses that an individual may have," the MO&O said.
In an
MO&O
released January 29, the FCC reduced from $1000 to $250 the forfeiture it had levied on Mark A. Clay, N8QYK, of Huntington, West Virginia, for operating
an unlicensed FM broadcast station. In 2003, the FCC's Columbia, Maryland, Field Office had proposed a fine of $10,000; the Enforcement Bureau subsequently
reduced it to $1000. Clay had sought to have the FCC dismiss the fine altogether, based on his inability to pay, but the FCC reduced it instead. Clay holds
a Technician Amateur Radio license.
In another
MO&O
released January 29, the Commission declined to reduce the $12,000 fine it had ordered a Portland, Oregon, taxi company to pay. The FCC alleges that spurious
emissions resulting from Portland Taxicab Company's unauthorized operation resulted in harmful 70 cm interference to an Amateur Radio station, AB7F. The
Commission also cited the firm, licensee of WPRJ576, for failing to properly identify. The taxi company did not dispute the violations but asked for a
reduction in the fine based on inability to pay, the FCC said.
"
It Seems to Us . . ."
Morse
By David Sumner, K1ZZ
ARRL Chief Executive Officer
February 1, 2007
Late in the day on Friday, December 15, 2006 the FCC took a step that had been long desired by some and long dreaded by others, but long expected by everyone
who cared either way. An FCC news release issued that same evening announced the Commission's decision to eliminate the Morse code examination requirement
for the General and Amateur Extra Class licenses.
[Editor's Note: Updated information about the FCC action
is available.]
The Commission's decision was made possible by the revision of the international Radio Regulations that took place at the 2003 World Radiocommunication
Conference (WRC-03) in Geneva. Administrations once were required to make all applicants for amateur licenses prove their ability to send and receive Morse
code signals, to ensure that they would be able to understand signals sent to them by stations in other services. In 1947 a provision was added, permitting
administrations to waive the requirement for operation above 1 GHz. In 1959 the frequency limit for the waiver was dropped to 144 MHz, and in 1979 to 30
MHz. The administrations of many countries took advantage of the waiver to license amateurs for VHF operation without requiring a code test, but it was
not until 1991 that the FCC followed suit.
In the waning hours of 1999 the Commission announced that for those classes of license still having a Morse requirement, the examination speed would be
reduced to 5 words per minute. That was as far as it could go until WRC-03, which replaced the old rule with one reading simply, "Administrations shall
determine whether or not a person seeking a licence to operate an amateur station shall demonstrate the ability to send and receive texts in Morse code
signals." In July 2005 the FCC got around to issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WT Docket 05-235, which dealt with 18 petitions -- and 6,200 comments
on the petitions -- that had been filed in the meantime. In the NPRM the Commission proposed to delete the Morse requirement for all classes of amateur
license, so it was no surprise when the decision to do so was announced 17 months later. At this writing the effective date is not known, since it depends
upon when the notice of the rules change will be published in the Federal Register.
Reflecting majority membership opinion, the ARRL Board had argued for retention of the Morse requirement for the Extra Class license. The Extra represents
the pinnacle of achievement in the FCC's amateur licensing structure; Extras should possess broad knowledge and diverse skills. But the Commission concluded
in its Report and Order:
Rather, we believe that because the international requirement for telegraphy proficiency has been eliminated, we should treat Morse code telegraphy no differently
from other amateur service communications techniques. This reasoning applies equally to the General Class and the Amateur Extra Class operator licenses.
We are not persuaded that the Amateur Extra Class being the highest license class is a sufficient reason alone to retain a requirement that we conclude
is otherwise inappropriate and unnecessary. We also note that the action here does not preclude Amateur Extra Class licensees, or for that matter, other
amateur service licensees from pursuing and/or continuing to pursue Morse code proficiency should they so desire.
So, what happens now? One thing that happened immediately after the news began to circulate was a dramatic increase in orders for study material for the
General and Extra written exams. Whatever one's opinion of the Commission's decision might be, the fact that more people now are motivated to crack the
books and to learn more about Amateur Radio cannot be bad. Volunteer Examiner teams and coordinators, including ARRL/VEC, are gearing up for increased
demand for all three written exams, as well as for the processing of already-issued Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination into upgrades.
Something that the FCC had not included in the NPRM, but that the ARRL successfully argued for, is that all presently licensed Technicians will have the
HF privileges of Technician Plus (and Novice) licensees as soon as the new rules take effect. No doubt the most popular of the new privileges will be SSB
voice in the 28.3-28.5 MHz portion of the 10-meter band. The 28.0-28.3 MHz portion of the band also will be available for RTTY, data and CW operation.
We hope Techs will equip themselves to take advantage of these opportunities; even at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, 10 meters can offer some pleasant
surprises. In addition and somewhat ironically, dropping the Morse requirement gives Techs CW privileges in parts of the 80, 40 and 15 meter bands.
Aside from that, the immediate changes on the air will not be dramatic. New General and Extra licensees will find their way onto HF voice, data, RTTY, and
image modes at a faster pace. However, this will occur more gradually here than it did in Europe, where most amateurs who previously were confined to VHF
and above were granted full privileges shortly after WRC-03.
Finally, while this may be the epitaph for the Morse code licensing requirement, the Morse code is alive and well as an operating mode. Those of us who
believe that it can stand on its own merits, now will be able to prove the point. If we are passionate about CW -- or about any aspect of Amateur Radio,
for that matter -- we will win converts if we share our passion with others.
The best reason for developing Morse proficiency is that it makes Amateur Radio more rewarding and more fun. If one's sole motivation for learning Morse
is to get past a 5-wpm exam, it's unlikely to be either rewarding or fun -- or ever to result in real fluency. If on the other hand the driving force is
a real desire to use CW on the air -- a desire that those of us who love CW can supply -- then that's a horse of a very different hue.
More information
Some Tips on Being a Net Control Station
By Geoff Haines, N1GY
n1gy@arrl.net
February 1, 2007
There is something in Amateur Radio for each and every ham. Some like "rag chewing," some enjoy emergency communications and some live for that next contest.
But still others take on another role, that of Net Control Manager. Have you ever wondered just what that "voice in charge" of your local net has to do?
And have you ever thought about doing it yourself?
As a frequent participant in nets in my
ARRL Section,
I have had plenty of opportunity to listen and respond to Net Control Stations. As an NCS myself, I have learned a few techniques that I find useful when
running a net.
Preparation Is the Key
Most importantly, relax. The operation of a net is not rocket science, nor is it brain surgery. If you make a mistake, as all of us do from time to time,
the world will not come to an end. In order to minimize the frequency of those mistakes, use a prepared script, or "preamble." This is simply a short,
usually one page, document that tells you what to say and in what order. I have included an example in
Figure 1.
The "preamble" is not intended to be slavishly adhered to, but merely a recommendation of what should be included in your operation of the net. Generally,
the script starts out with identifying yourself (plus your call sign) and identifying the net you are about to run. The next item should be to ask for
any priority or emergency traffic before you continue with the net. I usually ask twice before continuing, just in case. If someone has just witnessed
a traffic accident or other emergency, you don't want to launch into a long-winded explanation of how the net will operate, leaving the emergency call
un-sendable until you are done.
Net Log Sheet
Figure 2 - Net Log Sheet for the WCF Eagle Net, a nightly NTS Traffic Net. (
PDF version
[283,082 bytes])
Fig-3
Figure 3 - Technical Net Log Sheet. (
PDF version
[85,690 bytes])
Fig-4
Figure 4 - Net Statistics Sheet. I use this for all the nets I run, and customize it for each net -- not all lines get used for every net. (
PDF version
[98,125 bytes])
Business at Hand
If there is no emergency or priority traffic, the next order of business is to transmit the information about the repeater or repeater system you are using.
Someone just scanning through the band may need to know what tone the repeater uses for access, or in the case of a linked system, what repeater pair is
closest to their location.
At this point, I usually ask for various groups depending on which net I am serving as NCS for. In the case of a National Traffic System Net, I will ask
for Net Liaisons coming from or going to another net. Then I will ask for Section Officials and then for announcements and/or bulletins. Finally, I ask
for stations with formal written traffic. In the case of the Technical Net, for which I also act as NCS, I would ask for Technical Specialists first. Once
these categories of stations are checked in, I then continue to general check-ins.
There are a number of different ways to arrange general check-ins to keep the net from becoming chaotic. You can ask for check-ins by local areas, such
as counties or towns. You can ask that they check in by alphabetical order of the first letter in the suffix of their call sign and then divide the alphabet
into groups. Here is an example: "We will now ask for check-ins Alfa through Hotel." When that group is complete you would continue, "We now ask for check-ins
India through November," and so on.
You might, depending on the type of net, ask that stations checking in add their first name, whether they have any traffic for the net, their specific location
and so on. I usually advise that stations wait to check in until I have acknowledged the previous station, since trying to log multiple stations on the
same segment can be confusing. Whatever system you choose, or the net manager has chosen for you, it is important to make it easy for the NCS to operate
the net. Use whatever method has been chosen and start accepting check-ins.
"Say Again, Please"
At some point during the net, it will become necessary to have a station repeat a call, a name or some other information. Received audio quality varies
widely with the location of the transmitting station relative to the repeater, the power level the station is using, the quality of the radio and many
other factors. This is normal, so expect it to happen. When it does, just ask the station to "say again, please" and ask if the station could raise their
power level or reorient their antenna. You can also ask for another station to relay the weak signal if possible. Always remain unfailingly polite and
cheerful. Never disparage the other station's equipment or on-air performance. The same is true if you encounter deliberate interference -- remain polite.
If you can continue the net over the deliberate interference, do so. The interfering station will soon tire of their game and move on.
Once all of the stations respond in whatever check-in system you utilize, it is time to ask for "any station, anywhere" or some variation on that theme.
You may be surprised to find out that your signal has gone considerably farther than you expected. When atmospheric conditions are favorable, I have received
stations checking in from as far away as Tallahassee, Key West and Jacksonville -- all this on a VHF/UHF repeater system around Tampa Bay, Florida. On
rare occasions, I have even had stations check in briefly from Georgia and Texas.
At the conclusion of the net, it is considerate to thank all the stations for participating in the net and invite them to return for the next edition. If
another net is going to occur later in the evening, remind the stations about that net, as well. It is also good form to thank the operators of the repeater
for allowing the net to function on their repeater. A last comment, "We now return this repeater to normal Amateur Radio use," and sign off as usual with
your call sign and "73."
Tools of the Trade
One of the important adjuncts to the operation of any net is to have an easy way to log everyone and everything in. This can be as basic as a sheet of paper
and a pencil, but there are better ways. Your Net Manager will usually want a report as to how many stations checked in, how much traffic was handled (if
applicable) and how long the net took to run. These figures will be sent up the line to develop reports to the Section Manager and eventually, the ARRL.
I created specialized net logs for each of the nets that I run. They all have some parts in common, with unique sections for the particular net. I have
examples of these in
Figures 2
and
3.
As a Net Manager, I also have created "statistics sheets," compiled monthly to reflect various items on a month-by-month basis such as total number of check-ins
for the month, total time of the net, number of announcements, number of technical presentations and so on. These figures can be used for the monthly reports
to a Net Manager or other official (see
Figure 4).
Is This for Me?
All of the above begs the question: Why should I, as a ham operator, participate in nets or become a Net Control Station? I have several answers to that
question.
List of 4 items
• Amateur Radio is supposed to be about communication. Nets are an important way to communicate to other amateurs information on many different aspects
of Amateur Radio. The use of an
NTS
net is obvious; the purpose of an Information Net can be to keep hams up to date with the latest bulletins from your club or the ARRL. It also serves to
inform hams about coming special events such as hamfests, community service events, DX contests and other activities. Our local Section's Technical Net
serves, in part, the function of a Section-wide "Elmer," where hams can pose questions about anything technical or operational to an array of Technical
Specialists and the other participants in the net. Often, the answer comes not from a TS, but from another amateur who has gone through the same problem
and found a solution.
• Since other amateurs in your local area are willing to be Net Control Stations, it follows then that you should be willing to help out as you are able.
Look on the ARRL Web site for "
The Amateur's Code."
Written in 1929 by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, it remains just as valid now as it was more than 70 years ago.
• Checking in to a net, and better still, operating as a Net Control Station, will seriously improve your skills as an operator. The concentration necessary
and the coordination of operation of your radio, together with recording the information on paper or computer, will enhance your operating techniques at
any time.
• Probably the most important reason to participate in nets is the same one that got you into Amateur Radio in the first place -- it's fun!
list end
I hope that this brief article on being a Net Control Station has piqued your interest. Even if you do not choose to become an NCS, please check into your
local and regional nets as often as you can. The more hams who check in, the more effective the net becomes, serving to advance the art and the science
of Amateur Radio even more.
Licensed since 1993, Geoff Haines, N1GY, holds an Amateur Extra class license. Retired after a career in intensive pulmonary care, he currently holds several
positions in the
West Central Florida Section,
including Technical Coordinator, Technical Specialist, Official Bulletin Station, Net Manager, Official Emergency Station and Official Relay Station. He
is president of the Manatee (FL) Amateur Radio Club, a member of the Manatee ARES, and also holds membership in the Bradenton (FL) Amateur Radio Club,
the Yale University Amateur Radio Club and the Meriden (CT) Amateur Radio Club, among others. In his spare time, Geoff enjoys homebrewing antennas and
accessories for his Amateur Radio operations. He currently lives in Bradenton, Florida.
Figure 1 - Sample Preamble. This is how I begin the Technical Net in the WCF Section.
PREAMBLE FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION TECHNICAL NET
CQ CQ THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION TECHNICAL NET.
THIS IS___________(your call sign) AND MY NAME IS ______________(your name) AND I'LL BE YOUR NET CONTROL FOR THIS EVENING'S NET.
THIS NET MEETS WEEKLY ON THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 2100 HRS LOCAL..IT'S PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
IN ALL AREAS OF AMATEUR RADIO TECHNOLOGY.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, DO WE HAVE ANY STATIONS WITH EMERGENCY OR PRIORITY TRAFFIC?
(Repeat the request for emergency or priority traffic, if no response then continue)
THIS NET IS HELD ON THE NI4CE REPEATER SYSTEM, ON 145.430 AND 442.950 FROM VERNA IN MANATEE COUNTY, 442.825 IN PEBBLEDALE IN POLK COUNTY, AND 145.29 AND
443.45 IN DOWNTOWN ST. PETE, 442.650 IN NEW PORT RICHEY AND 442.550 IN RIVERVIEW. ALL REPEATERS REQUIRE A PL TONE OF 100 HZ. FOR ACCESS.
NET CONTROL WILL NOW CALL FOR SECTION OFFICIALS AND/OR TECHNICAL SPECIALISTS.CHECK IN NOW PLEASE, ____________________(your call sign) STANDING BY.
(Take checkins from section officials and tech specialists, when done, continue.)
NET CONTROL WILL NOW TAKE GENERAL CHECKINS. PLEASE COME SLOWLY WITH YOUR CALLSIGN AND YOUR FIRST NAME. PLEASE USE ITU PHONICS AND COME SLOWLY. NET CONTROL
WILL ACKNOWLEDGE EACH STATION IN TURN. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT FOR TONIGHT'S NET, PLEASE STATE THAT YOU HAVE TRAFFIC WHEN YOU CHECK IN. NET CONTROL
WILL COME BACK TO THE STATIONS THAT HAVE TRAFFIC IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY CHECKED IN.
CHECKINS TO THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TECH NET, PLEASE COME ONE AT A TIME AND INDICATE IF YOU HAVE TRAFFIC FOR THE NET.
(take checkins for a few minutes at least. Once you have a few people checked in, go back and pick up those with questions or comments. Questions should
be directed to the appropriate technical specialist but if none is available, throw the question out to the participants for anyone to reply to. )
After any questions have been answered as best as possible, ask if anyone has other comments or questions for the net.
If a presentation is made on any subject, it should be no more than five minutes in length and should occur after one or more rounds of checkins to the
net.
THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR ASKS THAT ANY AMATEUR OPERATOR WHO HAS SPECIAL EXPERTISE IN ANY AREA OF HAM RADIO TO CONTACT HIM AND APPLY FOR A TECHNICAL SPECIALIST
APPOINTMENT. MANY HAMS ARE NEW TO THE HOBBY AND EVEN THOSE WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SOMETIMES NEED HELP WITH NEW MODES OR OTHER ASPECTS OF THE HOBBY.
BE AN "ELMER" BECOME A TECH SPECIALIST.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER CHECKINS BEFORE WE CLOSE THE NET?
THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION THANKS THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA GROUP, OPERATORS OF THE NI4CE REPEATER FOR THE USE OF THE REPEATER FOR THIS NET.
THIS IS _____________(your call sign) CLOSING THIS SESSION OF THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION TECHNICAL NET AT__________________HOURS AND RETURNING THE
NI4CE REPEATER SYSTEM TO NORMAL OPERATION.
73
_____________________ (your call sign) CLEAR.
League Criticizes FCC Chairman for Perpetuating BPL Rural Service Myth
Kevin J. Martin
FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.
BPL deployment in Manassas, Virginia, resulted in several interference complaints from radio amateurs.
BPL deployment map
The UPLC's BPL deployment map, as of January 19, 2007. [
Larger image]
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 1, 2007 -- The ARRL is taking FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin to task for telling the US Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
that broadband over power line (BPL) technology is the answer to broadband deployment in rural areas. Martin and the other four FCC commissioners testified
today during a committee hearing, "Assessing the Communications Marketplace: A View from the FCC." In his prepared
remarks,
the chairman described BPL as a "potentially significant player due to power lines' ubiquitous reach, allowing it to more easily provide broadband to rural
areas." ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, criticized Martin for repeating "specious BPL industry claims" that suggest BPL has anything to
offer rural dwellers.
"The assertion that BPL can `more easily provide broadband to rural areas' is one of the big lies about BPL," Sumner said. "It has been debunked time and
time again, and it is beyond comprehension to hear it parroted by the federal government's senior telecommunications regulator at this late date."
Martin's remarks, Sumner added, "should demonstrate to the committee why legislation is needed to force the FCC to use technical studies, rather than outdated
industry propaganda and wishful thinking, as the basis for making BPL-related decisions."
Martin was the only one of his colleagues to mention BPL in their Senate committee testimony. The chairman also cited United Power Line Council (UPLC) "reports"
that there are now at least 38 trial BPL deployments plus 7 commercial trials.
Parsing the Numbers
Martin apparently derived his BPL deployment figures by counting the dots on a
UPLC map,
since updated. The most recent edition, dated January 19, 2007, appears to indicate just 25 BPL trials, but that list includes some systems that do not
appear in the BPL industry database. The map also shows 9 commercial deployments, including one in Pennsylvania believed to have been shut down.
The FCC's "
High-Speed Services for Internet Access:
Status as of June 30, 2006" report -- the most recent available -- shows that the number of high-speed "lines" grew by nearly 13.5 million in the first
six months of last year. Of that number, nearly 640 were listed as "power line and other," an increase of some 14 percent in that category but about half
the overall growth in high-speed services.
"These latest FCC figures underscore just how far out of touch the Commission itself is with marketplace reality," Sumner remarked. "How much longer will
the Commission continue to tout BPL as a viable consumer broadband option in the face of its own contrary data?"
Studies Show BPL Not Viable for "Truly Rural" Areas
In
joint comments
to the FCC in 2003 on the then-pending BPL rule making proceeding, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (
NRTC)
and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (
NRECA)
cited studies indicating BPL would "not be a viable solution for most Americans in truly rural areas any time soon." The two organizations pointed out that
many rural Americans are served by power lines that are many miles long with as few as one or two consumers per mile.
"To date, no BPL system has been demonstrated to work, much less been commercially deployed, on a long, sparsely populated rural electric power line," the
NRTC/NRECA comments continued. "Even if BPL technology proves to be reliable and does not cause unacceptable radio frequency interference in rural deployment,
the economics will likely be prohibitive for some time to come. This is because signal repeaters or regenerators will be required at intervals as small
as one-fourth to three-fourths of a mile along lengthy rural power lines" in addition to the numerous and necessary network access points and backhaul
lines.
An October 2005
FCW.com report
by Dibya Sarkar cited the remarks of Public Technology Institute Executive Director Alan Shark, previously executive director of the Rural Broadband Coalition
and president and CEO of the Power Line Communications Association, that BPL might not be the answer to providing Internet service to rural or remote areas
where traditional telecommunications providers have been reluctant to make investments. Shark suggests, the article says, that repeaters every few hundred
feet to keep BPL service from degrading "might be too expensive a proposition for BPL providers."
More recently, the NRTC last fall cited
studies
by
Chartwell Inc,
a research company specializing in electric power topics, that found only 5 percent of utilities were moving ahead with BPL projects while 13 percent were
planning or "considering" BPL projects. On the other hand, two utilities with more than a million customers between them reported discontinued existing
BPL programs, according to a Chartwell member newsletter.
The League has suggested that potential investors in rural broadband delivery would be better off considering wireless LAN or satellite technology as more
promising possibilities.
Senate Commerce Committee co-Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) said, "We must encourage continued innovation in this industry." Inouye expressed concerns,
however, that "other countries are leapfrogging the United States in the deployment of broadband access."
No Code-Free Upgrades Available Until February 23
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 5, 2007 -- Code-free upgrades to General or Amateur Extra will not be available at volunteer examination sessions until the 5 WPM Morse
code requirement disappears from the FCC's Amateur Radio Service rules on February 23. ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, says
that, judging from the questions he's been getting, many in the amateur community -- including some Volunteer Examiners (VEs) -- don't fully understand
the new rules and privileges resulting from the FCC's Report and Order (
R&O)
in the "Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235. He stresses that VE teams may not accept upgrade applications in advance of February 23, then hold the
paperwork.
"There will be no instant midnight upgrades February 23 for applicants advancing to General or Amateur Extra," Henderson explains. "You must make application."
He further advises that a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) valid for Element 3 (General) or Element 4 (Amateur Extra) credit
does not confer any operating privileges and, lacking Morse code credit, is no good for an upgrade until the new rules become effective.
"Anyone holding or earning a valid CSCE for element credit must wait until February 23 to redeem it at a volunteer examination session," he says. "You may
not operate as /AG or /AE until you have upgraded and have been issued a CSCE marked for upgrade." A CSCE is good for 365 days from the date of issuance,
no exceptions.
Henderson further emphasizes that those who qualified as Technician licensees under the examination regime in place from March 21, 1987, until April 15,
2000, do not get General class Element 3 credit on that basis. For starters, he says, the "old" Element 3 is not the same as the current Element 3.
"When the Novice and Advanced examination elements went away, the FCC renumbered the elements," he explains. "Those who passed Element 3 from March 21,
1987 until April 15, 2000, qualified for the Technician license, and the exam was not the same as the current Element 3 General element test."
Applicants upgrading at a test session on or after February 23 on the basis of a valid CSCE must present the certificate for element credit, fill out an
application and pay any applicable exam session fee, which most VECs charge. Between now and then, Henderson points out, upgrade applicants still have
the option of passing the 5 WPM Element 1 Morse code test in addition to the General or Amateur Extra written tests.
Technician licensees who have not passed a Morse code examination automatically gain new privileges on February 23 without having to apply at an exam session.
But they're the only ones. On that date, all Novices and Technicians will have equal privileges on HF: CW on parts of 80, 40 and 15 meters, and CW, SSB
and data on parts of 10 meters.
Test sessions at 12:01 AM Friday, February 23, have been scheduled at ARRL Headquarters and in many other locales to handle upgrade applications as well
as those taking an exam element for the first time. W1AW will be on the air that weekend to welcome newly upgraded licensees to the HF bands.
The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) reports that business has been very brisk since the FCC announced the new rules dropping the Morse requirement
for any Amateur Radio license.
"We're avalanched," said Assistant ARRL VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O. "Sessions are going onto the schedule fast and furious. They're all waiting for that
magic date of February 23." ARRL VEC has hired extra personnel to deal with the anticipated post-February 23 application onslaught.
ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, says the VEC typically schedules some 5500 exam sessions a year. By the end of January, some 3500 were already on this
year's calendar with more pouring in every day. Sales of ARRL Amateur Radio licensing materials also are up dramatically.
The ARRL has posted all relevant information on these important Part 97 rule revisions on its "
FCC's Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235"
Web page.
No End in Sight to Vanity Call Sign Processing Hiatus
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 7, 2007 -- Tomorrow will mark five weeks since the FCC granted a new Amateur Radio vanity call sign application, although it continues
to act on vanity renewals. The Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) issued the last new vanity call signs January 4 for applications received
December 15, but it didn't announce the processing hold until January 11 -- a week after the fact. The Commission has halted new vanity call sign processing
while it's modifying the Universal Licensing System (
ULS)
software that handles vanity applications. When processing might resume remains up in the air.
"At this point, I don't have a time frame," a WTB staff member told ARRL this week. Information FCC staffers provided on background nearly two weeks ago
briefly gave rise to optimism that the processing hold could end by January 29 or sooner, but that didn't happen. The Commission is likely to receive an
avalanche of new vanity call sign applications after February 23, when elimination of the Morse code examination requirement is expected to spur a massive
influx of license upgrades.
The current suspension affects new vanity call sign applications submitted on December 18 or later. It resulted from a new Amateur Radio Service rule that
went into effect December 15 to discourage the practice of filing multiple vanity applications on the same day to better the applicant's chances of getting
a particular call sign.
A brief FCC ULS Web page announcement -- not updated since it was first posted -- says that while the Commission is still accepting vanity call sign applications,
it won't process them "until software changes in accordance with the recent rule making have been fully implemented."
At issue is a new rule included in the so-called "omnibus" Amateur Radio Report and Order (
R&O)
in WT Docket 04-140. As revised, §97.19(a)(1) now stipulates: "In the event that the Commission receives more than one application requesting a vanity call
sign from an applicant on the same receipt day, the Commission will process only the first such application entered into the Universal Licensing System."
The FCC will dismiss any subsequent vanity call sign applications from the same applicant on the same receipt date.
Although the WTB was aware of the pending rule change well in advance of its implementation, it nonetheless seems to have been caught off guard. The Commission
halted new vanity call sign processing only after an unwitting applicant submitted 30 applications for the same call sign on the same receipt day three
days after the new rule became effective.
Since new vanity call sign processing ceased last month, the FCC has twice scheduled ULS maintenance shutdowns -- both on weekends. The WTB has not indicated,
however, if those outages were a part of the process of getting the vanity system back on track.
Once processing of new vanity applications does restart, the FCC plans to deal with all applications now in the queue in the order received. A sizeable
application backlog could dictate how rapidly that happens. Typically, it takes 18 days from the time the FCC receives a vanity application until the call
sign is issued -- or the application is denied. The current vanity call sign fee, payable for new applications as well as renewals, is $20.80 for the 10-year
license term.
A Talking Logbook with
Rig Control
The artificial speech synthesis capabilities of Windows PCs assist
the visually impaired with logging and basic rig control.
Steve Gradijan, WB5KIA
A
A
free, general purpose logging
program called TalkingLogBook
(Figure 1) keeps track of contacts and
critical transceiver functions. It announces
transceiver readings, settings and reviews logbook
information. Its voice is that of
Microsoft’s Sam, the artificial speech voice
included with Windows XP and available for
earlier versions of Windows including
Windows 98.
An op-ed article written in a late 2004 issue
of QST magazine bemoaned the problems of
handicapped radio amateurs and the lack of
inexpensive solutions. TalkingLogBook was
written to help close that gap by providing
speech facilities for computer logging and to
support operation of legacy transceivers.
The Microsoft SAPI 5.1, an activeX
programming control, TTSX, developed by
WAØTTN, a “universal” Amateur Radio
control program called OmniRig by VE3NEA,
Halcyon, a Delphi compatible database
control by Griffin Solutions, Inc and a Borland
Delphi compiler were used to create
TalkingLogBook. This logging program allows
the visually impaired to listen to the contents
of an electronic logbook and review basic
transceiver frequency and mode information
using a Windows based PC.
Software applications oriented towards
handicapped radio amateurs are needed that
automate the logging process, have large print
fonts and provide aural information to the user.
The tools need to work with both PC controllable
transceivers and those that cannot be
controlled. The TalkingLogBook program
supports most modern Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM
1902 Middle Glen Dr
Carrollton, TX 75007-2419
wb5kia@arrl.net
and a few other transceivers. The program can
be used with automatic or manual frequency and
mode control. Users without PC controllable
radios can use most of the program’s features.
ADIF file transfer protocol is supported to permit
“transfer” of log information from an
existing program into TalkingLogBook or the
other way around, if necessary.
Three pieces of software work together to
provide the logbook functions as shown
diagrammatically in Figure 2. The umbrella
program is the TalkingLogBook executable file
compiled with the Borland Delphi compiler. It
provides the logging and sorting functions and
interfaces with the TTSX activeX control and the
OmniRig server to provide artificial speech
capabilities and automatic frequency and mode
control respectively. A second version of
mc-ref
Figure 1 — The TalkingLogBook main screen allows review of logbook
contents, announcements of current time, radio frequency and mode and
other features using the synthetic speech capabilities of Microsoft Windows.
TalkingLogBook is programmed without TTSX
and can be used with Windows XP (or versions
of Windows 98 or higher that have SAPI 5
installed).
OmniRig is a server program that provides
a software interface between the user’s transceiver
and PC. It is the engine that provides
serial communication links for numerous
transceivers as described in the OmniRig documentation.
Many different transceivers can be
linked to the umbrella program. TTSX is a program
that streamlines the process of coding
speech capabilities into TalkingLogBook. It
also loads the required Microsoft SAPI onto
operating systems other than Windows XP. It
contains the routines necessary to trigger textto-
speech actions through control of the
Microsoft SAPI. A dBase database engine
40 May/June 2006
called Halcyon provides Structured Query
Language (SQL) capabilities to sort and retrieve
information from individual logbooks
and to create the actual logbook files. An
editable text file provides grammar rules that
allow enunciation of strange or unusual words
or abbreviations unique to Amateur Radio with
the program version using TTSX.
The mouse, short-cut keys and the up/
down arrows on the keyboard control the program
functions. Rig mode and frequency
changes are made using the radio or the self
contained, small frequency database.
Audible cues pass logging and rig control
information from features that are accessed
by both short-cut keys and/or mouse clicks.
Error messages may be either audible or
visual. Keyboard characters may be monitored
and read back using the PC’s sound card
as individual characters are typed. The
contents of logbook fields can be queried prior
to writing them to the electronic logbook
database. Because users can control basic
functions with the short-cut keys and audible
cues are provided at several levels, anyone
who is completely blind but is computer
literate should be able to use the program.
A default logbook is loaded automatically
when the program is loaded. Alternative logbooks
can be loaded or new logs created just
as in a normal logbook program, however,
audible cues are available during the process.
TalkingLogBook is easy to use but,
because of the complexity of the software
routines, initial program installation,
configuration and the settings for a few
features require the support of a sighted or
partially sighted person.
TalkingLogBook was programmed using
Delphi. However, the activeX controls that
make voice announcements and a wide range
of radios possible can also work with Visual
Basic, Visual C++ or C++.
Does Your Transceiver Support
PC Control?
Most modern and some older transceivers
can be PC controlled but the radios might
require a little sleight of hand to accomplish
this magic. How PC-to-radio communication
is accomplished depends on the radio
in use and the software that will control the
radio or other peripheral equipment. This is
why it is not possible to provide a do-it-all
logging program using software alone.
All modern radios are not created equal,
nor are they necessarily capable of communicating
with your computer right out of the
box. Several popular, modern radios require
accessories not supplied by the manufacturer
with the basic radio. A “level” converter may
be necessary to establish PC logging or CAT
capabilities (notably ICOM and Yaesu transceivers
— the IC-7800 is an exception). The
latest Kenwood, Yaesu, Ten-Tec and Elecraft
transceivers generally are equipped with RS-Level converters are usually available
232 capable ports, ready to accept a cable from the radio manufacturer and cost in the
from your PC’s COM port. range of $100. It is possible to build level
Some radios are more amenable to PC converters from plans that are contained in
controls than others, as shown in Table 1. If some versions of the ARRL Handbook or
a radio has an RS-232 port, it probably can from plans on the Internet with a parts outlay
be controlled without a level converter. of around $10.
Figure 2 — A flow chart of the TalkingLogBook hardware and software modules.
Figure 3 — TalkingLogBook might best be used in conjunction with a single-headset
headphone to listen to the audio cues as outlined in the text.
May/June 2006 41
Table 1
Computer Control Capabilities of Representative Modern Amateur Transceivers
table with 6 columns and 8 rows
Transceiver
RS232 Port
Level Converter
Control Basic Functions
Advanced Functions
PC Keyer Control
Kenwood TS-2000
yes
Not needed
yes
yes, lots
yes
Kenwood TS-570
yes
Not needed
yes
yes
yes
Icom-756 Pro II
no
Required
yes
yes, limited
limited
Icom-746 Pro
no
Required
yes
yes, limited
limited
Icom-706 MkIIG
no
Required
yes
no
no
Yaesu (recent)
unknown
Some
yes
unknown
Ten-Tec Pegasus
yes
Not needed
yes
yes
unknown
table end
table with 7 columns and 13 rows
Table 2
Radios Known to be Compatible with OmniRig and TalkingLogBook
ALINCO
ELECRAFT
ICOM
JST
KENWOOD
TEN-TEC
YAESU
DX-77
K2
IC-706II
JST-245
TS-440
Paragon II
FT-100
IC-706MKIIG
TS-570
Orion
FT-817
IC-718
TS-850
FT-847
IC-735
TS-870
FT-857
IC-737
TS-2000
FT-897
IC-746 PRO
FT-900
IC-756 PRO II
FT-920
IC-761
FT-990
IC-765
FT-1000
IC-7800
FT-1000MP
table end
mc-ref
Figure 4 — OmniRig configuration screen
set for use with the Elecraft K2 radio.
Figure 5 — TalkingLogBook adjustable
fonts improve readability of the logbook
entries for some individuals.
Radios Supported
TalkingLogBook is usable today for
automatic frequency and mode logging with
the radios listed in Table 2. All other radios
can be used with the logging software in
manual mode (no PC connection). All the
program’s functions, except the automatic
frequency and mode logging and the
program’s internal frequency memory
channels, which are used to control rig
frequency and mode, are functional in the
manual mode.
TalkingLogBook was tested with the
Kenwood TS-2000 and the ICOM IC-706
MKIIG. Read the OmniRig documentation
to learn how to set up and interface the other
radios listed. VE3NEA continually updates
the OmniRig database of compatible radios;
check Alex’s Web site for new additions. If
your PC controllable radio is not listed, it
may be possible to program the OmniRig.ini
file to provide the appropriate data links/
commands as described on the OmniRig
Web site.
Installation
You must have a copy of Windows 98 or
higher to use the artificial speech feature.
Windows 95 and earlier versions are not
supported. A Pentium II or equivalent
processor at 233 MHz with 128 MB of RAM
or better is recommended. Microsoft reports
that not all soundcards are supported by
SAPI 5 although I have loaded the software
on three PCs and one laptop and all the
installations worked fine.
The installation of the software is more
complicated than most. Two support
programs are required and, at present, they
must be installed independently from the
logging program. All three programs install
easily, however. Download OmniRig from
the Internet at www.dxatlas.com/omnirig
and TTSX at www.netdave.com/wa0ttn/
42 May/June 2006
(go to the section describing PSK31).
TalkingLogBook may be downloaded at
www.qsl.net/wb5kia.1
Follow the installation instructions for the
helper programs. OmniRig by VE3NEA is a
server program used to communicate between
a large number of transceivers and
TalkingLogBook. TTSX is the activeX control
developed by WAØTTN to communicate
with Microsoft’s artificial speech system.
Microsoft’s Speech System must also be installed
on your PC. Microsoft Windows XP
includes the speech system; however, all users
must install the WAØTTN TTSX interface.
TTSX will install the SAPI modules necessary
(if you do not use Windows XP) and establishes
the program links to run artificial
speech with the TalkingLogBook. Next, install
OmniRig to provide the radio to PC link.
Install TalkingLogBook last. Either unzip
TalkingLogBook into a file folder of your
choice and run the executable or use the install
program (depending on which version
of the software you download). Follow the
setup instructions.
I recommend you download the program
and its support programs from the home web
sites as described above. If you do not have
an Internet connection, TalkingLogBook is
available on a CD ROM. The disk is free,
though I request $10 per copy to cover
packaging, reproduction and mailing
expenses.
Setup
TalkingLogBook requires a compatible
transceiver and a PC running Microsoft Windows
(It has been tested only with Windows
XP so far but will work on Windows 98 and
higher, too). It will not work with Windows
95 or earlier Windows versions. A straight
through serial cable is required to connect
the PC to the radio or the radio’s level adapter.
Do not use a null-modem cable; it will not
work! A single ear headphone is recommended
to listen to announcements while in
QSO. Plug the headset into your soundcard’s
line output or speaker jack. A typical use of
the software is diagrammed in Figure 3.
Run the configuration part of the program
to set up the radio type, communication port
and data transfer speeds (see Figure 4) from
the TalkingLogBook SETTINGS menu or from
OmniRig. Kenwood radios need the RTS set
to HANDSHAKE and the data rate to
57,600 kbps. The RTS on ICOM radios should
be set to LOW. The data rate for ICOM radios
is limited to a maximum of 19,200 kbps. The
1The qsl.net Web site is quite slow at times.
You can download the program version that
is current at publication time from the ARRL
Web site at www.arrl.org/qexfiles/. Look
for 5x06Gradijan.zip. You may want to
check the author’s Web site periodically for
updated versions.
data rate should be set to identical values in
both the program and the radio. Follow the instructions
from your radio’s manual to set the
data rate of the radio. DATA BITS should be set
to 8 and PARITY to NONE for all radios. POLL
INTERVAL and TIMEOUT are partially dependent
on your PC speed, length of serial cable and
whether a true serial connection or a USB to
serial converter is used.
Features
•
Microsoft’s artificial speech voice known as “Sam” reads the electronic logbook information on request. Other voices may be substituted, see the text. Limited
CAT capabilities are provided. TalkingLogBook (TLB) reads the rig frequency and mode, also SWR with some transceivers. A small “external” memory data base
is provided to control simplex frequency input.
•
Audible cues and short-cut keys are used.
•
Key strokes are announced if the Audible Typing box is checked.
•
Current time and rig frequency announcements are available.
•
An editable “grammar” file allows the “Sam” voice to pronounce abbreviations of states or radio shorthand as the full words with one TLB version.
•
Logbooks may be queried in “standard” and “magnified” type fonts as shown in Figure 5.
•
The program automatically recognizes, lists and announces previous contacts with a logged station when the call sign is entered into the STATION log field.
•
The program provides band and license restricted frequency-limit cues.
•
SWR is announced with some transceivers.
•
Accesses the Radio Amateur Callbook if this callbook disk is available. TLB can vocalize the information.
Table 3
Recommended OmniRig Configuration Settings. Selections in Bold Text
are Preferred.
Equipment Data Rate Stop bits RTS DTR Poll Int. Timeout
Kenwood 4800-57600 1 or 2 Handshake Low 100 2000
Icom 1200-19200 2 Low Low 100 2000
Yaesu 4800 2 Low Low 100 2000
Ten-Tec 4800 2 Low Low 100 2000
TalkingLogBook and ARRL’s LogBook of the World
ARRL’s LogBook of the World (LoTW) software provides a secure method
of confirming contacts electronically. If you have been thinking about registering
with LoTW, or already have registered, then TalkingLogBook will help you
submit your electronic logs to LoTW. If you want to learn more about LoTW, or
want to register with the program, you should read H. Ward Silver’s (NØAX)
September 2005 QST article, “The LogBook of the World — 75 Million QSOs
Can’t Be Wrong!” on pages 50 to 53. You can also find more information on
the ARRL Web site at www.arrl.org/lotw/. The text of Ward’s QST article is
also available on that site.
Once you have downloaded and installed the LoTW software and obtained
your software “certificate,” you are ready to upload your logs to the ARRL
LogBook Web site. TalkingLogBook will create the appropriate file, by converting
the log file to the Amateur Digital Interchange Format (ADIF).
To prepare the log that you have created in TalkingLogBook, simply go to the
“Maintenance” menu and select “Create/Convert ADIF.” Select the “TLB to ADIF”
button and then select the log file you wish to convert, and select “Open.” The
program will write a new file into the TalkingLogBook main folder, with the same
name as the log file you wanted to convert, but using the .ADI file extension.
Now you are ready to “sign” the ADIF file with the TQSL program that you
downloaded with the LoTW software. The TQSL program adds a digital signature
to each QSO in the log. This is the method LoTW uses to ensure the log
data really came from you. Look for the new ADIF file you created with
TalkingLogBook. It will have a suffix of .adi. In the TQSL program you will select
“Sign Existing ADIF File” and then select the file you created. TQSL will
ask you for a file name to save the signed log document and will create that
file with a file extension of .tq8.
Finally, send the .tq8 file as an e-mail attachment to lotw-logs@arrl.org, or
upload it via the LoTW Web site, and you are done. You will receive a confirmation
e-mail after your log has been uploaded and processed by LogBook of
the World. — Larry Wolfgang, WR1B
May/June 2006 43
•
A module converts ADIF files from other programs to import logbook information.
•
A module exports native TalkingLogBook files into ADIF format to export logbook information.
Who Can Use TalkingLogBook
Effectively?
The program is intentionally easy to use.
TLB is an electronic logbook plus basic CAT
program. There are only a few frills.
Operating it is straightforward but effective.
TalkingLogBook was initially designed for
the visually impaired. Blind radio amateurs
may find the program useful. Large standard
fonts can be “magnified” for other users. The
speech capability may be useful to either
blind or visually impaired individuals.
The Future
A keyboard text to speech capability is in
development using a text buffer. Anything
typed using your PCs keyboard terminal
might be vocalized and sent to the transceiver
audio circuits. Radio amateurs with speech
impairments might be able to effectively use
voice communications by typing text rather
than having to avoid SSB or FM modes.
Unfortunately, the unnatural sounding
characteristics of Microsoft Sam’s artificial
voice may limit this use. Commercial voice
modules do provide more naturally sounding
voices but are not free. A female counterpart
to “Sam” and an alternative male voice are
available free from Microsoft. Both of these
have slightly better characteristics. Recorded
speech in wave files in conjunction with a
“look-up” dictionary might be used to
provide a limited, but highly intelligible
vocabulary as an alternative to the current
synthetic speech system in a future version
of the program. Wave file audio could
provide correct diction. An extensive
Amateur Radio vocabulary of *.wav audio
files would be necessary and might be
practical with high end PCs.
Microsoft’s speech system also has
limited speech recognition capabilities not
presently utilized in the TalkingLogBook. A
data input by voice command version for
individuals who find it difficult or impossible
to use a keyboard is possible. A prototype is
in development and may be the topic of a
future article. Commercial software is
available that converts speech into text. A
challenge is to convert SSB audio to text.
FM audio might be easier. My early tests
with text conversion of streaming audio is
that the Microsoft recognizer requires
training (providing a speech sample). My
voice and others that have been trained work
reasonably well; the difficulty is in getting
the recognizer to understand untrained
voices from your radio.
A contest version of the program is possible
if there is sufficient user interest and
additional developers become involved in the
project.
The program currently generates beam
headings and makes call sign prefix identification
for the various DXCC entities. Rotator
control could be linked to the current beam
heading capabilities for DX stations using
Dynamic Date Exchange (DDE) or newer
technologies. Some rotators are software
friendly, others require modifications to control
box circuitry to allow software control.
Rotator implementation will be a challenge
from both the hardware and software perspectives.
Several commercial logging programs
already have the capability to control several
rotators. The rotator control hardware is expensive
in most instances. What is needed is
affordable hardware solutions that can be
linked to programs like TLB.
A facility to read PSK and RTTY text is
possible using the technology employed here
and the PSK Core DLL developed by AE4JY
(www.qsl.net/ae4jy/pskcoredll.htm), the
MMTTY DLL by JE3HHT (mmhamsoft.
ham-radio.ch/#MMVari) and/or the PSK
ActiveX control developed by WAØTTN
(www.netdave.com/wa0ttn/PSK31.asp). It
is realistic to develop simple software to allow
the visually impaired use of PSK and RTTY.
TalkingLogBook includes only the Microsoft
“Sam” artificial voice provided by the TTSX
control. Microsoft’s Mary and Mike voices are
also free. The additional voices are in a file
called Sp5TTIntXP.msm that is used by developers
to distribute the artificial “voices.”
Special developer software I do not have is required
to make the file usable on a target PC.
However, these voices are added to a user’s PC
when the entire free Microsoft SDK is installed
on a PC. The SDK is over 68 MB and is available
on disk for a nominal fee. Download the
Speech SDK 5.1 from www.microsoft.com/
speech/download/SDK51. Install the SDK.
The install places an icon called SPEECH in the
Windows’ Control Panel. Select and doubleclick
the SPEECH icon from the Control Panel.
Go to the TEXT TO SPEECH tab and make a VOICE
selection. Finally, click the APPLY button at the
bottom of the window. Now, when you run the
TalkingLogBook, the voice you select will be
used. I personally prefer the MIKE and MARY
voices.
Other Aids
Windows XP and some other flavors of
Windows already contain features that might
be of use to handicapped radio amateurs.
Tools like Magnifier, Narrator and On-screen
Keyboard may be accessed from the Windows
menu (Accessories->Accessibility-> followed
by the named feature). These helper
utilities may be used in conjunction with the
TalkingLogBook or other Amateur Radio oriented
software. Windows XP users may also
access Magnifier and On-screen Keyboard
using TalkingLogBook’s ACCESSIBILITY menu
toolbar.
The Amateur Radio and the Blind series
by Butch Bussen, WAØVJR, was published
in QST between October 1987 and January
1988. These articles contain alternative
solutions for the visually handicapped using
hardware speech synthesis to pass logging
information to the user. Most of the described
solutions rely on expensive hardware but may
still be appropriate for some visually impaired
individuals. The entire series is available from
the ARRL QEX Web page (see Note 1).
Conclusion
TalkingLogBook is an ongoing project to
develop free software for persons with
disabilities to facilitate Amateur Radio
activities. Artificial speech makes logging
software easier to use for some radio
amateurs. Comments and suggestions for
improvement of the software are
appreciated. Drop WB5KIA a line if you can
help with the development of the program,
especially if you have Delphi programming
skills. Check www.qsl.net/wb5kia for
program updates and additional information.
Acknowledgments
Significant contributions to this project
came from the work of Alex Shovkoplyas,
VE3NEA; Dave Cook, WAØTTN, and
Griffin Solutions, Inc (www.grifsolu.com).
Their helper software and programming
tools facilitated development. Tom Repstad,
K1VG, provided coding for the program’s
WAS and DXCC lists and provided lots of
ideas as to how to use the Halcyon database
programming tool. Joe White, K4RYH,
provided suggestions for an early version of
the logbook.
Steve Gradijan is a geoscience consultant in
the Dallas area. He holds an Amateur Extra
class license, WB5KIA, and has BS and MS
degrees in geology. !§
44 May/June 2006
ARRL Statement on Red Cross Background Checks
October 24, 2006
The American Red Cross has recently notified their local chapters that their volunteers and staff
members must submit to a criminal background check. There are some sound reasons as to why
these criminal background checks were required. The Red Cross didn’t want the possibility of
having a person with a history of violent crime representing them while assisting disaster victims.
The list of volunteers who are being asked to submit to the background checks has been
enlarged to include volunteers with other organizations who assist the Red Cross during times of
disaster relief efforts, such as amateur radio operators volunteering through their local ARES unit.
In short, we have been told that any volunteer who would be assisting the Red Cross disaster
relief effort in any way would be required to complete the background check through the Red
Cross’s third party provider,
www.mybackgroundcheck.com.
The ARRL recommends to anyone submitting their information to the
www.mybackgroundcheck.com
to read VERY carefully what they are giving the Red Cross
permission to check. The Red Cross is requiring volunteers to grant permission for more than
just a criminal background check. They are also requiring permission to draw a consumer and/or
investigative consumer report on the volunteer. This would include a criminal background check,
credit check and a mode of living check.
This is much more information than would be obtained in a criminal background check that the
Red Cross states that they need. The information below in red letters is copied from the
www.mybackgroundcheck.com
website for Red Cross background checks.
Additionally, information you are requested/required to give on this website is: name, address,
social security information, driver’s license number, and date of birth …all good pieces of
information an identity thief needs to open up accounts in your name.
The Red Cross has stated that they will not use credit reports. Requiring that volunteers authorize
the procurement of a credit report is inconsistent with this assurance.
We have been told that ALL volunteers that would assist the Red Cross in any fashion during
disaster relief efforts other than just very short times are also required to complete background
checks at this website.
American Red Cross (“RED CROSS”) will procure a consumer report and/or investigative
consumer report on you for the limited purpose of evaluating you for a position with RED CROSS.
MyBackgroundCheck.com, LLC (“MBC”) an affiliate of Pre-employ.com, or any agent of MBC, will
obtain the report for RED CROSS. MyBackgroundCheck.com is located at 2301 Balls Ferry
Road, Anderson, California 96007 and can be reached at 800-300-1821.
The report will contain any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer
reporting agency bearing on your credit worthiness, credit standing, credit, capacity, character,
general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be
used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the
consumer’s eligibility for (A) employment purposes; or (B) any other purpose authorized under
section 604 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The types of information that may be obtained
include, but are not limited to: credit reports, social security number verification, criminal records
checks, public court records checks, driving records checks, educational records checks,
verification of employment positions held, personal and professional references checks, licensing
and certification checks, etc. The information contained in the report will be obtained from private
and/or public record sources, including sources identified by you or through interviews or
correspondence with your past or present coworkers, neighbors, friends, associates, current or
former employers, educational institutions or other acquaintances. I understand that while the
information contained in the report or reports provided has been obtained by various third parties
from public record data sources deemed reliable, their accuracy cannot be guaranteed due to
potential human error in the actual recording or retrieval of the record.
The nature and scope of this disclosure and authorization is all-encompassing, however, allowing
RED CROSS to obtain from any outside organization all manner of consumer reports and/or
investigative consumer reports now and, if you are hired, throughout the course of your
employment to the extent permitted by law. As a result, you should carefully consider whether to
exercise your right to request disclosure of the nature and scope of any investigative consumer
report.
You are nonetheless entitled to request more information about the nature and scope of such
reports by submitting a written request to: MyBackgroundCheck.com, Compliance Department,
P.O. Box 491570, Redding, Ca. 96049 or by fax to 888-999-3839.
Hams Called to Action in Aftermath of China Quake
ChinaQuakeMap1
This map shows the location of the epicenter of the May 12 earthquake that rocked Sichuan, China. [Photo courtesy of USGS]
On Monday, May 12 at 0628 UTC, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Sichuan, China. The
Chinese Radio Sports Association,
the Chinese IARU Member-Society, has designated the following frequencies for emergency services involved in the rescue: 14.270, 7.050 and 7.060 MHz. The
ARRL encourages US amateurs to be aware of the emergency operations on those three frequencies.
The CRSA Web site reports the following:
"On the afternoon of May 12, 2008, Wenchuan Area of China's Sichuan province was struck by an earthquake. Communications in some of the surrounding areas
are currently cut off, and communications in some other areas are experiencing network congestion because of drastically increased traffic.
"Chinese Radio Sports Association therefore calls on its members to take actions to ensure their amateur radio stations to operate properly, and to the
extent possible stand by on often used short-wave frequencies. If any radio signal is heard from the disaster area, please do your best to understand what
is most needed by people in that area and report it to the local government authority. If people in the surrounding areas need to pass messages to their
loved ones over the radio, please help them to get in touch and get the messages across as soon as possible.
"Amateur radio stations in the disaster area and surrounding areas if in working conditions should be used unconditionally to assist the local earthquake
disaster relief authorities, and subject to permission by the said authorities, to provide communications services to them. For emergency communications
purposes, amateur radio stations may also be used to pass messages for local residents on a temporary basis until local telecommunications services resume.
Amateur radio stations of all regions should give way to and stand by for emergency communications."
Hams on the Ground
At 1757 UTC on Monday, May 12, Liu Hu, BG8AAS, of Chengdu, a town in the province of Sichuan, reported that a local UHF repeater survived the disaster.
"It keeps functioning from the first minute and more than 200 local radio hams are now on that repeater. A group of hams from Chengdu has headed for Wenchuan,
the center of the quake, trying to set up emergency communication services there," he said.
Michael Chen, BD5RV/4, said that Yue Shu, BA8AB, also from Chengdu, Sichuan, was reported to be active on the 40 meter emergency frequency on Monday. "Up
to now, there has been no further information available from the center zone of the quake. There are a few radio amateurs there, but all of the communications
have been cut out, including Amateur Radio," Chen said.
At 1858 UTC, Liu reported that the local UHF repeater in Chengdu "keeps busy running after the quake. It helps to direct social vehicles to transport the
wounded from Dujiangyan, Beichuan and other regions. Another UHF repeater also started working in Mianyan, supported by generators, but they are going
to face a shortage of gas." Chen said that damage in Chengdu remains in the lowest level, but the situation is "very very bad in the counties around. A
few towns are said to be destroyed completely. More than 7000 died in the town of Beichuan. Casualties in several other towns are still unknown and not
counted in the published numbers. It is a long and sad day."
At 0831 UTC on Tuesday, May 13, Chen said that a group of radio amateurs is now transmitting from Wenchuan, the center of quake: "Its signal is reported
to be very weak. They tried to keep communication with BY8AA, the Sichuan Radio Orienteering Association in Chengdu, seeking for all resources needed.
During a contact finished a few minutes ago, they were asking for raincoats, water, tents and outdoor living facilities." -- Information provided by Michael
Ye, BD4AAQ, and Michael Chen, BD5RV/4
W1HQ Snake Gets Name, Call Sign
H1SS
The W1HQ mascot, Hamaconda, H1SS, gets up close and friendly with ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, in the Laird Campbell Memorial HQ Operators
Club at ARRL HQ in Newington. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]
With more than 400 votes tallied, the
W1HQ snake
finally has a name. Sean Kutzko, KX9X, president of The Laird Campbell Memorial HQ Operators Club, announced that the snake not only has a name, but a call
sign, as well.
"Members of the club met over lunch to discuss and vote on all the names that were sent in. The winning entry came from Charlie Liberto, W4MEC, of Hendersonville,
North Carolina. He, along with former ARRL staffer R. Dean Straw, N6BV, submitted the name Hamaconda. Paul Trotter, AA4ZZ, of Charlotte, North Carolina,
submitted H1SS as a name. We liked the idea of the snake having a call sign, so the club decided, out of all the great names and call signs sent in, that
Charlie's and Paul's submissions fit our mascot perfectly." Both Liberto and Trotter will receive their choice of an
ARRL Handbook,
ARRL Antenna Book
or
ARRL Operating Manual.
Kutzko, the ARRL Contest Branch Manager, was voted in as president of the HQ club at the meeting. ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, was selected
as vice-president. ARRL Lab Manager and W1HQ Trustee Ed Hare, W1RFI, was selected as the club's technical officer, and ARRL MVP Associate/Production Assistant
Carol Michaud, KB1QAW, was selected as club secretary.
Ronald A Parise, WA4SIR (SK)
wa4sir
Ron Parise, WA4SIR (SK) was instrumental in the development of the SAREX and ARISS programs. [Photo courtesy of NASA]
Dr Ronald A. Parise, PhD, WA4SIR, passed away Friday May 9, 2008 after a very long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 57. Parise flew as a payload
specialist on two space shuttle missions:
STS-35
on
Columbia
in December 1990 and
STS-67
on the
Endeavour
in March 1995. These two missions, ASTRO-1 and ASTRO-2 respectively, carried out ultraviolet and x-ray astronomical observations, logging more than 614
hours and 10.6 million miles in space. Parise was one of the first astronomers to operate a telescope from space, making hundreds of observations during
the mission. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (
ARISS)
Chairman Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO, said Parise's personal contributions to these two missions provided scientists with "an unprecedented view of our universe,
expanding our understanding of the birth, life and death of stars and galaxies."
First licensed when he was 11, Parise kept Amateur Radio at the forefront of everything he did, including his operations from space. During his two shuttle
flights, he spoke with hundreds of hams on the ground. He was instrumental in guiding the development of a simple ham radio system that could be used in
multiple configurations on the space shuttle; as a result, his first flight on Columbia ushered in what Bauer called the "frequent flyer era" of the Shuttle
Amateur Radio Experiment (
SAREX)
payload. He was the first ham in space to operate packet radio. "His flight pioneered the telebridge ground station concept to enable more schools to talk
to shuttle crew members despite time and orbit constraints," Bauer said. "In his two shuttle flights, he inspired countless students to seek technical
careers and he created memories at the schools and communities that will never be forgotten. Ron was also the ultimate ham radio operator -- in space and
on the ground."
Bauer said that Parise's love for Amateur Radio and his love of inspiring students continued well beyond his two shuttle flights: "During the formation
of the ARISS program, Ron was a tremendous resource to the newly forming international team. I know of many instances where Ron's wisdom and sage advice
was instrumental in helping our international team resolve issues when we reached critical technical or political roadblocks. He was a key volunteer in
the development of the ham radio hardware systems that are now on-board ISS. The ARISS team is deeply indebted to WA4SIR for his leadership, technical
advice and tremendous vision."
Parise worked hand-in-hand with the students at the
US Naval Academy
and
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
on the development of their student satellites. He helped develop
Radio Jove,
a student educational project to listen to the radio signals emanating from Jupiter. Parise spoke at numerous schools over the years, inspiring students
to pursue careers in science, math and technology.
"Ron Parise was--and continues to be--an inspiration to countless students, ham radio operators, and friends the world over. His accomplishments were many,
including space explorer, pioneer, astrophysicist, pilot, ham radio operator, avionics and software expert, inspirational speaker and motivator, student
satellite mentor, husband, father and friend. While he certainly did some truly extraordinary things in his lifetime, Ron Parise is best known and cherished
for keeping family and friends first, and for this, we will miss him most," Bauer said.
In an effort to continue Parise's work to inspire the next generation, his family has set up a scholarship fund in Parise's honor for students pursuing
technical degrees at Youngtown State University, Parise's alma mater. In lieu of flowers, those interested are welcome to send donations to the Dr Ronald
A. Parise Scholarship Fund, Youngstown State University, One University Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555. -- Information provided by Goddard Amateur Radio Club,
WA3NAN
Preliminary Report and Forecast of Solar Geophysical Data
"The Weekly"
Block quote start
Block quote start
Block quote start
The Preliminary Report and Forecast of Solar Geophysical Data, called "The Weekly", is an on-line publication that has been compiled and distributed by
the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to customers around the world since 1975. The Weekly, issued every Tuesday, summarizes the week's space weather
activity with text, tables, and graphs plus provides Outlooks for solar and geophysical activity for the next solar rotation -- 27 days.
Block quote end
Block quote end
User Guide to the WEEKLY
in Adobe PDF format.
Most of the data in the Weekly is available on-line in near-real-time as ascii or gif format files.
Links to online weekly content
The Weekly files, in PDF format, range from 500 to 600 Kbytes. An Acrobat(R) Reader 5.0 or later is needed to view these documents and is available free
from Adobe at
http://www.adobe.com/products/index.html
Block quote end
Table of Contents:
List of 21 items
• PRF 1707 - 20 May 2008
• PRF 1706 - 13 May 2008
• PRF 1705 - 06 May 2008
• PRF 1704 - 29 Apr 2008
• PRF 1703 - 22 Apr 2008
• PRF 1702 - 15 Apr 2008
• PRF 1701 - 08 Apr 2008
• PRF 1700 - 01 Apr 2008
• PRF 1699 - 25 Mar 2008
• PRF 1698 - 18 Mar 2008
• PRF 1697 - 11 Mar 2008
• PRF 1696 - 04 Mar 2008
• PRF 1695 - 26 Feb 2008
• PRF 1694 - 19 Feb 2008
• PRF 1693 - 12 Feb 2008
• PRF 1692 - 05 Feb 2008
• PRF 1691 - 29 Jan 2008
• PRF 1690 - 22 Jan 2008
• PRF 1689 - 15 Jan 2008
• PRF 1688 - 08 Jan 2008
• PRF 1687 - 02 Jan 2008
list end
List of 2 items
• The Weekly in year 2007
• See
Historical SWPC Products
for Weekly reports since 1997.
list end
Send suggestions, comments or problems concerning The Weekly to RWC.Boulder@noaa.gov
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FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign Fees
The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (
NPRM)
on May 8 seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs. Currently, a vanity call sign costs $11.70 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if
the FCC plan goes through, will go up to $12.30 for 10 years, an increase of $.60. The FCC is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended)
to collect vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying
for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. Instructions on
how to comment
on this NPRM are available on the FCC Web site.
The vanity call sign fee has fluctuated over the 12 years of the current program -- from a low of $12 to a high of $50; the current fee of $11.70 is the
lowest the fee has been since the inception of the vanity call sign program. The FCC said it anticipates some 15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign "payment
units" or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $184,500 in fees from the program.
Vanity Fee Due for New, Renewal Applications
The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term.
The first vanity call sign licenses issued under the current Amateur Radio vanity call sign program that began in 1996 came up for renewal two years ago.
Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are exempt from having to pay the vanity call sign regulatory fee at renewal, however. That's because
Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such "heritage" vanity call sign holders do not appear as vanity licensees in
the FCC Amateur Radio database.
Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC Registration Number
(FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can obtain an FRN by going to the
ULS
and clicking on the "New Users Register" link. You must supply your Social Security Number to obtain an FRN.
ARRL Processes License Renewals, Including Vanities
The ARRL VEC will process license renewals for vanity call sign holders for a modest fee. The service is available to ARRL members and nonmembers, although
League members pay less. Routine, non-vanity renewals continue to be free for ARRL members. Trustees of club stations with vanity call signs may renew
either via the ULS or through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator, such as ARRL VEC.
League members should visit the "
ARRL Member Instructions for License Renewals or Changes"
page, while the "
Instructions for License Renewals or Changes"
page covers general renewal procedures for nonmembers. There is additional information on the ARRL VEC's "
FCC License Renewals and ARRL License Expiration Notices"
page.
License application and renewal information and links to the required forms are available on the ARRL
Amateur Application Filing FAQ
Web page. The
FCC's forms page
also offers the required forms.
Colorado Group Receives D-STAR Equipment
The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (
CCARC)
recently teamed up with Ham Radio Outlet (
HRO)
in Denver to donate a 2 meter, 70 cm and 23 cm
D-STAR
system stack. According to ARRL Colorado Section Manager and CCARC Board Member Jeff Ryan, K0RM, the two groups hit upon the idea of issuing a Request for
Proposal (RFP) to Colorado radio amateurs. "The RFP required the D-STAR systems to be installed and maintained on-the-air for five years, after which the
winning group would retain ownership of the equipment," Ryan said. "We received three excellent proposals, and on March 21, CCARC and HRO awarded the D-STAR
system to the
Colorado D-STAR Association,
a consortium of Denver area individuals, clubs and ARES groups."
Ryan explained that the goal of the CCARC, which also serves as Colorado's frequency coordination body, was "to spur the interest and use of digital Amateur
Radio technology. This is the first D-STAR system that will go on the air in Colorado. The hope is that it is the first of many such systems, ultimately
linking the entire Amateur Radio community throughout Colorado and beyond."
The 3-band D-STAR system, serving the Denver Metro area and the Front Range of Colorado from Ft Collins to Castle Rock and points east, will be installed
this summer at a mountaintop site. The system will have a coverage area of more than 5400 square miles, nearly the size of Connecticut. "The RFP requires
the repeaters to be 'open' and available to the entire Amateur Radio community for the duration of the 5 year contract period," Ryan said. "The RFP placed
special emphasis on the D-STAR systems being available to ARES groups in the served area, and also requires the host group to link to any other requesting
D-STAR system that comes on the air in Colorado."
FCC Denies Two Amateur Radio Petitions for Rulemaking
In two separate decisions released today, the Federal Communications Commission denied two Petitions for Rulemaking (PRM) having to do with Amateur Radio.
These two PRMs, one filed by
Mark Miller, N5RFX,
of Arlington, Texas, concerning digital spectrum issues, and the other filed
jointly
by Ken Chafin, W6CPA, of La Crescenta, California, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR, of Los Angeles, California, concerning additional spectrum for more repeaters,
including digital systems. Miller's PRM was assigned RM-11392, while the Chafin and Brown petition was not afforded an RM number by the FCC. According
to ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, the ARRL filed no comments on either petition in accordance with the League's standard policy on bare petitions
for rule making that do not deal with spectrum allocations.
Mark Miller, N5RFX
Miller filed his PRM (RM-11392) in March 2007, requesting that portions of Part 97 be amended to revise various definitions and frequency privileges. He
requested that the Commission amend various rules that relate to use of Amateur Service spectrum by stations transmitting data and other narrow bandwidth
emissions. Specifically, the petition requested that the FCC amend the definition of data in Section 97.3(c)(2) to delete language added in the Commission's
2006
Omnibus Report and Order
; amend Section 97.221 to limit the subbands on which unattended operation of automatically controlled digital stations is permitted, and amend Sections
97.305 and 97.307 to establish maximum necessary bandwidths for radioteletype (RTTY) and data emissions in the amateur high frequency bands.
Miller noted in his PRM that adoption of these changes would result in "a small number of wider bandwidth modes," including
Pactor III,
not being authorized. Miller supported his request, saying, "[e]missions have crept into the narrowband RTTY/Data subbands in the 80-10 meter bands that
are not appropriate for the RTTY/Data subbands," and that "[s]tations under automatic control have taken advantage of loopholes created by terminology
in the commission's rules." The FCC noted that it had received more than 650 comments and reply comments to this PRM, "most of which oppose the petition."
Definition of Data
In its 2006 Omnibus R&O, the FCC revised the definition of data to include certain image emission types in order to permit amateur stations to transmit
both image and data emission types in the same frequency segments. The PRM noted that the Commission proposed this change in response to a rulemaking petition
filed by Miller in 2003: "The Commission agreed with commenters, including Miller, who argued that permitting images to be transmitted on data emission
frequency segments would allow Amateur Radio to make the most of new software programs, thereby advancing Amateur Radio technology, which would be consistent
with one of the purposes of Amateur Service, namely to contribute to the advancement of the radio art."
Miller asserts in his 2007 PRM that Section 97.3(c)(2) should be amended to return to the pre-2006 definition of data because "the necessary tests have
not been performed to ensure that this mixing [of data and image emissions] will not cause interference because of an increase in traffic" on certain bands
by upgraded licensees after the FCC eliminated Morse code testing as an license examination requirement.
Miller's assertion conflicts with the FCC's Omnibus R&O, as well as Miller's own assertion in his 2003 PRM that permitting amateur stations to transmit
both image and data emission types in the same frequency segments would not result in interference. The FCC contends that "nothing in the present record
indicates that increased activity by upgraded licensees, or any other changed circumstance, provides a basis for revisiting the Commission's 2006 conclusion."
The FCC disagreed with Miller's "unsupported assertion" that elimination of Morse code proficiency testing would cause "these bands to transmit both image
and data emission types in the same frequency segments requires corresponding action to restrict permissible emission types. Rather, we believe that some
upgraded licensees will choose to engage in these types of communications, but others will select different operating activities," the FCC stated in their
decision. "Moreover," the FCC continued, "rescinding the 2006 amendment would conflict with the Commission's conclusion that permitting amateur stations
to transmit both image and data emission types in the same frequency segments would contribute to the advancement of the radio art."
The FCC concluded that Miller, in his 2007 PRM, had not set forth "sufficient reasons" for the Commission to consider deleting the 2006 addition to the
definition of data: "Should future experience substantiate Miller's concerns, he may file a new, factually supported petition for rulemaking."
Automatically Controlled Digital Stations
Miller, in his 2007 PRM, also asked that Section 97.221 be amended "to permit automatically controlled digital stations to transmit only on VHF and higher
amateur bands and the nine specific HF subbands." Section 97.221 permits automatic control15 of amateur stations transmitting a RTTY or data on any other
amateur frequency authorized for RTTY or data emissions. Miller contended that automatically controlled digital stations utilize bandwidth modes that are
incompatible with the Amateur Service because "such stations do not analyze the propagation conditions and amount of traffic in the spectrum." He argued
that such modulation modes "should not be permitted because other modes offer greater spectral efficiency while occupying less bandwidth" and contended
that "interference from automatically controlled digital stations will increase in the wake of the elimination of Morse code testing, as upgraded licensees
receive new HF privileges."
The FCC, upon review of Miller's PRM, was not persuaded that Miller "set forth sufficient reasons for the Commission to propose to amend the rules to prohibit
automatically controlled stations from transmitting on frequency segments other than those specified in Section 97.221(b)" and again rejected "as speculative"
Miller's contention that upgraded licensee's HF operations will result in "increased interference from automatically controlled digital stations."
Bandwidth Limitation
The FCC stated that their rules "do not specifically limit the permissible bandwidth for RTTY and data emissions in the amateur HF bands." Instead, the
Commission continued, Section 97.307(f) limits specified RTTY or data emissions "to a symbol rate not to exceed 300 bauds (in the 80 to 12 meter bands)
or 1200 bauds (in the 10 meter band); or for frequency-shift keying (FSK), to a maximum frequency shift of 1 kilohertz between mark and space." Miller
proposed that these limits be replaced with a maximum necessary bandwidth of 1.5 kHz or 2.4 kHz, respectively, noting that "the current limitations were
developed before phase-shift keying (PSK) emissions generated by digital signal processors, such as personal computer sound cards, became available to
amateur radio operators" and that that the current rules "no longer provide the separation of certain inharmonious emission types to different segments
of the frequency band."
Again, the FCC was not persuaded by Miller's arguments: "We believe that these rules provide amateur service licensees the flexibility to develop new technologies
within the spectrum authorized for the various classes of licensees, while protecting other users of the spectrum from harmful interference. We also believe
that imposing a maximum bandwidth limitation on data emissions would result in a loss of flexibility to develop and improve technologies as licensees'
operating interests change, new technologies are incorporated, and frequency bands are reallocated. Additionally, we believe that amending the amateur
service rules to limit the ability of amateur stations to experiment with various communications technologies or otherwise impeding their ability to advance
the radio art would be inconsistent with the definition and purpose of the amateur service. Moreover, we do not believe that changing the rules to prohibit
a communications technology currently in use is in the public interest."
As such, the FCC concluded that Miller did not set forth "sufficient reasons for the Commission to propose to delete the 2006 addition to the definition
of data, amend the rules to prohibit automatically controlled stations from transmitting on frequency segments other than those specified in Section 97.221(b),
or replace the symbol rate limits in Section 97.307(f) with bandwidth limitations," and wholly denied Miller's PRM.
Ken Chafin, W6CPA, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR
Chafin and Brown jointly filed a PRM in October 2007 requesting that the FCC "propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station operating as
a repeater (repeater station) may operate," specifically Section 97.205(b) to allow repeater stations to transmit in the 145.5-145.8 MHz frequency segment
of the 2 meter amateur service band (144-148 MHz), in addition to the 2 meter band frequency segments currently authorized for repeater station operation.
Chafin and Brown argued that additional spectrum is needed for repeater stations "because some amateur repeater stations have begun using digital communications
protocols and "digital voice operation is incompatible with existing analog operations [because d]igital voice users are unable to determine if the desired
frequency is in use by analog users and can inadvertently cause harmful interference to those users." The men pointed out that coordinating groups have
been unable to separate analog and digital voice repeater operations to avoid harmful interference because the available repeater spectrum in the 2 meter
band is "fully occupied by existing analog users in most metropolitan areas."
The FCC, after considering the PRM, concluded that it did not present grounds for the Commission to amend its rules: "Repeater stations are authorized to
transmit on any frequency in the 2 meter band except the 144.0-144.5 MHz and 145.5-146.0 MHz frequency segments. These two segments were excluded to minimize
the possibility of harmful interference to other amateur service stations and operating activities, including 'weak signal' operations. Allocating an additional
three hundred kilohertz of the 2 meter band to repeater operation would not be consistent with that concern. Rather, it would likely result in increased
interference to non-repeater stations."
The Commission further noted that when it had previously addressed the interference between amateur stations engaging in different operating activities,
"it has declined to revise the rules to limit a frequency segment to one emission type in order to prevent interference to the operating activities of
other amateur radio service licensees." The FCC pointed out that interference between amateur stations is already addressed by Section 97.101(b) and (d)
of the Commission's Rules, requiring "amateur licensees to cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and in making the most effective use of amateur
frequencies, provide that no amateur frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station allocated to the Amateur Radio Service, and prohibit
operators from willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to any radio communication or signal." and wholly denied Chafin and Brown's
PRM.
CQ de LA8OKA from Galdhoepiggen, Norway's Highest Peak
By Martin Storli, LA8OKA
la8oka@arrl.net
May 06, 2008
A high altitude location for a low power operation.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 1
The path to the summits is clearly marked with signs at appropriate places.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 2
The path is marked with red Ts placed at 10 to 25 meter intervals all the way to the top.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 3
En route to the summit is a magnificent view over the Visdalen Valley 1000 meters (approximately 3000 ft.) below.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 4
Only a few meters left to the summit of Galdhoepiggen, 2469 masl, Norway's highest mountain.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 5
The end of the dipole was attached to a walking pole with cheap clothes line. The summit hut can be seen in the background.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 6
The dipole antenna was fixed between two walking poles and the summit turn plate.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 7
The signal reception on the highest peak in Northern Europe was excellent. The IC-703 transceiver was placed on a soft plastic bag to prevent it from being
scratched on the stones.
Galdhoepiggen, Norway 8
One of the many trekkers who enjoyed the view from the summit.
Saturday, August 5, 2006, I took the trekking route from Spiterstulen to Galdhoepiggen, Norway's highest peak at 2469 meters above sea level (masl). This
was planned to be a trip with two of my radio amateur friends from the LA1FDG LA Field Day Group, but during the week before the trip, one hurt his back
and the other got a terrible cold. Because I had already done so much planning for this trip I decided to go to Galdhoepiggen anyway. Since I was going
by myself, I decided to use my own call sign in place of using the LA1FDG Field Day call sign.
On the way to the summit I also climbed the sub-summits Svellnose (2272 masl) and Keilhaus summit (2355 masl) since the Norwegian Trekking Association's
marked path goes quite near them also. The
Norwegian Trekking Association
(DNT in Norwegian) offers one of Europe's larger marked hiking trail networks (20,000 km) and arguably the world's most extensive cross-country skiing track
networks (7000 km). DNT also maintain 450 cabins for trekkers.
It was excellent weather with almost no wind and a nice warm sun, so I was walking in shorts and a T-shirt all the way to the summit. Because my sleeping
mat was tied on the outside of my backpack, I got questioned by many if I was going to sleep on the summit; I answered yes on this question.
An Easy Climb with Reindeer for Company
The marked path is easy to follow all the way to the top, and because of this, everyone with some mountain experience should be able reach the summit, at
least when its nice weather, like it was on this particular day. If it's bad weather, it's, of course, a whole different story!
Due to my heavy backpack I took it easy on the way to the summit. I was going to sleep there anyway, so there was no reason to rush to the top.
There were a lot of reindeer to see during the trip to the top. Due to the heat they tended to stay on the glaciers to avoid insects and to get some cooling.
There were many eager photographers who pulled up their cameras and zoom lenses to get a shot of the reindeers. The reindeer didn't seem to take any notice
of all the people. They are probably so used to having their picture taken that they would probably be insulted if we didn't try to photograph them, hi.
These reindeer belong to local farmers and not to Santa Claus, as some of the children were told by their parents.
There was quite a crowd on the summit; approximately 800 people reached the top this day. Most of them were already on their way back down to the valley
when I reached the summit with my heavy backpack. I managed to find a place without too much wind behind some large rocks and started to cook myself a
meal. Food always tastes delicious when trekking in the mountains.
An Oasis at the Summit
I used the evening to talk to Erlend; he lives on the summit of Galdhoepiggen for 6 weeks working for the owners of the summit hut. The special architecture
of the hut mimics the drake heads from the famous Norwegian Stave Churches. He sells coffee, food and chocolate during the daytime. He uses the evenings
to clear the summit of the garbage left there by the tourists. The prices in the kiosk where quite high, but none seemed to care about this. I guess most
of the people were glad that someone else made the effort to carry everything up there.
Despite some wind, I had it nice and warm inside my sleeping bag and I didn't had any problems sleeping through the night outside. (It's not allowed for
tourists to sleep inside the cabin.)
A Good Day for DX
I woke up to a beautiful morning. After breakfast I set up the antenna between the summit disk [a viewing device used to determine names and distances for
other summits -- Ed.] and a couple of walking poles that I had brought with me.
I used an ICOM IC-703 transceiver (
www.icomamerica.com)
; this transceiver has a built-in antenna tuner and a 10 W output on HF and 50 MHz. Even with only 10 W I had several transatlantic SSB contacts earlier.
To power the transceiver I used a 7.2 Ah battery; this battery provides enough power for several hours of operation with the IC-703. Unfortunately this
is a sealed lead acid battery and it weighs about 2.7 kg (5.9 lbs), actually more than the transceiver. But lead-acid batteries are cheap, easy to get
and easy to charge.
The antenna I used was a simple half-wave dipole antenna, and with luck, I had some hope of tuning the antenna up on 17 meters with the built-in antenna
tuner. When the antenna was set up it turned out that it was only possible to tune the antenna on 20 meters. That was probably due to its very low height
above ground. Previously I had tuned this antenna with ease on 17 meters, but then the antenna had been considerably higher above ground. To save as much
weight as I could, I had only brought with me a short piece of coax, just about 3 meters. Due to this, I placed the transceiver right below the feed point
of the antenna.
In a short time I managed to make contacts with several radio amateurs from Germany, Ukraine and Italy. The special location attracted a lot of attention
on the band, especially with German stations, many of whom had a good knowledge of Norwegian geography. One German had even been on the summit of Galdhoepiggen
himself.
Amateur Radio Ambassador
As time passed, more and more people who arrived at the summit started to ask me what I was doing. The contact rated dropped, since I took the time to tell
them about Amateur Radio and show them how it all worked.
A couple of the people who had climbed the summit turned out to have radio amateurs as neighbors; I bet they had an unusual story to tell their neighbor
when they got back home!
It was clear that many people were impressed when they could hear European and American stations loud and clear with this simple equipment, when it was
almost impossible to get coverage with their cellular phones.
My handheld, a Kenwood TH-7E (
www.kenwoodusa.com)
also attracted some interest and I had to show how I could reach people down in the valley by using one of the local repeaters.
I think this is a good example of how it's possible to combine trekking and outdoor life with Amateur Radio and have a lot of fun while doing it! Be sure
to bring some ham gear with you next time you are going for some trekking in the wilderness!
Martin Storli, LA8OKA, was born in 1973. He received his first Amateur Radio license as LC2AAT in 1995 and his present call sign LA8OKA in 2003. He is a
degreed Avionics Engineer currently responsible for all communication, navigation and electric equipment for the fleet of a major Norwegian airline. He
spends his spare time with his wife and his hobbies: Amateur Radio, mountaineering and other outdoor activities. He also likes to travel around the world
and, whenever it's possible, tries to bring along some ham gear. He has been active using the following call signs: LA8OKA Norway, LC2AAT Norway, JW8OKA
Svalbard, EA/LA8OKA Spain, EI/LA8OKA Ireland, OX/LA8OKA Greenland, W7/LA8OKA Arizona, USA, M/LA8OKA England.
When on the air he enjoys DXing, APRS and portable operation. He is a casual contest and digimode operator. He always attends the NRRL Field Day where he
combines Amateur Radio with his outdoor hobbies. He can be reached through the e-mail address above or his Web site,
www.arcticpeak.com
www.arcticpeak
All photos courtesy of Martin Storli, LA8OKA.
Veteran Wireless Operators Association Honors Two Hams
W1FR
Fritz Raab, W1FR, received the VWOA's DeForest Audion Gold Medal Award.
AudionMedal
The De Forest Audion Gold Medal Award recognizes significant contributions to the world of technology.
K6KU
John Curtis, K6KU, received the VWOA's Marconi Memorial Award Plaque .
VWOA_Plaque
The plaque given to Curtis reads, "A soft spoken man who worked very diligently over his lifetime of perfecting electronic circuits to generate Morse code
as exemplified by the development of the Curtis Keyers. This award recognizes his individual efforts and that he also stands out as an outstanding example
of all people in our midst who have greatly helped us who have practiced the radio art and made a livelihood operating radio and wireless on a daily basis.
Presented April 26, 2008."
At their annual awards banquet on April 26 in New York City, the Veteran Wireless Operators Association (
VWOA)
honored two Amateur Radio operators with two of the association's top awards: Fritz Raab, W1FR, and John Curtis, K6KU. Raab gave the keynote address at
the banquet. "The dinner speech was a wonderful presentation of the Amateur Radio Experiment domestically and that which is happening internationally.
He explored what may happen, if things go well for the museum stations on 500 kHz and for radio amateurs," said VWOA Chairman Francis Cassidy. "Ever since
the emergence of the Global Marine Distress and Safety System, professional radio officers have discussed the prior use of 500 kHz. They know the attributes
in the oceans of the world where ground wave transmissions on the oceans provided their primary informational experience of these transmissions."
Fritz Raab, W1FR
Raab, of Burlington, Vermont, received the VWOA's De Forest Audion Gold Medal, honoring his "technical achievements in 35 years of radio engineering." Raab
serves as the experimental project manager for
The 500 KC Experimental Group for Amateur Radio.
The ARRL 500 kHz experimental license,
WD2XSH,
was
issued
in September 2006 and has 20 active stations.
"I'm kind of excited to see how we can apply modern technology to a 'classic part' of the radio spectrum," Raab told ARRL in 2006 when the experimental
license was issued. He pointed out that 500 kHz -- the traditional maritime emergency frequency -- is roughly geometrically halfway between the 136 kHz
experimental band and the 160 meter amateur allocation. "In contrast to 160 meters, 500 kHz is low enough to offer good ground wave propagation," Raab
said, "but in contrast to 137 kHz, it is high enough to allow us to engage in real communication with realistic equipment."
Raab said he would eventually like to see at least a secondary 600 meter amateur allocation from 495 to 510 kHz. "Besides the opportunities for experimenting
at low frequencies, that frequency is well suited to regional groundwave communication," Raab said. He said he envisions the eventual use of the spectrum
to provide Amateur Radio emergency communication via groundwave, without having to deal with the vagaries of the ionosphere or causing interference to
any other services.
Additional information on the 500 KC Experimental Group for Amateur Radio can be found at the experiment's Web site and also in the
July/August 2007 issue of QEX.
Raab said that it was "a real honor for me to receive an award named after one of the most important inventions in radio, and given by an organization whose
members have included a number of the legends in the field. As a newcomer to 500 kHz through our experimental license, it is especially nice to be recognized
by a group of people who have actually used 500 kHz for communication."
Raab is chief engineer and owner of Green Mountain Radio Research, a consulting firm that he founded in 1980. He received his BS, MS and PhD in electrical
engineering from Iowa State University. Raab is co-author of Solid State Radio Engineering and author of more than 100 technical papers; he has been issued
12 patents. Raab's professional activities include RF power amplifiers, radio transmitters and radio-communication/navigation systems. He is a fellow of
IEEE and a member of ARRL, HKN, Sigma Xi, Association of Old Crows, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Radio Club of America.
John Curtis, K6KU
Curtis, of Granite Bay, California, received the VWOA's Marconi Memorial Award Plaque "for his lifetime efforts of perfecting electronic circuits to generate
Morse code as exemplified by the development of the Curtis Keyers."
In an
article
Brad Mitchell, N8YG, wrote for the ARRL Web site in 2002, he said, "Modern transceivers incorporate many features that not long ago were considered accessories:
CW keyers and SWR meters come to mind. John Curtis, K6KU, created an electronic iambic-keyer circuit and subsequently offered an IC chip to do the job.
He revolutionized keying, as we know it."
Mitchell wrote that Curtis, when studying for his Amateur Extra ticket, "decided to get a feel for the requirements of the Extra Class test by undertaking
a circuit design project. John built a keyer circuit and learned about digital electronics." This keyer worked so well that Curtis's ham friends told him
he should market it. Curtis followed the advice, and in 1969, he placed an ad in Ham Radio Magazine announcing the Curtis Electronic Devices EK-38. The
-38 and its follow-up, the -39, became so successful that Curtis quit his day job and formed Curtis Electro Devices.
Curtis had established a lot of contacts while working at a semiconductor manufacturing company in the 1960s. These paid off for him when he decided that
a keyer circuit could be implemented on a chip. He started with two designs: The 8043 and the 8044. "The 8043 was designed as a completely custom integrated
circuit in
CMOS,"
Mitchell wrote. "At the same time, International Microcircuits was looking for a chip in which to test their gate array technology. The first chip down
the line was the 8044, produced for Curtis. The 8043 worked first try. It was limited to dit memory, and sold for $7.95 in quantities of 50 or more in
1973. The 8044 also worked right off the bat. It offered dah memory in addition and sold for $24.95 in 1975. The 8044M was introduced in 1980. M stood
for meter. A meter could be hooked up to a pin of the 8044M to indicate sending speed."
In 1981 Curtis added mode B keying characteristics to his keyers. Mode B simply added an extra dit or dah when the operator stopped sending, depending on
which was sent last. If a dit was sent last, an extra dah would be sent. If a dah were sent last, a dit followed. Curtis added this feature to his 8044B.
He introduced several keyers incorporating his new full-featured ICs. The first was the EK430 incorporating the 8043 chip. Curtis also introduced a fully
integrated keyboard chip called the 8045. In June 1982, Curtis Electro Devices produced its last keyer, the Lil' Bugger. Offered as the K5 or K5B, it incorporated
the 8044 or the 8044B chip, respectively. Both models sold for $39.95 and were quite popular.
In spring of 1986, Curtis introduced the 8044ABM chip. It incorporated selectable A or B modes and the speed meter, becoming an industry standard. In the
1980s, however, microcontrollers were making serious headway and Curtis chips were no longer in demand. MFJ took over part of the line and Curtis Electro
Devices ceased operations in April 2000.
The VWOA
The Veteran Wireless Operators Association was founded in 1925 to foster fellowship among wireless operators aboard ship, in the military, and in the shore
stations. Through the years, the ranks of the VWOA have included most of the executives and innovators of the broadcasting and communication industry,
as well as thousands of radio operators.
Today, in its 83rd year, the VWOA serves as both a link to the history or radio, as well as a bridge to the future. Its members have been, and continue
to be, on the front lines of the development of radio and television broadcasting, satellite communications, and the entire digital revolution. Current
membership is approximately 300 men and women. Members are concentrated along both US coasts, but members also reside in almost every state as well as
Canada and several other countries. For more information on the VWOA, please visit the
VWOA Web site.
Newspaper Reports "BPL plan is dead in Dallas"
The Dallas Morning News has
reported
that "an ambitious plan for using power lines to deliver fast Internet service to 2 million Dallas-area homes collapsed Thursday." Current Group, LLC has
announced plans to sell its Dallas BPL network to Oncor, a regulated electric distribution and transmission business, for $90 million. Oncor reportedly
has no plans to offer Internet service but will use the network to detect distribution network issues. While Current originally touted the network as a
way to offer Internet service to consumers and had entered into a marketing arrangement with DirecTV, the Houston Chronicle
quotes
Oncor spokesman Chris Schein as confirming that Oncor will use the network only for monitoring the power grid: "Our business is delivering electricity,
not being an Internet provider or a television provider."
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, observed that "This announcement underscores yet again that the Bush Administration made a fundamental
error in judgment when it erroneously identified BPL as a potential 'third wire' delivering broadband to consumers. As the Court of Appeals for the DC
Circuit
determined
last week, the FCC then compounded the error by 'cherry-picking' from its staff studies and ignoring other studies that proved the FCC was underestimating
the interference potential of BPL systems. One can only hope that this latest marketplace failure of BPL will send a clear message that the answer to expanding
consumer broadband access lies with other, more promising technologies that do not have such a potential to pollute the radio spectrum."
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was quick to point out that BPL was not going away in Dallas. According to Oncor Vice President Jim Greer, Oncor
will use the BPL network to spot grid problems to detect large power outages before they affect customers. Oncor will not offer Internet service through
the system as Current had originally planned when they built it.
The ARRL has no issues with BPL as long as it does not cause harmful interference to the amateur bands. Current's Dallas system is a good example of that,
Hare said, as it is "notched" so as not to interfere with the Amateur Radio Service: "The Current system in Dallas is probably not causing interference
to ham radio. Their equipment doesn't use the ham bands. It is also quiet except when in use. For meter reading and other utility applications, nearby
modems may make the occasional short burst of noise, but not the cacophony of sound we hear with some other systems. You would probably be able to tell
that BPL is there if you tune outside the ham bands. From an EMC perspective, what is needed now to complete this progress are regulations and standards
that match BPL's most successful models."
DirecTV customers who get Internet service through Current's network will probably lose service when the deal goes through. "Oncor is not in the telecommunications
business, and it has no plans to get into the telecommunications business," said Schein.
Dallas and Houston are the only metropolitan areas in Texas with BPL. In the past, the City of Austin looked at incorporating a BPL system in their community,
but decided not to do so. In a
report
on how the BPL trial it undertook worked for them, the City of Austin summarized its reasons for that decision.
Eight Tornadoes Ravage Eastern Virginia
When tornadoes swept across the state of Virginia on Monday, April 28, local Amateur Radio operators responded to the call for assistance. According to
Ken Murphy, KI4GEM, Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Portsmouth, an
EF3 tornado
touched down in Suffolk, Virginia around 4 PM local time, plowing its way east into Norfolk, damaging scores of homes, stores and cars and downing dozens
of trees and power lines; Suffolk is about 20 miles from Norfolk, Virginia. Soon after the tornadoes touched down, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine declared
a State of Emergency and directed state agencies to take all necessary actions to aid in the response to widespread damage from the severe weather. About
140 homes were destroyed, damaged or deemed uninhabitable.
The National Weather Service (
NWS)
confirmed eight tornadoes in Virginia: City of Suffolk (strong EF3), City of Colonial Heights (EF1), Brunswick County (EF1), Gloucester County (EF0), Mathews
County (EF0), Halifax County (EF1), Surry County (EF1) and Isle of Wight County (EF1).
"The tornado produced severe damage to many structures, downed large trees, and destroyed power lines. Approximately 200 were injures reported and several
homes and businesses were destroyed. There were no fatalities," Murphy said. Upon spotting the tornado, Murphy called placed a call on the Portsmouth repeater,
asking for someone to notify the National Weather Service and the local EMS. A
SKYWARN
net was activated on another repeater; Portsmouth Emergency Coordinator Dave Livingston, K5SFM, and Bill Farmer, KI4GWC, served as Net control.
"This was an unusual activation in that an ARES AEC from one locality -- Portsmouth -- would not normally be on the scene of a tornado touching down in
another locality -- Suffolk," said ARRL Virginia Section Manager Carl Clements, W4CAC. "Murphy requested that NWS be notified of the tornado and that the
fire department and emergency teams be notified so they could respond. The Deputy Fire Chief of the Driver Volunteer Fire Department (who was the on-scene
commander at the time) was concerned about the number of onlookers entering the disaster area. There were many power lines down and trees in the roadway
and on buildings, as well as damaged natural gas mains. Some buildings were gone leaving a massive debris field."
The Driver VFD Chief requested that ARES activate in order to assist the local teams; 10 members of the Portsmouth ARES group responded. "The Chief had
Murphy assign hams to the roadblocks at the major intersections to assist the police on the scene with traffic and crowd control. We also kept the Chief
informed of the locations of other reported funnel clouds. At one point, the Fire Chief on the scene was advised that one of the team members was tracking
the rapidly moving weather still in the area with the help of APRS," Clements said.
A spokesperson for the City of Suffolk said the area around Sentara Obici Hospital in Driver (a community within Suffolk) were hardest hit. The hospital
was damaged but still able to treat patients. A spokesperson for the hospital said about 60 injured people were being treated there, and he expected most
to be released. "We have lots of cuts and bruises and arm and leg injuries," he said.
Clements said that no further assistance from ARES has been requested. "All local police, fire, and EMS communications are intact and functioning. As in
any disaster, the Emergency Management Officials are asking that unless you have a specific assignment from an on-scene agency (Red Cross, Salvation Army,
official search and rescue teams and the like), please do not just show up at the stricken areas to offer assistance."
State and local officials were still far from a final estimate of the damages from the Suffolk twister -- the worst of eight the National Weather Service
says hit Virginia. Losses from the lesser storms are already at least $3.5 million, said Bob Spieldenner of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
In Suffolk, the destruction could be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Gov Kaine said he was not yet certain that the damage qualifies for a presidential disaster declaration, a designation that qualifies a region for low-interest
federal loans to help homeowners rebuild. "We've got to survey the needs and see what can be done."
Spring 2008 W1AW Frequency Measuring Test Scheduled for May
Capitalizing on the popular and effective automated online results reporting system developed by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, for the Frequency Measuring Test (
FMT)
in November 2007, W1AW will conduct a spring FMT. This FMT will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 9:45 PM (EDT) (that's the same as 0145 UTC on May 22), replacing
W1AW's normally scheduled phone bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those planning to participate should listen to W1AW transmissions
prior to the event to determine which band -- or bands -- will be best for measurement purposes.
In this edition of the FMT, listeners will be asked to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given an exact frequency for the carrier signal. The tone
will be between 1000-2500 Hz. The carrier frequencies will be 3990 kHz (LSB), 7290 kHz (LSB), 14290 kHz (USB) and 18160 kHz (USB).
Measuring audio frequencies of a modulated signal is a useful skill for those interested in digital modes. Proper tuning of these signals is important to
obtain the highest quality performance. For non-digital users, it is also important to understand the relationship between the frequencies of the modulated
signal's sidebands and its carrier. The techniques for measuring a modulating tone are described in the November 2004 QST in an
article
on the Frequency Measuring Test by H. Ward Silver, N0AX. The
FMT Web page
also has several interesting articles about measuring on-the-air signal frequencies.
The FMT will start with a general QST call from W1AW at exactly 0145 UTC, transmitted simultaneously on the frequencies listed above. The test will consist
of three 60-second key down transmissions for each band, followed by a station identification. The test will last for approximately 15 minutes and will
end with station identification. W1AW will identify before, during and after the transmissions. There are no plans at this time for a West Coast station.
Submitting Reports
As in the November 2007 FMT, your report should be submitted via the FMT Report form on the
W1AW FMT Web site.
Along with your call sign and e-mail address, enter your most accurate measurement on each band. There will be a window to list your equipment, describe
the method you used to make the measurements and enter any Soapbox comments. Participants have 14 days to input their data. Participants may input their
data more than once, although the final entry will be the one used for the results. W1AW will post the transmitted frequencies on the FMT Web site following
the test. This will allow participants to quickly determine the accuracy of their equipment and methods. A complete package of results will be available
via the FMT Web site after the 14-day reporting period is concluded. The results from the November 2007 FMT are available on the
2007 FMT Results Web site.
FCC Denies Utah Motorsport Park Use of Amateur Radio Frequencies
On Thursday, April 24, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, filed an Informal Objection with the FCC regarding a pending application for a Special Temporary
Authority (STA) filed by Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. One day after filing the Objection, the FCC agreed with the ARRL, saying, "Due to the
possibility of interference to Amateur operators and also the race teams utilizing the proposed frequencies, we feel that it is not in the public interest
to grant [Miller Motorsports Park's] request."
The FCC also advised Miller Motorsports that if they "wish[ed] to pursue other frequencies, [they] should coordinate with the ARRL and National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (
NTIA)."
Miller Motorsports requested the use of frequencies 448.525, 448.650, 448.060, 448.290 and 448.610 MHz at 4 W ERP. They proposed to use 100 mobile units
on each of these and other channels at or above 450 MHz for a race event scheduled May 26-June 1, 2008. The application filed by Miller Motorsports stated
that the radios would be used for "security, medical and maintenance for the entire event" and that communications service is "vital to the life and safety
of the spectators and drivers of this race event." Miller Motorsports also implied that the NTIA had approved the use of the 448 MHz channels.
The League's Informal Objection pointed out that "Amateur Radio Service licensees make extremely heavy use of the band 420-450 MHz, and especially the segment
440-450 MHz for FM voice repeaters. There are repeater stations in Salt Lake City, of which Tooele is a close-in suburb, using frequencies throughout the
448 MHz range for outputs, including 448.525, 448.625, 448.050 and 448.075 MHz. In addition, there are repeater outputs in other areas of the greater Salt
Lake City area which are in regular operation at all times of the day or night, and radio amateurs using mobile stations would be predictably interfered
with by operation as proposed in the STA."
The Objection also stated that there was the possibility that some of the spectators to the event at Miller Motorsports Park, or otherwise in the area,
might be Amateur Radio operators who might be operating using their portable transceivers "on the precise channels sought by the STA."
The ARRL called Miller Motorsports Park choice of channels "completely inappropriate. The radio amateurs who are licensed to use these frequencies are under
no obligation to either tolerate interference or to cease their own operation, regardless of the interference that might be suffered at any time" by Miller
Motorsports.
While the FCC has issued STAs on the amateur allocations from time to time, the ARRL wrote, "many, perhaps a majority, are of no concern to the ARRL due
to the choice of frequency band, duty cycle or power level proposed," what Miller Motorsports is requesting is "a completely incompatible and inappropriate
use of Amateur Radio allocations." Citing "harmful interference to and from the Amateur Radio Service on channels in the 448 MHz band," the ARRL requested
that the FCC deny Miller Motorsports' STA application.
VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators
The
VoIP Hurricane Net
is looking for Net Control Operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly Hurricane Preparation Net and during Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane
Net, created in 2002, is a support net working with
WX4NHC,
the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (
NHC).
The VoIP Net Management team is looking for NCOs from any geographic area to maintain a net for as long as emergency communications are required before,
during and shortly after hurricanes; this could be up to 24 hours a day and sometimes for several days. Net Control Operators from the Pacific, Asia, Australia/New
Zealand and other international areas can play a critical role in assisting our net operations during the overnight hours of a North American activation
during their local daytime, providing North American NCOs rest during their normal overnight hours.
The VoIP Hurricane Net uses a cross-link between an IRLP Reflector channel and an EchoLink conference, allowing the NHC to access Amateur Radio operators
who do not have access to HF communications; Amateur Radio operators located at official National Weather Service (NWS) offices and Emergency Operations
Centers (EOCs) also provide severe weather and damage reports to WX4NHC. This is also useful in times when poor HF propagation does not allow contact with
the NHC, making it another way to reach the NHC with critical weather and damage reports in times of a communications emergency caused by hurricanes. VoIP
technology can also be utilized for other weather related and disaster communications. Operations at WX4NHC are organized by National Hurricane Center
Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG, and Assistant National Hurricane Center Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R.
Individuals who possess any of the following qualifications are encouraged to apply to become Net Control Operators:
• Most importantly, a sincere desire to serve as a Net Control Operator and the ability to be flexible with the pressure and issues that can arise during
a Hurricane Net activation.
• Prior experience with an emergency or Public Support Net.
• Prior experience with running a club or VoIP Net.
• Net Control Training through a local Amateur Emergency/Public Service group.
• Incident Command Training.
•
SKYWARN
Weather Spotter Training or equivalent international weather spotting training.
• Any professional experience as a communications dispatcher.
Fluent Spanish speakers are also encouraged to apply to become NCOs in order to further support operations in South and Central America, Mexico and Puerto
Rico.
The VoIP Net Management team will be offering NCO training in the coming weeks. If you're interested in becoming an NCO, please contact Director of VoIP
Hurricane Net Operations Rob Macedo,
KD1CY,
or VoIP Hurricane Net Weekly and Activation Net Control Scheduler Jim Palmer,
KB1KQW. --
Information provided by VoIP Hurricane Net Public Information Officer Lloyd Colston, KC5FM
Ten New Satellites in Orbit
Ten satellites reached orbit April 28 aboard an Indian PSLV-C9 rocket launched from the
Satish Dhawan Space Center.
The primary payloads were India's CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites. In addition to the NLS-5 and RUBIN-8 satellites, the rocket carried six
CubeSat
research satellites, all of which communicate using Amateur Radio frequencies. All spacecraft deployed normally and appear to be functional at this time.
The SEEDS satellite is designed and built by students at Japan's Nihon University. When fully operational, SEEDS will download telemetry in Morse code and
1200-baud FM AFSK packet radio at 437.485 MHz. The satellite also has Slow-Scan TV (
SSTV)
capability. Several stations have reported receiving SEEDS CW telemetry and the team would appreciate receiving more reports from amateurs
at their ground station Web page.
AAUSAT-II
is the creation of a student team at Aalborg University in Denmark. It will downlink scientific telemetry at 437.425 MHz using 1200 or 9600-baud packet.
Can-X2
is a product of students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). Can-X2 will downlink telemetry
at 437.478 MHz using 4 kbps GFSK, but the downlink will be active only when the satellite is within range of the Toronto ground station.
Compass-One
was designed and built by students at Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The satellite features a Morse code telemetry beacon at 437.275
MHz. Compass-1 will also provide a packet radio data downlink, which will include image data, at 437.405 MHz.
Cute 1.7 + APDII
is a satellite created by students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. This satellite will not only provide telemetry, it will also offer a 9600-baud
packet store-and-forward message relay with an uplink at 1267.6 MHz and a downlink at 437.475 MHz.
Delfi-C3
was designed and built by students at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It includes an SSB/CW linear transponder. The satellite will be
in telemetry-only mode for the first three months of the mission, after which it will be switched to transponder mode. Delfi-C3 downlinks 1200-baud packet
telemetry at 145.870 MHz. The linear transponder, when activated, will have an uplink passband from 435.530 to 435.570 MHz and a corresponding downlink
passband from 145.880 to 145.920 MHz.
Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (
MIC)
announced that Japan's Table of Frequency Allocations and the
Japanese Amateur Bandplan
have been amended, giving amateurs in that country more privileges on certain frequency blocks in the 75/80 meter band. Japanese amateurs are now allowed
to operate the following additional frequencies on the 75/80 meters: 3.599-3.612 MHz, 3.680 to 3.687 MHz, 3.702-3.716 MHz, 3.745-3.747 MHz and 3.754-3.770
MHz.
As of April 28, 2008, Japanese amateurs will have privileges on the following frequencies in the 75/80 meter band:
• 3500-3520 kHz (CW only)
• 3520-3525 kHz (Digital Mode and CW)
• 3525-3575 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3599-3612 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3680-3687 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3702-3716 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3745-3770 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3791-3805 kHz (CW and Phone)
"This makes it a bit easier for US amateurs to make contacts with Japanese amateurs, especially in contests, since Japan does not have phone privileges
on the 160 meter band," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "These new privileges will also make it easier for DXpeditions to work
Japan." -- Information provided by
JARL
Court Finds FCC Violated Administrative Procedure Act in BPL Decision
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today released its
decision
on the ARRL's Petition for Review of the FCC's Orders adopting rules governing broadband over power line (
BPL)
systems. The Court agreed with the ARRL on two major points and remanded the rules to the Commission. Writing for the three-judge panel of Circuit Judges
Rogers, Tatel and Kavanaugh, Judge Rogers summarized: "The Commission failed to satisfy the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure
Act ('APA') by redacting studies on which it relied in promulgating the rule and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its choice of the extrapolation
factor for measuring Access BPL emissions."
The Court agreed with the ARRL that the FCC had failed to comply with the APA by not fully disclosing for public comment the staff studies on which it relied.
The Court also agreed with the ARRL that the Commission erred in not providing a reasoned justification for its choice of an extrapolation factor of 40
dB per decade for Access BPL systems and in offering "no reasoned explanation for its dismissal of empirical data that was submitted at its invitation."
The Court was not persuaded by the ARRL's arguments on two other points, on which it found that the Commission had acted within its discretion.
The conclusion that the FCC violated the APA hinges on case law. "It would appear to be a fairly obvious proposition that studies upon which an agency relies
in promulgating a rule must be made available during the rulemaking in order to afford interested persons meaningful notice and an opportunity for comment,"
the Court said, adding that "there is no APA precedent allowing an agency to cherry-pick a study on which it has chosen to rely in part."
The Court continued, "The League has met its burden to demonstrate prejudice by showing that it 'ha[s] something useful to say' regarding the unredacted
studies [citation omitted] that may allow it to 'mount a credible challenge' if given the opportunity to comment." Information withheld by the Commission
included material under the headings "New Information Arguing for Caution on HF BPL" and "BPL Spectrum Tradeoffs." The Court concluded that "no precedent
sanctions such a 'hide and seek' application of the APA's notice and comment requirements."
With regard to the extrapolation factor, the Court ordered: "On remand, the Commission shall either provide a reasoned justification for retaining an extrapolation
factor of 40 dB per decade for Access BPL systems sufficient to indicate that it has grappled with the 2005 studies, or adopt another factor and provide
a reasoned explanation for it." The studies in question were conducted by the Office of Communications, the FCC's counterpart in the United Kingdom, and
were submitted by the ARRL, along with the League's own analysis showing that an extrapolation factor closer to 20 dB per decade was more appropriate,
as part of the record in its petition for reconsideration of the FCC's BPL Order. The Court said that the FCC "summarily dismissed" this data in a manner
that "cannot substitute for a reasoned explanation." The Court also noted that the record in the FCC proceeding included a study by the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration that "itself casts doubt on the Commission's decision."
The briefs for the ARRL were prepared by a team of attorneys at WilmerHale, a firm with extensive appellate experience, with assistance from ARRL General
Counsel Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD. Oral argument for the ARRL was conducted by Jonathan J. Frankel of WilmerHale. Oral argument was heard on October 23,
2007; the Court's decision was released more than six months later.
After reading the decision, General Counsel Imlay observed, "The decision of the Court of Appeals, though long in coming, was well worth the wait. It is
obvious that the FCC was overzealous in its advocacy of BPL, and that resulted in a rather blatant cover-up of the technical facts surrounding its interference
potential. Both BPL and Amateur Radio would be better off had the FCC dealt with the interference potential in an honest and forthright manner at the outset.
Now there is an opportunity to finally establish some rules that will allow BPL to proceed, if it can in configurations that don't expose licensed radio
services to preclusive interference in the HF bands."
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, added: "We are gratified that the Court decided to hold the FCC's feet to the fire on such a technical
issue as the 40 dB per decade extrapolation factor. It is also gratifying to read the Court's strong support for the principles underlying the Administrative
Procedure Act. Now that the Commission has been ordered to do what it should have done in the first place, we look forward to participating in the proceedings
on remand, and to helping to craft rules that will provide licensed radio services with the interference protection they are entitled to under law."
ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, concluded: "I am very pleased that the Court saw through the FCC's smoke screen and its withholding of valid engineering
data that may contradict their position that the interference potential of BPL to Amateur Radio and public safety communications is minimal. The remand
back to the FCC regarding their use of an inappropriate extrapolation factor validates the technical competence of Amateur Radio operators and especially
of the ARRL Lab under the direction of Ed Hare, W1RFI. We are grateful for the work of our legal team and especially for the unflagging support of the
ARRL membership as we fought the odds in pursuing this appeal."
rr
Antenna Expert L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK)
Cebik2000
In 2000, L.B. Cebik, W4RNL (right), visited ARRL Headquarters to discuss the then-new ARRL Certification Program with League Executive Vice President David
Sumner, K1ZZ, and other HQ staff members. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo]
L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, ARRL Technical Adviser and antenna authority, passed away last week of natural causes. He was 68. An ARRL Life Member, Cebik was known
to many hams for the numerous articles he wrote on antennas and antenna modeling. He had articles published in most of the US ham journals, including
QST,
QEX,
NCJ,
CQ, Communications Quarterly, Ham Radio, 73, QRP Quarterly, Radio-Electronics and QRPp. Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, QEX Editor, called Cebik "probably the most
widely published and often read author of Amateur Radio antenna articles ever to write on the subject."
Cebik lived in Knoxville, Tennessee and wrote more than a dozen books on antennas for both the beginner and the advanced student. Among his books are a
basic tutorial in the use of NEC antenna modeling software and compilations of his many shorter pieces. A teacher for more than 30 years, Cebik was retired,
but served as Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Cebik served his country in the US Air Force from 1957-1961,
specializing in air traffic control.
One of Cebik's last articles for QST, "A New Spin on the Big Wheel," appeared in the March 2008 issue. The article, co-written with Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT,
looked at a three dipole array for 2 meters. This was a follow-up to their article in the January/February issue of QEX that featured omnidirectional horizontally
polarized antennas. Cebik authored the "Antenna Options" for QEX.
Former ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, and editor of
The ARRL Antenna Book,
said, "LB will be greatly missed by the thousands of hams he's helped through his incredibly prolific -- and invariably proficient -- writing about antennas.
LB helped me personally in numerous ways while I worked on antenna matters at the League, always communicating with a gentle, scholarly attitude and a
real eye for detail. I'm in shock at the news of LB's passing. May his soul rest in peace."
Licensed since 1954, Cebik served as Technical Editor for
antenneX Magazine.
According to Jack L. Stone, publisher of antenneX, he had not heard from Cebik for a few days and became worried: "I called the Sheriff in Knoxville to
go check on him since I hadn't heard from him in over 5 days, either e-mail or phone, which is highly unusual. The Sheriff [went to Cebik's house to check
on him and] called back to tell me the sad, devastating news. As his publisher of books, monthly columns, feature articles and software/models for more
than 10 years, we communicated almost daily during that span of time. Not hearing from him for that long was unusual, causing my concern. He was like family
to me and was loved and respected by so many."
Cebik maintained a Web site,
www.cebik.com,
a virtual treasure trove to anyone interested in antennas. Besides a few notes on the history of radio work and other bits that Cebik called "semi-technical
oddities," the collection contains information of interest to radio amateurs and professionals interested in antennas, antenna modeling and related subjects,
such as antenna tuners and impedance matching. Cebik said that his notes were "geared to helping other radio amateurs and antenna enthusiasts discover
what I have managed to uncover over the years -- and then to go well beyond."
His Web site also contains information on antenna modeling. His book,
Basic Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial
for Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Plus NEC-2 antenna modeling software, contains models in .NEC format for over 150 exercises. "Since the principles in the
book apply to any modeling software," Cebik said, "I have also created the same exercise models in the EZNEC format. For more advanced modelers using either
NEC-2 or NEC-4, I have prepared an additional volume,
Intermediate Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial,
based on Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Pro and GNEC. The volume includes hundreds of antenna models used in the text to demonstrate virtually the complete
command set (along with similarities and differences) used by both cores."
ARRL Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, said, "LB typified generosity. He was always developing material that was published widely. Furthermore,
the quality of the articles and concepts was always high, but the writing was such that an audience with a wide range of technical backgrounds could understand
it. His
Web site
is a Solomon's Treasure of solid antenna information -- available to all."
Wolfgang remembered Cebik, saying, "L. B. was an ARRL Technical Advisor, with expertise in antenna modeling and design. I learned that I could count on
L. B. to offer clear, concise comments on any submitted article dealing with antennas. He was always a friendly voice on the other end of my phone line
when I needed to talk to an expert, and I came to expect a quick e-mailed response to any antenna questions that I sent him. L. B. was so much more than
an antenna author, though. He was one of the first ARRL Educational Advisors I ever had the pleasure of working with when I became editor of the ARRL study
materials. He played a key role in helping develop the concept of online courses when ARRL began to study the idea of the
Continuing Education program
; his
Antenna Modeling course
has been one of the most popular offerings in the program. L. B. leaves a legacy of friendly advice and Amateur Radio wisdom. I will miss him as a friend
and as an advisor."
Cebik's niece, Gina Robeson, also of Knoxville, told the ARRL that her uncle "was amazing to me in a different way than hams viewed him. But he was a legend
to me and to the thousands of amateurs whose lives he touched with his work. To me he was my uncle, teacher, friend and confidant. He was a wonderful man,
but his family did not really know about the ham side of him."
Robeson said her family spent each Christmas with Cebik and his wife Jean; Jean passed away in 2002 from cancer. "It was always the greatest fun with all
the food and family getting together. It did not matter if we were getting together as a group or if it was just me and Uncle Roy, he always had the time
to listen and offer advice. He will be sorely missed."
A memorial service for Cebik will be held Sunday, April 27 at 1 PM at Mynatt Funeral Home, 2829 Rennoc Road in Knoxville. Cebik will be cremated and his
ashes scattered in his garden, the same place his wife's ashes were scattered. "They will once more be together," Robeson said.
Cold War QRP: A Case of "Discone Fever"?
By H. P. “Pete” Friedrichs, AC7ZL
pfriedr@gainbroadband.com
April 22, 2008
Small signal — BIG antenna.
Cold War QRP 1
The beautiful discone by day.
Cold War QRP 2
The discone’s top hat.
Cold War QRP 3
AC7ZL's cold war station.
Cold War QRP 4
The Titan Missile Museum.
Cold War QRP 5
Instructions for visiting hams.
Cold War QRP 6
You connect to the discone through this junction box.
Cold War QRP 7
The discone at dusk. The antenna wire and support structure are clearly visible.
Cold War QRP 8
The "bird" sleeping in her nest.
Cold War QRP 9
Control panels and the safe containing the launch codes.
Cold War QRP 10
The remainder of the control room.
Introduction
The control room was a scene of choreographed chaos. Lamps flashed, switches were thrown, checklists were consulted and authentication codes were confirmed.
As the second hand on the wall clock inched forward, the operators, each at their respective stations, turned a key.
A Titan II missile, perched within the adjacent silo, stirred as batteries were energized and relays closed. Inside, pumps and a maze of tubing sprang to
life, bringing hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide into contact. The chemicals spontaneously ignited, a thunderous roar filled the air and angry clouds of
exhaust and steam jetted from the open silo as though from the mouth of a volcano. The missile, serial number 98-31772-5B rose, slowly at first, and then
rapidly gained speed, ascending until it had diminished to a point of light high in the sky. Minutes later, the missile descended, delivering its 9 megaton
nuclear warhead to a hardened target somewhere in the Soviet Union.
Or so it might have been. Luckily, for the sake of all of humanity, cooler heads have prevailed, so the scenario above never actually played out. In fact,
in the early 1980s, President Ronald Reagan ordered the deactivation of the 54 operational Titan missile sites. Eventually, the missiles were removed and
all of the silos were dismantled and destroyed -- except for one.
The Titan Missile Museum
Base 571-7, located about 12 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, has become a National Historic Landmark. Now operated by the nonprofit
Arizona Aerospace Foundation,
the site has been reborn as the
Titan Missile Museum.
There, for the price of a ticket, one can step back into time and experience the front line of the cold war in a very tangible and personal way.
Above ground, there are some interesting exhibits, including various support vehicles, a helicopter and several examples of rocket engines. One can also
examine the 700 ton reinforced concrete silo lid -- now permanently cast in a half-open position.
A Man-made Cavern
Below ground, one can traverse tunnels and various chambers including the command and control room. Huge steel springs suspend these compartments from the
surrounding rock, allowing them to shake and rattle in the event that the site itself became the target of an enemy attack. In the control room, the launch
electronics are still functional. The tail of a punched paper tape dangles casually from its spool in a rack-mounted tape reader. That tape still contains
targeting information. It holds the secret as to where the warhead would have landed and who among our enemies would have suffered complete annihilation.
Nearby is the launch silo, and within it, a Titan II missile. This particular rocket is a training vehicle and has never actually been fueled -- a good
thing as the propellants are both highly toxic and corrosive. Just the same, access holes have been cut into the missile to verify that it is no longer
in launch-capable condition. Needless to say, the reentry vehicle at the top of the rocket is empty. There is no warhead to worry about.
Discone Fever
A visit to the Titan Missile Museum is a worthwhile trip for anyone with an interest in rockets, science or history. Most of the hams I know fall into one
or more of these categories. Yet, there is an additional attraction to anyone interested in radio, in particular those with a valid ham license.
In the early 1960s, as part of the installation of the Base 571-7, the Collins Radio Company erected an absolutely beautiful discone antenna at the missile
site. Discones are broadband antennas -- they are capable of radiating signals over a wide range of frequencies. The lowest usable frequency on a discone
is established by the physical dimensions of the antenna. This particular antenna is something on the order of 80 feet tall, with an enormous crown, which
means it will radiate effectively over a large portion of the HF spectrum.
The Infection
In prior years, I had toured and enjoyed the Titan Missile Museum at least twice. It was only recently, however, that I learned that the general public
can sign up for, and request the use of this antenna. The Green Valley Amateur Radio Club (GVARC) has a
Web page
with comments about the discone and directions for requesting its use. I decided that this was something I had to tinker with. You might say that I had
contracted a case of, well, "discone fever."
Cold War QRP
For this adventure, I brought along my
Yaesu
FT-817. The 817 is a fine multi-mode 5 W transceiver that works well either from an internal battery pack or external power. I opted to run the rig from
a cigarette lighter jack in my vehicle. The Yaesu is a fairly expensive piece of equipment, so to avoid blowing it up in a moment of confusion, I built
a gizmo I call the "Oh-Shoot!" box. (As you may well imagine, the name was inspired by a more descriptive phrase, which is not, however, suitable for use
in good company.) The "Oh-shoot" allows me to connect an external power source to my FT-817. The Oh-shoot is fused, both high-side and ground, has reverse
polarity protection and an overvoltage crowbar. It also has a set of diagnostic LEDs that allow me to verify proper voltage and polarity before the on-switch
is thrown.
With my 817, I normally carry an
LDG-Z100 tuner.
GVARCs Web page says that the discone will tune from 6 to 30 MHz with an SWR less than 2:1, but I figured the tuner would be nice to trim things up as needed.
I have used the Z100 and FT-817 to drive every conceivable makeshift antenna and I've found that I can match to just about anything but a wet noodle.
I enjoy operating CW, but I thought some PSK31 might be fun, too. Thus, I brought my laptop and a
Signalink
SL1+ PSK interface.
The museum's discone is erected behind a security fence, so you can't actually walk up to it and touch it. Electrical access is provided by a UHF connector
housed inside a metal junction box just to the south of the antenna. As it turns out, someone was courteous enough to include a length of coax to link
the box to my radio gear. I was prepared, however. I brought and used my own cable.
Securing permission to use the antenna is easy. I walked into the museum and asked to use it. I showed my driver's license, a copy of my ham license and
I was asked to sign a guest log. That's it.
Hooking Up
I backed my vehicle up to the junction box, opened my tailgate, hooked up my equipment and set up a lawn chair. I began working stations around 1932 UTC
and finished about 4 hours later. Some of the contacts I made were CW, some were PSK31. In some cases I lost folks in fading or noise, in some cases they
lost me. Nonetheless, I was astounded at how far my tiny signal projected.
From my position in southern Arizona, on the 20 meter band using low power CW, I exchanged information with operators in New York, Pennsylvania, Florida
and Texas. I tried the 40 meter band and was able to contact California. Using low power PSK31 on the 20 meter band, I reached out and "touched" Massachusetts,
California, Washington, Oregon, South Carolina and Kansas. I would love the opportunity to run this antenna at night, or in the future when the solar cycle
has progressed and band conditions have improved.
I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to work with this antenna and experience, on a firsthand basis, one small aspect of our cold war history.
I would urge all of my fellow hams to share in this experience. You can find more information about the
Titan missiles
at Wikipedia and through
SiloWorld.
Pete Friedrichs, AC7ZL, has held a lifelong interest in science, electronics and radio. He holds a BS in electrical engineering, has authored two books,
including Instruments of Amplification, available from the ARRL bookstore. He received his ham license in 2003 and derives pleasure from working CW and
PSK31, particularly QRP. When he's not at work or tinkering with electronics, he enjoys hiking, writing and playing guitar. He can be reached through his
Web site:
www.hpfriedrichs.com/.
Surfin': Exploring 900 MHz
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
April 18, 2008
This week, visit a Web page where you can get up to speed on the 900 MHz band.
Surfin screenshot April 18, 2008
Explore KB9MWR's
900 MHz Radio Modifications Web page
and soon you may be hamming on 33 cm.
Steve Lampereur, KB9MWR, is an explorer of 900 MHz, also known as the 33 cm band. He has compiled and continues to compile notes regarding his explorations,
which you can view on his
900 MHz Radio Modifications Web page.
"Radio Modifications" understates the topics Steve covers on his Web page. In addition to the many radio modifications, he briefly describes the history
of the band, its band plan, characteristics and sources of interference. If you know nothing about the band, you will receive an education in a nutshell
by reading the introductory information found on Steve's Web page.
The Web page also has information related to antennas, amplifiers, and accessory equipment that hams can use on 900 MHz. If you are interested in data applications
on the band, you will find pertinent links on this topic, too. In addition to all the links, the Web page also lists online discussion lists where you
can seek out further information.
I highly recommend KB9MWR's Web page to anyone wanting to get up to speed on the 33 cm/900 MHz Amateur Radio band.
Until next time, keep on surfin'!
Editor's note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, prefers using a 900 MHz hammed radio over a cordless phone any day. To communicate with Stan, send him
e-mail
or add comments to his
blog.
By the way, every installment of Surfin' is indexed
here,
so go look it up.
Amateur Radio Well Represented at National Hurricane Conference
NHCK2DCD
ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, gives a presentation at the 2008 National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Florida.
[Brandon McLamb, KG4EDW, Photo]
NHCWX4NHC
John McHugh, K4AG (left), and Julio Ripoll, WD4R (right), coordinators of the NHC's Amateur Radio Station, WX4NHC, met with NHC Director Bill Read, KB5FYA
(center). [Photo courtesy of Julio Ripoll, WD4R]
NHCVOIP
Dura (second from left) met with VoIP Net Managers at WX4NHC. [Julio Ripoll, WD4R, Photo]
More than 2000 people attended the 30th Annual
National Hurricane Conference
in Orlando, Florida March31-April 4. Conference Chairman Max Mayfield stated in his opening remarks that he was pleased to see such a turnout, despite the
fact that the 2007 hurricane season didn't impact the United States as in past years. ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD,
attended on behalf of the League.
According to Dura, Amateur Radio was well represented in the pre-Conference training with a variety of presentations. The National Hurricane Center (
NHC)
maintains a fully equipped and functional Amateur Radio station at its headquarters, WX4NHC. Station coordinators John McHugh, K4AG, and Julio Ripoll, WD4R,
provided a comprehensive overview of the activities of the NHC, emphasizing the interaction and importance of Amateur Radio in the forecasting of tropical
events. McHugh further detailed the Caribbean Amateur Radio Meteorological Emergency Network (
CARMEN)
program, discussing how the program in its current stage can use revitalization and rebuilding to provide improved information to the NHC.
Director of Operations for the
VoIP Hurricane Net
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, presented a detailed overview of the system that integrates EchoLink and the Internet Radio Linking Project (
IRLP). "
For the past few years," Dura said, "this operation has been building to become another reliable source of information for the National Hurricane Center."
Dura and Macedo offered the final Amateur Radio presentation of the Conference, "Disaster Intelligence and Situational Awareness Utilizing Amateur Radio."
This discussion went beyond the traditional uses of Amateur Radio into the areas of damage assessment, infrastructure monitoring, communications systems
replacement and rapid situational analyses, Dura said.
According to Dura, NHC Director Bill Read, KB5FYA, has had an active past using Amateur Radio at NWS facilities. "He personally utilized ham radio during
SKYWARN activations dealing with severe weather. He completely understands and acknowledges the vital role we play in providing the National Hurricane
Center through WX4NHC. He hopes to have some time in his new role to actually get on the air with the hams of WX4NHC and once again use our tremendous
resource of information gathering," Dura said.
During the Conference, Read
praised
Amateur Radio, saying, "Ham radio has always played a critical role in emergencies. What goes out when you have a high wind event or major flooding is the
communications system, so you lose even cell phones, landline phones, commercial radio and TV. In those cases, ham radio operators that can put up emergency
transmitters and antennas in the wake of a storm can give us reports that are valuable. They also help in the search and rescue efforts in the aftermath."
Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May
The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio Crossband Communications Test in celebration
of the 58th anniversary of Armed Forces Day (
AFD).
Although the actual Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May -- May 17 in 2008 -- the AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test
will be conducted on May 10 to prevent conflict with the
Dayton Hamvention®,
scheduled for May 16-18.
The annual celebration features traditional military to amateur crossband communications SSB voice tests and copying the Secretary of Defense message via
digital modes. These tests give Amateur Radio operators and short wave listeners an opportunity to demonstrate their individual technical skills and to
receive recognition from the Secretary of Defense and/or the appropriate military radio station for their proven expertise. QSL cards will be provided
to those stations making contact with the military stations. Special commemorative certificates will be awarded to anyone who receives and copies the digital
Armed Forces Day message from the Secretary of Defense.
Military-to-Amateur crossband operations will take place on the dates and time in UTC on the frequencies listed for each station on the Army MARS Web site.
Voice contacts will include operations in single sideband voice (SSB). Some stations, depending on propagation and manning, may not operate the entire
period. Participating military stations will transmit on selected Military MARS frequencies and listen for Amateur Radio stations in the Amateur bands.
The military station operator will announce the specific amateur band frequency being monitored. Duration of each voice contact should be limited to 1-2
minutes.
Look for
schedules and frequencies of participating military stations
to be published in May on the Army MARS Web site.
The K7RA Solar Update
As of Thursday, April 10, there have been no sunspots for seven days. We may see sunspots return around April 21-28. This is based on recent activity rotating
out of view around the Sun and (we hope) reappearing later this month.
If you look
Thursday's forecast,
you will see the predicted solar flux remaining at 70 until April 20 when it reaches 75, then 80 on April 21. The predicted higher solar flux should correlate
with the return of sunspots. This prediction is updated daily after 2100 UTC. After 2100 UTC April 11, you can see the new prediction by changing 041045DF.txt
at the end of the URL to 041145DF.txt. You can also go
here
to select a daily forecast from the list; sometimes there is a delay before the latest forecast is listed and you can see it much sooner by changing the
date in the URL as shown above.
From that same forecast you can see quiet geomagnetic conditions predicted until April 22-24. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions
April 11, quiet April 12-13, quiet to unsettled April 14, unsettled April 15, quiet to unsettled April 16 and back to quiet on April 17.
Rob Steenburgh, KA8JBY, of Longmont, Colorado, sent some links useful for detecting sunspots on the Sun's far side, using helioseismography, one at the
National Solar Observatory
and one at
Stanford University.
Note that you can also animate these to see recent activity in motion. The technique is described
here.
Back on
February 15,
we mentioned an article in a daily business publication that spoke of an upcoming
Maunder Minimum.
The article contained fabricated quotes from Dr Kenneth Tapping who works at the observatory in British Columbia where we get our daily solar flux data.
I was surprised to see this same article in the monthly VHF column in CQ Magazine recently. But I saw it on March 31, and it was the April issue. I understand
that this was really supposed to be some sort of April Fools jest, but it went awry, probably due to miscommunication with the editor who was already running
a traditional, whimsical April item. Once edited, it lost the April 1 flavor.
Of course there is a long tradition in Amateur Radio publishing regarding strange and fantastic articles in the April issue. Sometimes it is difficult to
tell. For instance, as a 12 year old, Novice I was unaware of this tradition and was very interested to read in an April QST about some new paint that
could be applied to towers. It was supposed to "shift" reflected light "outside the visible spectrum," and therefore render the structure invisible. Well,
nearly so. It should still block light from passing through it, but the article claimed the effect was some kind of fuzzy non-image, a sort of visual void
of uncertain nature.
I didn't realize that this was a joke until reading the Correspondence section in the May issue. Imaginative readers had a lot of fun with this; one woman
wrote that her ham husband was trying out the paint on a recent Saturday and she hadn't seen him since.
Mike Schatzberg, W2AJI, of Tryon, North Carolina, wrote to report conditions during the recent period when we actually had daily sunspot activity. He was
mentioned previously in this bulletin,
November 17, 2006.
He wrote again about excellent conditions on 20 meters. Mike wrote on April 4, "I had to let you know about the unusual and steady strong signals I have
been working on 20 meters the past three days. East Coast propagation to the Far East and Indonesia have been extraordinary. Low power stations, with fewer
than 100 W and wire antennas abound, and I am able to read them with S5 to S9 signal strengths on my Orion II transceiver.
"Two Americans, -- Chuck, HS0ZCX, with only 100 W and a wire beam antenna, and Peter, XU7ACY (NO2R) -- have been booming into the East Coast with S9 signals.
They are heard during the morning hours at about 1300 UTC, along with Ralph, HS0ZSC, who is also very strong. Yan, YB0BCU, is always S9 from Jakarta during
the same time period.
"The evening hours have also been a delight into the Orient. Propagation remains good into Japan for much of the night, but many lower power stations can
also be worked on SSB from both China and Taiwan. Last night, between 0100 and 0300 UTC, once you steer around the many calling Asian Siberian stations,
Japan, China and Taiwan were extremely active. BD2QAF, BU2AQ and JA2AXB all had S5 or better signals with low power.
"I should add that short path is again open in the evening hours back into the South Pacific. Todd, ZL2SP, was mobile with 100 W and a mobile whip and he
was S5 here. VK signals were Q5 during this period also. It seems that many American stations are not aware of the late evening openings as yet, and the
bands are really quiet while working the low power DX. I have been using my usual 20 meter monoband Yagi with 44 foot boom at 75 feet for DXing. It doesn't
get much better than this. Strong signals and little QRM. Enjoy!"
Mike sure has some nice antennas in a great location. See them
here
and
here.
Note the last link shows he has been looked up more than 41,000 times on that site. That indicates a very active ham. His personal web site also has photos
of other stations and their antennas. Don't miss VK3MO's photos
here.
If this is just the beginning and we are still enjoying sunspots from Solar Cycle 23 with little action from Cycle 24, how much better will things get?
I guess I better get my log periodic finished for the higher bands, because 15 and 10 are already having their "DX Moments."
Amateur solar observer Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, provides this weekly report on solar conditions and propagation. This report also is available
via W1AW every Friday, and an abbreviated version appears in
The ARRL Letter.
Check
here
for a detailed explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin. An archive of past propagation bulletins can be found
here.
You can find monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and 12 overseas locations
here.
Readers may contact the author via
e-mail.
The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler
By Chris Codella, W2PA
April 11, 2008
Encode-a-chrome
This week's puzzle has a theme hidden within the puzzle itself. As you fill in the solution, the theme will emerge.
Printable PDF Version
Across
1. Cluster cmd
4. Tribander part
8. *10MHz, with 30-down
14. Grammy category
15. Sushi fish (some may generate RF noise)
16. Especially comfortable place for a DXpedition, say
17. Words of understanding
18. Radiation from a "cloud burner"
19. EP city
20. Early radio construction material
22. Part of IARU (abbr.)
24. 5Z
25. Contender, e.g., for ARRL director
27. Copies
29. 160m luminary Perry
30. Polar explorer, early radio user
31. Early radio noise maker
34. WAS item
36. Charge opposite?
37. Spectrum Defense ____
38. With 40-across, a hint to solving the clues indicated with a *
39. Paddle
40. See 38-across
41. Sky hooks, briefly
42. Some HV paths
43. Young's accounting partner
44. Relative of cap. and ind.
45. Bumpkin
46. Wire, from 44-across, say
47. Simple
48. Conclusion
51. Monastery head
54. RF effect
56. Fly high
57. Flying high
59. Used to stabilize a crystal
61. Owed
62. VHF antenna measurers?
63. 59-across product
64. Before, in verse
65. *7MHz, with 30-down
66. Some service hams
67. Band condition influencer
Down
1. *21MHz, with 50-down
2. Internet cry?
3. What's needed after barefoot tower climbing?
4. Doubled, it's a "net"
5. "Recent Equipment"
6. 50's Collins
7. "Hey ... over here!"
8. Crumb
9. Stank
10. Blown resistor remnants
11. Norse goddess of fate
12. *3.5MHz, with 30-down
13. I-land island peak
21. Mimeographs
23. E, F and others
26. ___-do-well
28. Prefix with -selector
30. *
31. Microwave parts
32. Some gates
33. W6 summer time
34. Kind of tissue
35. Nearly always 9
36. Electromagnetic, and others
37. Coulombs per volt
40. "It's ___ real!"
42. Ether
45. Prefix with -geneous
46. Amplifier type
47. Place to stay at the Hamvention, possibly
48. Libya
49. C2
50. *See 1-down
51. Ethereal
52. *5.4MHz, with 30-down
53. Kind of joint
55. One V per mA
58. UA 73
60. Tfc. org.
View Solution
© Copyright ARRL 2008
Kansas Becomes 26th State to Have PRB-1 Law
After an unsuccessful attempt eight years ago to get a
PRB-1
type bill signed in Kansas, radio amateurs in that state have succeeded in becoming the 26th state with a PRB-1 law on the books. Kansas Governor Kathleen
Sebelius signed
HB 2805
into law on April 9. The bill, written by Rep Arlen Siegfreid (R-15), passed unanimously in both the Kansas House of Representatives and Senate. It takes
effect July 1, 2008.
Known as the Kansas Emergency Communications Preservation Act, the new law concerns federally licensed Amateur Radio Service communications. According to
the governor's office, the law "prohibit[s] a city or county governing body from taking any action that precludes federally licensed amateur radio service
communications, or that does not conform to federal regulations related to amateur radio antenna facilities."
The new law states that if a municipality takes any action that regulates the placement, screening, number or height of a station antenna structure, the
action must "Reasonably accommodate federally licensed amateur radio service communications; and constitute the minimum regulation practicable to carry
out the legitimate purpose of the governing body." Antenna support structures constructed prior to the bill's effective date "are exempted from subsequent
changes in zoning regulations...and may be repaired as required."
JD Spradling, KC0NYS, of Olathe, Kansas, is chairman of the
committee
that led the charge to get a PRB-1 law on the books in that state. He commented: "Many local zoning boards don't give FCC regulations adequate consideration
when making zoning decisions and across the country amateurs have found that state laws are a more effective tool for influencing local zoning regulations.
So beginning in the 1990s, amateurs began lobbying for legislation that would place PRB-1-type language into their state laws."
Upon hearing the news that Governor Sebelius signed the bill into law, Spradling said, "This venture has been successful because we have had a great team
effort all the way through the process, from all who stepped up -- from our state and local representatives, to our subject matter experts and the PRB-1
Committee members from Miami County, Kansas, as well as everyone else who had been proactive in the 2008 Kansas Legislative process for your fellow hams."
Ohio ARES Teams Lend Support to Hepatitis Vaccination Clinic
Map
The Butler and Hamilton County ARES groups directed traffic for the vaccination clinic. Many events were taking place in the area of the clinic, so traffic
control as a major concern for clinic organizers.
HepATeam
Members from both the Butler and Hamilton County ARES groups helped out at the hepatitis A vaccination clinic. From left to right: Ohio District 4 District
Emergency Coordinator Robert Spratt, N8TVU; Hamilton County Emergency Coordinator Donald Ferneding, N8LMJ; Butler County Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Loretta Urschel, W8LKU; Kevin Boyle, K8XB; Butler County Assistant Emergency Coordinator Gerald Dakin, W8ULC, and Hamilton County Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Timothy Callahan, K9TGC. [Photo courtesy of Robert Spratt, N8TVU]
Shot
A nurse gives Karen Feichtner, KC8BZL, a hepatitis A vaccine. Clinic organizers suggested the ARES members who assisted with the clinic get vaccinated.
[Robert Spratt, N8TVU, Photo]
When news of a hepatitis A outbreak alarmed residents of West Chester, Ohio last month, local officials sprang into action to inoculate more than 1200 people
who had eaten at a local fast food restaurant; an employee with a confirmed case of the virus worked at the restaurant in March may have contaminated ice
and other food items, health officials said. Inundated with more people than expected, Butler County Health Department and Emergency Management officials
were overwhelmed with traffic, communication problems and general logistics of the event. When a second hepatitis A vaccination clinic was scheduled for
April 5, officials called on local Amateur Radio operators to assist with communications, as well as traffic and crowd control.
"After the first vaccination clinic was swamped with people coming to get their shots, both the Board of Health and the Emergency Management Agency in Butler
County realized they needed assistance," said ARRL Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Frank Piper, KI8GW. "They had the super idea of bringing in the local
ARES group and called on District Emergency Coordinator Robert Spratt, N8TVU, to organize some hams to come help out."
According to Spratt, officials at the first clinic could not communicate on their cell phones due to lack of coverage in the area. "Officials had only planned
for about 800 people to show up to get inoculated. When they had more than 1200 people show up, they tried using their cell phones to call and get more
vaccine, but they just wouldn't work." Calls made to 911 for police back-up to deal with unruly persons also had trouble getting through, Piper said.
Ohio has a statewide, secure, reliable public service wireless communication for public safety and first responders in place --
MARCS --
used by Emergency Management officials in times when traditional communications systems fail. "When Butler County officials tried to use it at the first
clinic, the system displayed 'OUT OF RANGE' or 'NO SIGNAL' messages on every channel," Piper said.
At the second clinic, eight hams from both Butler County and Hamilton County were on site and ready to assist. The clinic, located at a church, was scheduled
to run from 10 AM-4 PM. The hams were ready for early crowds; at the first clinic, people were standing in line more than two hours before the doors opened.
"When the ARES team arrived, they established the parking lot area, the traffic flow patterns into and out of the church area and set up the required communications,"
Spratt said. "ARES members canvassing the complex discovered several other events were on going at the facility, including a funeral, fingerprinting for
youth sports, a planning meeting for a summer carnival and a planning meeting for the upcoming soccer season. Soccer practice also added to the traffic
and pedestrian congestion."
More than 225 people received hepatitis A vaccinations at the second clinic and directed more than 1200 cars around the property to their correct destinations
on the property. The Butler County Health Department officials, clinic staff, the Butler County Emergency Management Agency, the West Chester Police Department
and church officials thanked the ARES team for a job well done, all without any reported incidents. Spratt said that the Ohio District 4 ARES teams in
Warren, Clermont, Hamilton and Butler counties have had prior Volunteer Reception Center and vaccination clinic operation training that "helped greatly
in understanding and knowing what would be needed in the way of communications at the clinic, as well as security, traffic control and crowd control."
Spratt said that people coming to get inoculations "asked about who we were and who we were working for. We made some new friends in the community and recruited
three or four people for the upcoming Technician classes. They thought what we were doing as volunteers was great and they want to become part of the team."
Piper concurred with Spratt. "In the Ohio Section, we have the Ohio Section Emergency Response Plan (
OSERP).
This is a small document compared to some ERPs I have seen. This document outlines how ARES is activated in the Section, who reports to whom and how communication
flows. DEC Spratt and his team followed the OSERP pretty much to the letter, and it worked well. Many ARES districts have participated with their Regional
Medical Response Systems in their assigned districts on tabletop exercises, as well as actual call-up drills. In February, District 3, under the command
of ADEC Fred Stone, W8LLY, conducted a Pandemic Flu activation that extended over several days in February, including a real-time snow storm which affected
the drill. This vaccination clinic this past weekend proves to all of us that ARES is vital to the emergency medical community."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, hepatitis A is a viral infection that attacks the liver and is spread primarily by close person-to-person
contact or by consuming contaminated food.
Six-Year-Old Oregon Girl Gets General Ticket
b
Enjoying her new General ticket: Six-year-old Mattie Clauson, KD7TYN. [Tim Clauson, AC7SP, Photos]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 31, 2003--A six-year-old girl from Roseburg, Oregon, upgraded earlier this month from Technician to General. Mattie Clauson, KD7TYN--a
fourth-generation Amateur Radio operator in her family--could be the youngest General-class operator in the US. Her new ticket was granted January 13.
"The Element 3 test was pretty hard," Mattie said, recalling the January 8 ARRL VEC test session in Myrtle Creek. "I studied for it a long time. I tried
a total of three times and passed it on my last try. The Element 3 test was a lot harder than the Tech test." Mattie was ambivalent about the 5 WPM Element
1 Morse code exam, characterizing it as "not too hard, just a little, but kind of easy too." Mattie is already working on her Extra ticket, which she expects
to be a whole lot tougher than the General.
Her parents, Tim and Charlotte Clauson, AC7SP and KD7QZB, say Mattie became interested in Amateur Radio when she was five. The Clausons discovered "a kid-friendly
study book," Ride the Airwaves with Alpha and Zulu by John Abbott, K6YB (this book is no longer in print--Ed). The Clausons say Mattie, who already knew
how to read, dove into it right away. Her mom and dad helped her to study, explained the "hard questions" and encouraged her to take practice tests at
various Web sites. She obtained her Technician license last July and became KD7SDF. (She says she liked her old call sign well enough but requested a new
when she upgraded because it was "exciting.")
4812qstcover
Jane Bieberman, W3OVV, of Pennsylvania made the front cover of QST for getting her General in 1948 at the age of 10.
The Clausons said Mattie learned Morse code for her General using several different computer programs. They helped her practice by tapping out letters--and
later words--for her. In the end, she passed her code exam on the very first try. For the time being, Mattie says, she's sticking with phone operation
but plans to give CW a try in the future.
Some Other Very Young Hams
The story of very young people obtaining their Amateur Radio licenses does not begin nor end with Mattie Clauson, KD7TYN. Jane Bieberman, W3OVV (now Jane
De Nuzzo), made the cover of QST for December 1948 for getting her General ticket when she was just barely 10 years old. (In those days, the General was
the entry-level license.) Her dad, Jesse Bieberman, was W3KT, a teacher. At the time she took her test, young Jane was quoted as saying she had "a little
trouble with some of the diagrams, but the code was easy and the written part not too hard." In 1948, she was billed as "probably the world's youngest"
amateur licensee.
Fifty years later, in 1998,
we reported
that Samuel Lewis, KB9RYP, got his Tech Plus ticket (which he continues to hold), while Sarah Bruno, KB9SEG, got her Novice license (she's since upgraded
to Technician). Both were just four years old. At the same time, Joshua Bruno, KB9RER, then five, upgraded to General (Joshua, who now hold an Extra ticket,
said the written test was hard). All of the youngsters, from Indiana, come from families with lots of hams. Samuel's brother Gabriel, KB9REP, got his General
at age nine, while his other brother John, KB9RRF, had his Tech ticket at seven. Both now are Amateur Extra licensees.
Rebeca Rich, KB0VVT, of Missouri--a very active amateur--got her Amateur Extra ticket in 1997 at the tender young age of eight. Her parents are David, KG0US,
and Barbara, KG0UT.
In December 2001, six-year-old Jessica Dowding of Utah--who comes from a large family of hams that includes her dad, Clark, N7TDT, and mom, Melinda, KC7AWQ,
passed her Technician ticket to become probably the youngest amateur in that state.
Last November, nine-year-old Elizabeth Harper, AK3H, of Alabama became one of the nation's youngest Amateur Extra-class licensees. Her parents are Anthony,
NO2M, and Sondra Harper, KA4EIC.
Did anyone notice how many of the very youngest hams have been YLs?
Mattie says she prefers HF over VHF "because I can talk to people in other countries." She also enjoys sending packet messages to her friend Kevin Forbes,
VK3UKF, in Australia, and has sent packet messages via RS0ISS aboard the International Space Station. "That is a lot of fun," she said. "I really want
to talk to an astronaut someday." So far, she's been unsuccessful--the ISS crews have been extremely busy with little time for casual QSOs--but she did
manage a recent contact with W4MNL via the UO-14 satellite.
Homeschooled with her sisters--Caitlin, 3, and Hannah, 10 months--Mattie loves to read, and that may contribute to her precocity. Among her favorites books
are those by Cynthia Wall, KA7ITT, Encyclopedia Brown, and Nancy Drew. Her parents say ham radio has been a very useful tool in homeschooling--in terms
of letter recognition, spelling, science, geography and other subjects. Other activities she enjoys include bicycling, swimming visiting (and learning
from) the
NASA
and
FEMA
Web sites for youngsters, and, of course, getting on HF.
Her parents say Mattie doesn't consider herself "someone special" since passing her General test. "As her parents, we feel that she is special--to us--just
as we feel that every child and person is special," they said. "We do not feel that Mattie has any abilities above any other child."
For her part, Mattie says she hopes that she can be an inspiration to other youngsters her age to get involved with Amateur Radio. "I think that since I
got my license, whether Tech or higher, other kids can do it also," she said.
Her family ham radio heritage could have been a big plus. Tim Clauson points out that Mattie's late great grandfather, S.A. "Sam" Sullivan, was W6WXU; his
daughter, Joan Brady--Mattie's grandmother--now holds his former call sign. "Mattie is happy to have one of Sam Sullivan's ICOM radios that she used as
a packet radio for a while," he said.
The Clausons expressed their appreciation to the ARRL VEC volunteer examiners--especially Dick Wolfe, AA7GC; Anne Wolfe, AA7GD and Mel Trammell, AB7DC,
for their help with testing. "The ham community has also been very supportive, especially in the Roseburg area," said Charlotte Clauson. "Their enthusiasm
has made Mattie's experience with ham radio very positive."
A newspaper
article on Mattie Clauson
appeared February 3 in the Statesman Journal of Salem, Oregon.
Tim, Charlotte and Mattie Clauson all are ARRL members.
FCC Warns Unlicensed Operators, Rescinds Automatic Authority for Repeater
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 31, 2003--The FCC has sent warning notices to 10 individuals--eight of them Amateur Radio licensees--for operating without a license
in the 11-meter band. All but one of the operators live in the Greater New York City area.
"Such operation will subject you to fine or imprisonment, as well as an in rem seizure of radio transmitting equipment, in cooperation with the United States
Attorney for your jurisdiction," FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote January 15. He cited "monitoring information before the Commission" indicating
that the individuals were transmitting on 26.540 and/or 26.555 MHz--frequencies outside of normal Citizens Band channels and allocated for government use.
He noted that fines for such unlicensed operation can run as high as $10,000.
Receiving warnings were Teofilo Vargas, N2JZQ; Pedro P. Caba, N2ZFL; Antonio Leonor Disla; Hector P. Genao, KC2DPX; Hector L. Vasquez, KB2UFD; Jose A. Tineo,
KB2RKF; Doroteo A. Hiciano, KB2YBF; Juan L. Vasquez, KG2PI; Juan C. De La Cruz; and Francisco Martes, KB2RJZ.
In other enforcement actions, the FCC rescinded the automatic control authority of a repeater operated by Daniel Granda, KA6VHC, of Whittier, California.
The action means a control operator must be present at all times at the control point of the KA6VHC repeater. FCC Los Angeles District Director Catherine
Deaton wrote Granda January 13 to say the action was being taken because Granda's repeater was under review by the Enforcement Bureau for apparent violations
of the FCC's rules. Alleged violations include obscene and indecent communications, inadequate station control and deliberate interference.
Deaton told Granda that he may not operate his repeater under automatic control until the enforcement allegations are cleared up. "If KA6VHC is operated
under automatic control prior to notification from this office, enforcement action will be taken against your amateur operator and station licenses for
KA6VHC," Deaton said. "This action will include designation of those licenses for a revocation and suspension hearing, and a monetary forfeiture."
Last October, the FCC dismissed Granda's complaint against the KD6ZLZ and WA6NJJ repeaters on 223.82 and 223.84 MHz. The FCC told Granda that his 16-year-old
coordination document "was insufficient to establish coordination" and that he bears primary responsibility for preventing interference to the two repeaters
because he cannot show current coordination. Granda has told the FCC that he's been using the two frequencies "continuously for over 25 years." Hollingsworth
told Granda, however, that, even if he were properly coordinated 16 years ago, "coordination is not a lifetime grant" nor a de facto frequency assignment.
Hollingsworth said the FCC continues to receive complaints about deliberate interference from Granda's station to the two repeaters as well as allegations
of obscene and/or indecent speech. The FCC has asked Granda to respond to the complainants by February 1. In addition, the Commission wants Granda to provide
"a detailed plan" to prevent interference to the KD6ZLZ and WA6NJJ repeaters or risk enforcement action. Noting that Granda's license expires next November
9, Hollingsworth said the FCC would not act upon a renewal application until the enforcement issues were resolved.
The FCC also wrote a Florida amateur, John S. Gregory, W3ATE, letting him know that the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau had set aside his General-class
upgrade on December 4. As a result, Gregory reverts to a Tech Plus licensee. The action, the FCC said, was based on complaints that Gregory--on more than
one occasion in 2002--had operated his station on 20 meters while still licensed as a Technician. The FCC issued Warning Notices to Gregory last May and
June but said both were returned as "unclaimed."
The FCC gave Gregory 20 days to explain the alleged operation outside of Technician privileges. "Failure to respond will result in the dismissal of your
application," Hollingsworth concluded.
Utah Amateur Radio Antenna Bill Passes House
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 31, 2003--Utah's Amateur Radio antenna bill appears to be on the fast track. Just 11 days after its introduction, the bill has made it
through the Utah House of Representatives. The vote today was 65 to 8 (with two members not voting). ARRL Utah Section Manager Mel Parkes, AC7CP, has been
encouraging Utah amateurs to get behind the new measure, House Bill 79, which was introduced January 20.
Sponsored by Rep Neal B. Hendrickson, HB 79, "Regulation of Amateur Radio Antennas," received a favorable recommendation from the House standing committee
on political subdivisions earlier this month. HB 79 would prohibit municipalities and counties in Utah from enacting ordinances that fail to comply with
the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1.
The measure would require that local ordinances involving placement, screening or height of an Amateur Radio antenna that are based on health, safety or
aesthetics "reasonably accommodate amateur radio communications" and "represent the minimal practicable regulation to accomplish the municipality's purpose."
The bill now moves to the Utah Senate. A copy of the proposed legislation is available on the
Utah State Legislature
Web site.
So far, 16 states have incorporated the essence of PRB-1 into their statutes. Bills are pending in several other states.
Amateur Radio Community Joins in Mourning Loss of Columbia Astronauts
Half-staff-flags-2
Outside ARRL Headquarters, the IARU, US and ARRL flags remain at half-staff in mourning for the seven Columbia astronauts lost February 1 when the shuttle
broke up over Texas. In the background is one of the W1AW antenna towers. Part of the W1AW building is visible at the far right.
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 3, 2003--The flags of the United States, the ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) fly at half staff today at ARRL Headquarters
as the Amateur Radio community has joined the rest of the world in mourning the loss of the seven shuttle Columbia astronauts. Through the Space Amateur
Radio EXperiment (SAREX) and--more recently--the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programs, amateurs have enjoyed a special relationship
with the astronaut corps, many of whom are licensees. Three of the Columbia astronauts were Amateur Radio operators. The ARISS program is a joint effort
of AMSAT, ARRL and NASA.
"The ultimate in public service was just given by these astronauts," said ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP. "It's a sad thing that's occurred, and our thoughts
are with the families of the astronauts who died doing what they loved. They were part of us."
Haynie, who was in Florida over the weekend for the Miami Tropical Hamboree, said the news of the Columbia incident put a pall over the festivities. "You
could feel it in the crowd," he said. Haynie led those attending the ARRL forum in a moment of silence in remembrance of the lost crew members.
The STS-107 crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, included Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Kalpana "KC" Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC;
Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael Anderson, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut.
"The world has lost seven great heroes," said ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who extended condolences to the family and friends of the
STS-107 crew. Bauer also is a NASA employee. Bauer said the Columbia catastrophe "clearly demonstrated the challenging and sometimes sobering aspects"
of human space flight.
"Space travel is not easy. It is hard," he said. "We do our best to ensure there are adequate safety nets in place to ensure mission success." But, said
Bauer, when things go wrong, it's essential to learn from what happened to make space travel safer.
"Our quest for space must continue despite these tragic losses," he said.
Bauer noted that "KC" Chawla had worked closely with the ARISS team for several years as astronaut liaison before stepping down when she began preparations
for the STS-107 flight. "We will deeply miss her tremendous support, positive attitude, and heroism," he said.
Columbia-debris-1
As onlookers shoot photos, a yellow stake marks a small piece of apparent shuttle debris found near a school in Texas. [James Smith, KD5OXM, Photo]
"This is a difficult time for all of us." Bauer concluded. "Let's work together to keep the torch of space travel alive in the hearts and spirits of humans
worldwide. And most importantly, please keep the astronauts, their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers."
Many are doing just that. The ARISS Team is receiving condolence messages from all over the globe. An e-mail from Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB, of ARISS-Japan,
epitomized the tone of the messages. "I have no adequate or right words for the STS-107 tragedy other than a simple condolence, at the moment of this time,"
Komuro said. "On this occasion, we should remind that ARISS has also responsibility to keep the ISS as [a safe] and peaceful place in the world."
AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH--one of two Canadian ARISS representatives--expressed his great sadness at learning of the Columbia disaster.
"AMSAT has always been a strong supporter of the shuttle program and of ARISS," he said. "We have had many interactions with the astronauts who have fearlessly
ridden the shuttle into space--currently, several are AMSAT members and supporters."
On behalf of the AMSAT-NA Board, members and officers, Haighton extended "our deep sympathy" to the families, relatives and friends of the Columbia astronauts.
"Their understanding of the risks taken on this and other missions did not prevent them from performing at the highest level and, unfortunately, paying
the ultimate price," he said.
"To our friends at NASA, we at AMSAT send our understanding and our sympathy, knowing that the exploration of space and carrying out important experiments
for the benefit of humanity will continue to be your mission."
Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, the other Canadian delegate to the ARISS International Team, said he found himself overwhelmed by the tragedy, both in sympathy for his
US friends and because he had met so many of the astronauts himself. It was Pulfer who convinced the Canadian government to establish an astronaut corps
of its own. "My condolences go out to all Americans at this time." he said, calling February 1 "a sad, sad day indeed."
STS-107 carried a Danish research project that involved measuring the astrounauts' blood pressure and heart status before, during and after the mission.
President and CEO of the Experimenting Danish Radio Amateurs (EDR--Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører) Sven Lundbech, OZ7S, noted that, from the days
of Eric the Red and Christopher Columbus and earlier, exploration has never been without peril. Such human endeavors to seek knowledge and develop technology
require personal courage, skill and determination," he said. "We all share the grief for the astronauts, their families and their countries."
The ARRL also received messages expressing "heartfelt condolences" from Hong Kong Amateur Transmitting Society President Paul Anderson, VR2BBC, and from
President Max Raicha, 5Z4MR, of the Amateur Radio Society of Kenya. Individual amateurs also have relayed their personal condolences.
ARISS International Secretary Rosalie White, K1STO, recalled that "KC" Chawla had sat next to her at an ARISS meeting at Johnson Space Center. "Kalpana
was intelligent, quiet--a professional scientist with a genuine smile," White said. She also noted that Laurel Clark had done some "terrestrial SAREX QSOs"
with students from W5RRR at Johnson Space Center. The Columbia mission--her first space flight--carried no Amateur Radio gear.
The practical impact of the Columbia disaster, if any, on the current schedule of ARISS school contacts is not known. The next contact on the calendar has
been set for February 6 with a high school in Germany.
Families Issue Statement
The families of the NASA astronauts lost February 1 have issued a statement about the tragedy. "We want to thank the NASA family and people from around
the world for their incredible outpouring of love and support," the families said in a statement released today by NASA. "Although we grieve deeply, as
do the families of Apollo 1 and Challenger before us, the bold exploration of space must go on. Once the root cause of this tragedy is found and corrected,
the legacy of Columbia must carry on--for the benefit of our children and yours."
KC5ZSU-1
In 1999, astronaut Dr Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, spoke with students at Holloman Middle School in New Mexico from W5RRR at Johnson Space Center in Texas. In
late 1998, she talked on 20 meters with pupils at Pleasant Valley School in Winfield, Kansas. The "terrestrial" SAREX QSOs took place at a time when the
demand from schools for radio contacts with astronauts was high but the number of scheduled shuttle flights was very low. Clark was among those lost in
the February 1 Columbia mishap. [Dale Martin, KG5U]
Hams Continue to Assist in Search for Debris
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members and SKYWARN volunteers in Texas continued over the weekend to assist in the
search for debris from the shuttle Columbia.
Public Information Officer Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club said amateurs have been assisting students and staffers from the
Humanities Undergraduate Environmental Sciences (HUES) Geographic Information Systems and Forestry Resources Institute labs at Stephen F. Austin State
University.
"I accompanied officials from both NASA and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to expedite the search and clean up of area schools," Lewallen said.
Texas officials have cancelled school in most of East Texas because of fears that shuttle debris could pose a health hazard.
"Usually we just get the coordinates, take a photo and move on to the next site," Lewallen said, explaining their procedure, "and someone from NASA will
come along and pick up the piece later."
He said the club had additional volunteers lined up for duty over the next few days, with amateurs coming from East Texas, Houston and Dallas.
"We have had offers of help from fellow hams from as far away as Boston!" he said. "We have been working side-by-side with emergency officials from Nacogdoches
County, Texas Rangers, NASA, Texas Department of Public Safety, EPA and the National Guard."
ARRL South Texas Section Manager Ray Taylor, N5NAV, says he's been in touch with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and has been keeping up with
events surrounding the mishap and the search for debris. "There are a lot of hams helping in the areas," he said. He notes that the command center for
the debris search is at the Department of Public Safety in Lufkin, Texas. According to Taylor, search parties are deployed "from Texarkana to Dallas to
Orange and into Louisiana."
Several amateurs in Texas reported hearing a reverberating, rumbling sound as the Columbia broke up above them and debris began to rain down on the landscape.
"Very scary," said Ralston Gober, W5ZNN, of Corsicana, Texas. "It shook the heck out of my house and shack. I was on 14.230 when the explosion occurred!"
US Air Force Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) Virginia Public Affairs Officer Vinny Del Giudice, WB2KQG/AFA2MI, noted that USAF and Army MARS affiliates
from Maine to Colorado stood by on the Transcon Voice (Transcontinental Voice) Net in the hours following the shuttle mishap to assist with traffic into
and out of the affected area. "Stations in USAF MARS Region 4, which includes Texas, were also on stand by, as were MARS affiliates who participate in
the federal government's SHARES HF radio program," Del Diudice said.
Memorial Service Set
President George W. Bush and the First Lady will join NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe February 4 to pay tribute to lost Columbia crew during a special memorial
service at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The midday ceremony is only for family members, friends and invited guests as well as NASA employees and contractors.
The service will be
carried live
on NASA Television and via the Internet.
Wisconsin Utility Makes Award to ARES/RACES Groups
WE-Wisc-grant-1
At the ceremonial check presentation January 21: (L-R) Robert F. Bischke, W9AYH, We Energies IT principal engineer and Wisconsin Army National Guard State
Signal Officer; Dean Schultzbank, K8QPP, We Energies principal account manager; Patti McNew, KC9AFX, WEC foundation specialist; Stan Kaplan, WB9RQR, ARRL
Wisconsin SEC; Charles Cole, We Energies senior vice president-distribution operations (holding check); and Eugene McNew, WB9PRG, We Energies customer
service technician.
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 29, 2003--We Energies, a Wisconsin gas and electric utility, has given
ARES/RACES
organizations in 17 Wisconsin counties $39,000 to enhance their emergency communication capabilities. A ceremonial check presentation was held January 21.
"We are excited about this timely award, which will bring needed equipment to several of our counties," said Wisconsin Section Emergency Coordinator Dr
Stan Kaplan, WB9RQR, who also serves as RACES Chief Radio Officer in the Badger State. "One difficulty we have been having is to build an effective statewide
packet network for use during emergencies, and the grant will help this immeasurably as well as helping with other emergency networks. We thank We Energies
for their forethought and generosity."
Kaplan says he hopes the idea will "snowball" and inspire other companies to follow suit.
Last November, PA Consulting Group--the energy industry's largest management consulting firm--honored We Energies by presenting the ReliabilityOne Award
for superior electric system reliability in the Midwest during 2001.
"In planning how we wanted to celebrate this award, including what we could give to our employees as recognition, we decided that we could put these dollars
to better use," said Charles Cole, We senior vice president of distribution operations. "We are proud that we were able to take this award, take it one
step further, and share it with a worthwhile organization such as ARES."
The We grant will be funneled to EC Resources Ltd, a 501(c)3 group established 10 years ago by East Central Wisconsin District Emergency Coordinator Bill
Niemuth, KB9ENO, to fund Outagamie County ARES. Kaplan said EC Resources will accept the money from We, solicit written requests from each county's EC
for equipment and disburse the funds to buy the gear they most need.
Counties picked to receive funds were those with at least 5000 We customers, and 17 of Wisconsin's 72 counties met that criterion. We then apportioned the
funds according to the number of customers it serves in each of the 17 counties. The top grant of $9000 went to Milwaukee County, while Waukesha County
got $6000 and Racine County $3000. ARES/RACES organizations in 14 other counties got $1500 each. The others are Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson,
Kenosha, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Shawano, Sheboygan, Vilas, Walworth, Washington, Waupaca and Winnebago counties. The ARES organization in We-served Dickinson
County, Michigan, also will receive a $1500 grant.
Kaplan says ECs in the affected counties will receive information and instructions soon.
"
Hybrid" Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Classes Bring Better Value to Students
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 28, 2003--There have been hybrid tomatoes and hybrid ham radios--each more robust than their respective ancestors. Now, there is an ARRL
hybrid Amateur Radio emergency communication class to bring even greater flexibility and value to students. Instructors of the ARRL Level I Amateur Radio
Emergency Communication course (EC-001) are fusing the resources of the printed word, on-air operating and the Internet to create a unique learning experience
for students.
"This marriage of teaching has been absolutely perfect," said ARRL Emergency Communication Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. "Previously, these classes
were either all on-line or anything but on-line. The implementation of hybrid classes offers the best of all available worlds."
Since the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) grant-sponsored classes--which cover homeland security aspects as well as the more traditional
areas of emergency communication--began last September, 1277 students have signed up for the Level I course. To date, 706 have graduated and had their
registration expenses refunded.
HybridClass-1
Each hybrid ARRL Amateur Radio emergency communications class is a little different, as instructors organize their sessions to take advantage of their particular
strengths, access to varying materials and local interests.
Miller says ARRL borrowed the idea for a hybrid course from colleges and universities that, in increasing numbers, are offering a mix of on-campus and on-line
instruction for degree credit. Each Level I hybrid course is a little different, as instructors put together syllabi that take advantage of their particular
strengths, access to varying materials and local interests.
"It's been a full-time effort here at ARRL HQ and for the volunteers in the field," Miller said. "Many hours have gone into these classes to keep them state-of-the-art."
Miller says class mentors tell him they're learning as much or more from the students as when they took the course themselves. "The interaction and mentoring
is what makes it special," he said.
In addition to better availability and course material delivery, Miller said he hopes an increased graduation rate will be another benefit of the hybrid
classes.
Under the first year of the nearly $182,000 CNCS grant, students can be reimbursed for the $45 registration fee after they successfully complete the course.
"When each student has a financial stake in completing the course, each dollar of the grant will have maximum impact," Miller explained. "One of our goals
is to improve course completion rate from the current 68% to nearly 100%." Miller says when that happens, everyone benefits.
Miller also is encouraging older amateurs to take advantage of the emergency communications training since they're a target of the CNCS grant. "Senior hams
bring a wide variety of experience and knowledge to the program," he said. "When they become active participants, they add more insight which then yields
a better learning experience."
Miller said successful implementation of the grant-funded training program already has had some positive effects:
List of 4 items
• Many branches and areas of government--both federal and local--have gained an awareness of Amateur Radio as a vital national resource.
• New ARES and RACES groups are being formed.
• Existing amateur emergency communication groups are building stronger ties and developing memoranda of understanding with local emergency operations centers.
• There is an influx of new hams to emergency communication teams.
list end
For more information, visit the
Amateur Radio Public Service
page on the ARRL Web site. To learn more about the Amateur Radio emergency communications courses and other ARRL Certification and Continuing Education
classes, visit the
C-CE Course Listing
Web page.
Regulations... Why Should I Care How They Change?
By Stephen Kellat, KC8BFI
January 28, 2003
Regulations are what govern us in Amateur Radio in the United States. Found in Part 97 of Title 47 of a huge serial document, The Code of Federal Regulations,
these are the principal operating rules set down by the Federal Communications Commission. (Other rules, such as allocations of frequencies in Part 2 of
Title 47, occur elsewhere.) Taken into account along with heritage, custom, other relevant laws and practice, these are what dictate how we act on air
and how we operate.
Regulations in the Amateur Radio Service are not some static weight but a dynamic, changing reflection of the Amateur Radio community. Regulations change
to adapt to new situations or to allow new situations to begin. For example, if we are to get a new band, a matter at the FCC called a rulemaking proceeding
has to occur. The ARRL routinely advocates for us in such proceedings.
Although it may seem like a technical process, it isn't. The FCC's Office of the Secretary has a good
fact sheet
on its Web site that details the process. Hams file comments in proceedings for the most part. Comments can be as simple as a letter that you send to the
Commission expressing your views on the matter under consideration with a copy included (this would be an informal comments filing). If four copies are
filed along with your original, then that is a formal filing. The fact sheet links to how to bind up your printed views and make sure they get submitted
to the FCC properly.
If you don't want to fight with a cranky printer to print up your remarks and don't want to travel to visit your local post office, there is another avenue.
The FCC has established an
Electronic Comment Filing System
to accept filings electronically. Don't let the name fool you--the Electronic Comment Filing System is a powerful tool that accepts more types of filings
than simply comments in proceedings. (Hams typically stick with the Comments, Reply Comments and Petition for Reconsideration classifications for their
filings in the system.) If you can type up your comments in any of the word processing formats discussed on the Electronic Comment Filling System site,
you can upload your remarks electronically and save some money on postage. The Electronic Comment Filing System also allows you to read comments filed
and other documents in a proceeding to get a sense as to what is going on.
Are you powerless to express your views on a proposed change in our regulations? Not at all. Many tools are there for you to individually express your views
on a proposed change. An avenue of expression just as important is to talk to your leadership in the League and let them know how you stand. Through each
division's director, decisions are made at Board of Directors meetings as to how the League as a body stands on issues. Making sure that your leaders know
how you stand before they come to the directors' table is also a big way to make sure you get heard. All in all, the opportunity to be heard is even easier
today than it used to be.
The ARRL's FCC Rule Book
has a great deal more information on the filing procedure. Other information is available on the
ARRL Regulatory Information
Web site.
Update: On January 15, 2003, the FCC announced a new, easier way to file comments electronically. ECFS Express is accessible from the
FCC home page.
Users just click on the "File Comments" logo on the left side of the page about a third of the way down under the words "Filing Public Comments." Anyone
who wants to comment just has to click on a topic, fill in their personal information, write their comments and hit "SEND."
"ECFS Express will highlight the proceedings most likely to generate consumer interest," the FCC said. "The topics will change periodically as new issues
emerge."
For more information, see the
ARRLWeb article
announcing the new system.
Stephen Kellat, KC8BFI, a Technician class operator from Ashtabula, Ohio, is studying toward his Bachelor of Arts in History at Rochester College in Rochester
Hills, Michigan. He plans to pursue studies in librarianship after he earns his degree. Stephen can be reached at
kc8bfi@arrl.net.
if this board is not at the top of the list when you look, one of us is definitely sleeping.
President Haynie on hand for Tropical Hamboree
January 24, 2003 -- ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, will head the contingent of ARRL officers and staffers heading south to sunny Florida February 1-2
for the 43rd annual Tropical Hamboree in Miami. Haynie will hold an Amateur Radio forum at the event, held in conjunction with the ARRL Florida State Convention.
ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, will be on hand to discuss ham radio on the international level--including this summer's
World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03). RFI will be a hot topic as well. ARRL Lab staffer Mike Gruber, W1MG, will talk to Hamboree attendees about
the causes and cures of RFI. ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, will attend the South Florida DX Association forum and be available for questions. Sponsored
by the Dade Radio Club of Miami, the Hamboree is one of the largest regional Amateur Radio gatherings in North America. It kicks off Saturday, February
1 at 9 AM at the Fair-Expo Center in Miami and continues through the next day. Complete information is available on the
Hamboree
Web site, which also has contact information for Spanish-speaking attendees.
Australian Amateurs Volunteering to Run Fire Fighters' Radios
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 24, 2003--With extreme wildfire conditions expected over the long Australia Day holiday weekend January 25-27, Amateur Radio volunteers
have been operating fire fighting service radio communication equipment. The Wireless Institute of Australia Victoria reports that hams have been pitching
in over the past week. Fires have been raging in the rugged alpine country of northeastern Victoria for 18 days, and smoke has blanketed area hundreds
of kilometers away, including metropolitan Melbourne.
"There is an ongoing requirement for the hams to use their skills and handle essential and logistic radio traffic," the WIA Victoria said. "Hundreds of
firefighters are battling the outbreaks in the heat and dense smoke, which for most of the past four days greatly reduced visibility limiting the use of
aerial water bombers."
The WIA's emergency service arm, the Wireless Institute Civic Emergency Network (WICEN) has more than a dozen radio amateurs on duty at three center--Mt
Beauty, Corryong and Ovens--operating radios and handling emergency traffic. WIA-Victoria President Jim Linton, VK3PC, said the forest lands fire fighting
agency, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), called on WICEN-Victoria to provide operators to run its radio communication gear and free
up personnel for other duties.
WIA reports that with no end to the fire emergency in sight, many residents of the stricken region have fled to safer areas as conditions worsen with high
temperatures, single digit relative humidity and high winds. Celsius temperatures in the 40s, single-digit relative humidity and gusty winds have coupled
with five years of drought conditions to set the scene for the worst summer fire season in 20 years, the WIA reports. In and around the capital city of
Canberra, bush fires earlier this month claimed at least four lives, caused many more injuries and destroyed some 400 homes. WICEN was not activated in
the Canberra area, however.
WICEN State Coordinator, John Kerr, VK3BAF, at Mt Beauty reports that the amateurs' assignments operating the trunking radio system have at times involved
12 to 14-hour shifts. He says the WICEN-Victoria members have fit in well and the DSE has expressed its appreciation for the volunteers' contributions.
WICEN-Victoria has drawn up a list of volunteers to replace teams now in the field over the holiday weekend and to deploy elsewhere in Victoria if needed.
For more information, visit the
WIA Victoria
Web site.
Washington Seeking to Enhance its Ham Radio Antenna Bill
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 24, 2003--The State of Washington is considering a measure to enhance its Amateur Radio antenna bill to establish a minimum regulatory
height of 70 feet for antenna support structures. The measure, Senate Bill 5200, was introduced by Sen Pam Roach, herself a prospective amateur. SB 5200
got its first reading January 17 and was referred to the Senate Committee on Government Operations and Elections, where it got an initial hearing.
Western Washington Section Manager Harry Lewis, W7JWJ, said Sophia Byrd of the Washington Association of Counties voiced concern that the bill would remove
some authority from local land-use boards who have traditionally dealt with issues such as radio towers. "Committee members posed questions that Ms Byrd
did not have the answers for, and [Western Washington Section Emergency Coordinator] Ed Bruette, N7NVP, was invited to respond," Lewis said. "N7NVP discussed
the benefits of having antennas as high as possible for RF safety and effective line of sight communications." He said Bruette also raised the issues of
operating conditions during disasters and emergencies and the possible need for simplex if repeaters are out of service. No other testimony was given.
Washington's current PRB-1 law says any ordinances or regulations that localities adopt with respect to Amateur Radio antennas must "reasonably accommodate
amateur communications" and "represent the minimal practicable regulation" to meet the local authority's legitimate purpose.
SB 5200 would enhance the current law by adding language that would limit cities and towns from restricting an Amateur Radio antenna to less than 70 feet
"unless the restriction is necessary to achieve a clearly defined health, safety, or aesthetic consideration, and the city or town finds that these considerations
are of greater benefit to its citizenry than the value the proposed antenna would add to the ability of the amateur radio network to fulfill its mission
as part of the state and local emergency management organizations, including the provision of back-up emergency communications coverage without gaps for
the entire state."
Lewis urged support from the amateur community in Washington. "Since the bill has a number," he said, "it is appropriate to write your Senator asking for
support for this bill."
The complete text of the bill,
SB 5200,
is available on the Washington State Legislature Web site
For information on
how to contact your state lawmakers,
visit the Washington State Legislature Web site home page.
How to Impress a Non-Ham with Your Handheld Radio
By Mike Dinelli, N9BOR
January 23, 2003
Remember when a handheld and an autopatch would drop the jaw of an unsuspecting non-ham? You punched in a few DTMF tones, heard a dial tone and proceeded
to call your spouse after a long day at the office. That, of course, was in the pre-cell phone/Internet era. Today it's called "wireless," a popular buzzword
for the in-crowd, but we still like to call it radio.
Some people see the excitement of ham radio as a thing of the past. How do we convey our love of radio to curious kids and technically savvy adults? We
certainly can't compete with cell phones, and perhaps we don't want to, anyway. Amateur Radio should remain a technical pursuit. We must demonstrate some
knowledge before we are even allowed to call our first CQ. After we obtain our tickets, the learning should not stop. For the curious, ham radio is an
ideal vehicle for lifelong learning in multiple disciplines.
Take your old 2-meter handheld, punch in a few tones and talk to a ham in Glasgow, Scotland. Instead of talking to the same group every night on the local
repeater, you could have Jimmy Khoo, 9W2HJ, from Malaysia stop by to say hello. Perhaps Kappy, W9CJ, is on his way to dinner in Florida and decides he
wants to check in with his buddies in Chicago on the MAC repeater. Is this possible? Yes, and it's really quite simple and inexpensive.
There are several systems available, but one that is growing in popularity is called EchoLink--free software that allows Amateur Radio operators to communicate
with each other over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology. The program allows worldwide connections to be made between stations, from computer
to station, or from computer to computer.
Dinelli_A
The EchoLink screen shows you who's on at any given time.
You don't even need a radio to talk to other hams on the air--you can do it with your computer and an Internet connection. I downloaded EchoLink from their
Web site (1.8 MB), installed it on my hard drive and filled out the registration form. In about an hour, my registration was confirmed. It was manually
processed to ensure my Amateur Radio license status. I start EchoLink and it displays a list of participants. Some are shown as repeaters, some are simplex
links and others are just individual hams like me.
I scan through the list, see a repeater in New York and double-click on it. In about two seconds I hear Go ahead N9BOR, this is WB2xxx. Now what do I do?
I should have read the instructions! Again I hear my call sign coming from my computer speakers. N9BOR, are you there? This is WB2xxx. A quick look at
the Echolink screen and a mad rush to grab my $2.99 computer microphone and I'm in business. I say, WB2xxx this is N9BOR, Mike in Chicago and I don't know
what I'm doing. Can you hear me? Al, a mobile in New York says, Nice to meet you, Mike. You sound great! Soon I'm in a roundtable with another mobile station
and a ham on a handheld in front of his house (in New York). The audio is crystal clear and I can't detect any delay or lost packets using my dial-up Internet
account. I don't need an outdoor antenna or have to spend any money, yet I'm in Chicago and I'm talking to three hams in New York. Cool! This could even
impress my 14-year old son.
To create a linked repeater, you need a simple interface, a boatanchor computer and an Internet connection. You can purchase an
interface kit
for less than $50. Connections are made for audio in, audio out and push-to-talk. That's all the hardware you need to create an Internet linked repeater.
Options are available to enhance operation (control receiver and compressor/limiter, for example).
So why aren't more repeaters taking advantage of this technology? Maybe we want to keep ham radio a secret. Or perhaps it's because of the gray area that
links radio with the Internet. There is some debate by purists as whether it is really ham radio when you use wired (Internet) technologies to facilitate
a QSO.
Imagine walking your dog and talking to a ham in England on your handheld. A neighbor walks up and says, What are you doing? You say, I'm talking to my
friend, Nigel in Manchester, England. He says it's bloody cold, but he's on his way to a rugby game anyway. This is how you impress a non-ham with your
handheld.
Mike Dinelli, N9BOR, of Skokie, Illinois has been a ham since 1980. He is currently serving as Secretary of
Metro Amateur Radio Club
(MAC). His interests include boatanchors, contesting, DXing and CW ragchewing. You can reach Mike via e-mail at
n9bor@qsl.net
or through his
Web site.
The author would like to thank Philip Lazar, K9PL, for his assistance in editing this article.
QRP Community: DXing--A Guide for Success Using QRP (Part 1 of 2)
By Anthony A. Luscre, K8ZT
Contributing Editor
January 22, 2003
Part 2
This installment focuses on the operating side of QRP while DXing. We define DX and look at ways to be more successful when hunting DX with our low-power
signals.
I must confess that DX is my ham radio weakness. Given the chance to do any ham activity, DXing usually wins out. As a student growing up in a small Ohio
town, one of my favorite subjects was geography. Love of geography was a big part of why I got involved with Amateur Radio. How else could I visit the
entire world with very little cash?
Imagine my disappointment when I got my ticket and found myself snagging almost no DX. Yes, there was the excitement of working stations from all over the
US with the meager signal of my
Ten-Tec Argonaut 515,
but something was wrong. I was not even hearing much DX, let alone working it.
I happen to believe that an Amateur Radio License is really a license to learn. My first lesson was that you cannot work much DX in the 40-meter Novice
band, because most DX stations had no operating privileges there! My second big lesson was that I needed to learn about propagation. With a little more
knowledge under my belt, my DX count eventually increased. Yes, my dream of working the world was coming true.
What is DX?
DX is an abbreviation for "distance," so the first thing we realize is that DX is a relative term. In the early days of ham radio, short-distance contacts
were the norm. In fact, the ARRL--the American Radio Relay League--was founded to foster the practice of relaying message traffic from one station through
multiple stations until it arrived at its intended destination. DX in the early days might have been to work someone in the next state.
In the VHF-UHF-SHF world, DX often is measured in miles. In this regard, I would be remiss in not reminding QRPers of the QRP-ARCI's
1000 Miles per Watt
award program, which applies to HF contacts.
On HF, the DX usually means contacts with stations outside one's own country--although for US stations, working Canada or Mexico, our neighbors to the north
and south, doesn't really count as DX. This will be the definition we will be using.
DXCC (DX Century Club) refers to the ARRL's series of 18
DX awards.
The basic DXCC unit--once called a "country"--now is called an "entity."
The DXCC List
contains a current listing of what constitutes a valid DXCC entity. Details of the DXCC program are spelled out on the
DXCC Rules
page of the ARRL Web site.
Working DX--10 Simplified Tips
1. Operate! Get on the air! More time on the air can definitely increase your chances, especially if you know when and where to hang out.
2. Listen, Listen, Listen! Listen carefully, check weak signals that others skip over, thoroughly explore the bands for "hidden" DX. If you find the DX
before the horde descends, your chances to work the DX are much greater. Listen to the stations the DX station is working for a good idea of propagation
and the DX station's operating style. Listen to how and where the DX station is working other stations. Is he working split--ie, listening "up" or "down"
in frequency, answering late callers, systematically moving his listening frequency or asking specifically for QRP stations?
comp_dxer
This book by Bob Locher, W9KNI, is now out of print. Keep your eyes open at hamfests for used copies of the 1st or 2nd edition.
3. Learn about propagation! Consult forecasts, check daily numbers (SFI, A and K), use propagation prediction software and review your logs from bygone
seasons, years and solar cycles. Choose your operating times to favor the area of Earth you are trying to contact. The
Propagation
page on the ARRL Web site has lots more information on this fascinating topic.
4. Work contests! Worldwide contests provide a plethora of potential DX contacts--sometimes even the rare stuff. It's remarkable how well your QRP signal
can be heard when it means a point for the contester on the other end. See my two-part column QRP Community: QRP Contesting (
Part 1)
and (
Part 2).
5. Optimize your station! Put up the best antenna(s) you can. Keep your station in good operating condition. Make sure your coax is in good condition to
minimize losses.
6. Learn how to use your radios' features! Spend a few quality hours with your radios and their manuals. Learn how to properly operate your gear and how
to use special features. For example, know how to quickly set up your rig for split-frequency operation.
7. Develop good response timing! Knowing when to respond, pacing, emphasis and calling techniques will increase your chances of success.
8. DX spots and news. Use the many sources of DX information to learn about DX opportunities. Sources range from magazine articles to real-time spotting
networks.
9. Keep good records! Use full-featured logging software that can track DX worked and monitor your progress. Learn the most effective methods to get QSL
cards from the DX stations you have worked.
10. Set personal goals! Working the 330-plus DXCC entities can be a very overwhelming task for the new DXer. Setting more reasonable and modest personal
goals can help a DXer to maintain motivation. The first 100 confirmed DX contacts qualify you for the ARRL
basic DXCC Award.
Other goals might be a specific number of new ones each year, working all the entities on a specific continent, etc.
Next Column
We will continue our DXing odyssey in my next column. In the meantime, I have two homework assignments for you. The first is really hard. Try to get a copy
of the excellent, but now out-of-print, book The Complete DX'er by Bob Locher, W9KNI. You may have to search used book sites and hamfests or borrow a copy.
Bob's fine writing and narrative style make its 200 pages a quick read, although a few items are out-of-date. The second assignment is much easier. Pick
up a copy of
DXing 101--The Amateur Radio DX Reference Guide
by Rod Dinkins, AC6V. Both authors are definitely QRO, so you can skip the amplifier references, but much of their advice will work well for QRP operators.
Reader Feedback and Author Comments
The number of e-mails from QRP Community readers following last month's column was even heavier than usual. Many readers passed on links to additional homebrewing
and technical sites. I have posted many of these links on
my Website.
Remember, for more information on any of my ARRL columns visit the
QRP Community Home Page
section of my Web site. I also maintain corrections, notes and updated tables from my previous columns on this page.
1000mile-250
The 1000 Mile per Watt Award is one of the fine awards sponsored by the QRP-Amateur Radio Club International (
QRP ARCI).
Two especially timely e-mails from QRP mailing lists can help homebrewers using toroid coils. For freeware toroid coil calculating tools checkout the
Toroid Calculator
by Diz Gentzow, W8DIZ and
LPQSCalc
by William Phinizy, K6WHP.
On the club news front, the
Flying Pigs QRP Club International
is sponsoring another New Year's challenge. This year's challenge is WAP--
Worked All Pigs.
You need to be a club member to participate, but, of course, club membership is free!
Annual nominations are open for the
QRP Hall of Fame
sponsored by the QRP ARCI. Send nominations to
Ken Evans, W4DU,
848 Valbrook Court, Lilburn, GA 30047.
Finally, 2003 is the bicentennial of my home state of Ohio. Listen for the special call sign KO8HIO--quite often operating QRP. Awards, including QRP endorsements,
of course, are available. Visit the
North East Ohio Bicentennial ARC
Web site for more information.
Editor's note: Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, an ARRL member, lives in Stow, Ohio. He has worked in the field of medical microbiology for 18 years and is now a Technology
and Computer Coordinator for a local school district. Luscre is an avid QRP operator having earned DXCC, WAS and WAC using no more that 5 W output. Readers
are invited to contact the author via e-mail,
k8zt@arrl.net
or visit his
Web site.
Virginia Amateur Group Sets New 145 GHz DX Record
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 22, 2003--Four amateurs from the Lynchburg, Virginia, area celebrated the new year January 12 by breaking their own distance record on
145 GHz and by confirming a fifth grid for
VUCC
on yet another microwave band. Brian Justin, WA1ZMS; Pete Lascell, W4WWQ; Hal DeVuyst, KA4YNO; and G. P. "Geep" Howell, WA4RTS, spanned a nearly 80-km path
to set a new North American and world DX record.
Prior to the record-setting QSO, Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, tests his 145-GHz station on a 0.5-km path to measure signal margin. [Mt Greylock Expeditionary Force
Photo]
145-GHz-Spectran
A screen shot of Spectran software showing the grid on the 79.6-km QSO sent by W2SZ/4 at about 4 WPM CW. [Mt Greylock Expeditionary Force Photo]
"This claim should be the very first VUCC for that band, and it took two years of hard work to make it happen," said Justin. Both stations exchanged contact
information using FSK-CW. All participants are members of the Lynchburg Amateur Radio Club (K4CQ), of which Justin is president. The group already has
earned the first-issued VUCC awards on the 47 and 76 GHz bands.
Justin, who designed and built all of the equipment, traveled to Southwest Virginia--just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mabry Mill--to set up his station
in grid square EM96wx. On the other end of the circuit was the W2SZ/4 station, with Howell as the CW op assisted by Lascell and De Vuyst. W2SZ/4 was at
approximately 4000 feet above sea level on Apple Orchard Mountain in Virginia's Bedford County in grid square FM07fm.
Weather conditions were just right for the QSO to take place with little wind and an extremely low dew point and no haze. Both stations ran about 4 mW of
power and used one-foot dish antennas, which must be precisely aimed. Justin said signal margin was about 2 dB on his end of the contact and about 6 dB
on the W2SZ/4 end.
"One station has a better RX mixer than the other," he explained.
Additional information is available on the
Mt Greylock Expeditionary Force
Web site.
The World Above 50 MHz
Conducted by Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ
Six-Meter Firsts
Six-meter stations from the 48 mainland United States have contacted 228 DXCC entities as of 2002 Aug. 20, according to the best available information.
All claimed first two-way six-meter contacts must have been made no earlier than March 1, 1946, using any transmission mode between 50 and 54 MHz. ARRL
DXCC rules govern criteria for listing, including official six-meter authorization dates, new and deleted countries, and authenticity of expeditions. Illegal
operations can not be recognized. Contacts must be valid, but do not require QSL cards. It may be necessary to verify some contacts at a later time.
List in prefix order
Table with 6 columns and 241 rows
Prefix
Entity
DX Call
US Call
QSO Date
QSO Time
9N
**Nepal
9N7JO
W7GJ
23-Mar-2007
1712
DX0
**Spratly Island
DX0JP
W7GJ
04-Feb-2007
1306
HA
Hungary
HA0DU
K1TOL
09-Jun-2006
0905
ST
**Sudan
ST2RS
W7GJ
28-Jan-2005
0535
YA
**Afganistan
YA1RS
W7GJ
16-Jul-2004
0056
7X
Algeria
7X0AD
W1RA
25-Jun-2004
2029
7P
**Lesotho
7P8NK
W7GJ
08-Feb-2004
0526
ZA
Albania
ZA/DL6LAU
K1SIX
08-Jul-2003
2226
KH9
Wake Island
KH9/N4BQW
K6QXY
13-Jun-2003
1904
VP6
Ducie Is
VP6DIA
KB6NAN
09-Mar-2003
2304
T9
Bosnia-Herzegovina
T99C
K1TOL
12-Dec-2002
1711
BV
Taiwan
BX2AB
K2RTH/4
06-Apr-2002
1502
PY0T
Trinidade & Martim Vaz
PW0T
K2RTH/4
20-Feb-2002
2338
9U
Burundi
9U5D
W7KNT
04-Feb-2002
1801
UA
Russia
RU4CE
K1TOL
22-Jan-2002
1338
A4
Oman
A45XR
N4CC
29-Dec-2001
1353
JW
Svalbard
JW5RIA
K1DAM
11-Dec-2001
1708
VU
India
VU2ZAP
W1LP
06-Dec-2001
1433
JX
Jan Mayen
JX7DFA
K4RX
18-Nov-2001
1546
XV
Viet Nam
XV3AA
N6RZ
18-Nov-2001
0045
T8
Belau
T88BV
K7CW
16-Nov-2001
0059
HV
Vatican
HV0A
N4RFN
16-Nov-2001
1343
OH0
Aland Island
OH0JFP
AA6TT
15-Nov-2001
1217
9M
East Malaysia
9M6JU
N7EPD
15-Nov-2001
0033
YL
Latvia
YL2JN
K1TOL
13-Nov-2001
1508
ER
Moldova
ER1OO
W4SO
30-Oct-2001
1352
SV9
Crete
SV9ANK
K2RTH/4
29-Oct-2001
1503
9G
Ghana
9G5AN
W1JJM
28-Oct-2001
1502
LY
Lithuania
LY2BAW
N1RZ
27-Oct-2001
1329
E3
Eritrea
E30NA
W1GF
21-Oct-2001
1313
TT
Chad
TT8JE
K1SIX
07-Aug-2001
1729
TA
Turkey
YM0KA
K1TOL
29-Jul-2001
2049
Z3
Macedonia
Z32ZM
K2RTH/4
07-Jul-2001
1926
VK9M
Mellish Reef
VK9ML
K6QXY
22-Apr-2001
2236
CE0Z
Juan Fernandez Is
3G0Z
K2RTH/4
27-Mar-2001
0155
PY0S
St Peter & St Paul
PW0S
W1JJM
15-Feb-2001
0045
S9
Sao Tome & Principe
S92DX
K1SG
04-Dec-2000
1546
J2
Djibouti
J28NH
K1SIX
15-Nov-2000
1442
OD
Lebanon
OD/OK1MU
K1DAM
03-Nov-2000
1313
5R
Madagascar
5R5EE
K0FF
01-Nov-2000
1601
KH5K
Kingman Is
K5K
K6QXY
22-Oct-2000
2309
UR
Ukraine
UT5JCW
K2RTH/4
09-Oct-2000
1442
ZD7
St Helena
ZD7MY
K2OVS
26-Jul-2000
2057
1A
Knights of Malta
1A0KM
K4ZOO
22-Jul-2000
1342
4X
Israel
4X1RF
K1SIX
09-Jul-2000
2124
FO
Marquesas
FO0TOH
W6YM
08-Apr-2000
2255
FK
Chesterfield Is
TX0DX
KB6NAN
24-Mar-2000
0300
TX0
Chesterfield Is
TX0DX
N7STU
24-Mar-2000
0230
3C
Equatorial Guinea
3C5I
KA9CFD
17-Nov-1999
1425
VQ9
Chagos
VQ9QM
K2RTH/4
07-Nov-1999
1702
FO
Austral Island
FO0KOJ
WB5HJV
16-Oct-1999
2225
OM
Slovak Republic
OM1TF
WA1OUB
25-Jun-1999
1829
LZ
Bulgaria
LZ1ZP
K8MFO
23-Jun-1999
2046
5H
Tanzania
5H3US
W1JJM
26-May-1999
1840
HB0
Liechtenstein
HB0/HB9QQ
W2CAP/1
12-Aug-1996
?
S0
Western Sahara
S0RASD
WA1OUB
27-Jun-1995
1038
SP
Poland
SP6GWB
KA1A
19-Jun-1995
1548
EH8
Canary Is
EH8BPX
W3IWU
17-Jun-1995
1201
5T
Mauritania
5T5JC
K1TOL
13-Jun-1994
0930
JY
Jordan
JY7SIX
WD4KPD
09-Jun-1994
2145
EH9
Cueta & Melilla
EH9IB
K1HTV/3
18-Jul-1993
1249
EH6
Baleric Is
EH6FB
WA1OUB
12-Jun-1993
0959
OK
Czech Republic
OK1FAV
WA1OUB
11-Jun-1993
1849
EH
Spain
EH3LL
WA1OUB
05-Jun-1993
2102
UZ2
Kaliningrad
UZ2FWA
WA1OUB
22-Jun-1992
1945
3D2
Rotuma
3D2AG
N6XQ
25-Mar-1992
2057
FO
Clipperton
FO0CI
W3JO
09-Mar-1992
1848
KH7
Kure Is
KD7P/NH7
W5FF
07-Feb-1992
2016
ES
Estonia
ES6QB
W4DR
01-Feb-1992
1357
TU
Ivory Coast
TU4DH
K5UR
12-Jan-1992
1508
YO
Romania
YO2IS
K1TOL
08-Jan-1992
1521
9A
Croatia (YU2)
YU2EZA
W1EJ
06-Jan-1992
1720
YV0
Aves Is
YX0AI
WD5K
03-Jan-1992
1344
OK
*Czeckoslovakia
OK3LQ
W4OO
01-Jan-1992
1524
VR2
Hong Kong (VS6)
VS6BG
K6STI
17-Nov-1991
0047
S5
Slovenia (YU3)
YU3ES
W2MPK
14-Nov-1991
1443
YU
Yugoslavia
YU3AN
W8QXO
14-Nov-1991
1453
JD1
Ogasawara
JD1BFI
K6QXY
20-Oct-1991
2136
CE0X
San Felix Is
XQ0X
W5OZI
24-Mar-1991
0235
OY
Faroe Is
OY9JD
K1JRW
29-Jan-1991
1348
3X
Guinea
3X1SG
K8MFO
04-Dec-1990
1530
CN
Morocco
CN2JP
K1TOL
03-Dec-1990
1356
IS0
Sardinia
IS0AGY
W2CAP/1
17-Nov-1990
1407
7Q
Malawi
7Q7JA
KM0A
02-Nov-1990
1346
T7
San Marino
T77C
K4CKS
28-Jun-1990
2016
OE
Austria
OE5NEL
W2CAP/1
26-Jun-1990
1647
DL
Germany
DL7QY
W2CAP/1
26-Jun-1990
1607
LX
Luxembourg
LX1JX
W2CAP/1
26-Jun-1990
1630
ON
Belgium
ON1CAK
W2CAP/1
26-Jun-1990
1627
3D2
Conway Reef
3D2SM
N6XQ
23-May-1990
2053
KH5J
Jarvis & Palmyra Is
AH3C/KH5J
WA6BYA
14-Apr-1990
2155
FW
Wallis & Fortuna
FW/W6JKV
K6STI
02-Apr-1990
2359
VK9L
Lord Howe Is
VK9LE
WA6BYA
28-Mar-1990
2141
CE0Y
Easter Is
CE0/JG3KUT
N6CA
09-Mar-1990
2317
VP6
Pitcarin (VR2)
VR200PI
K6KLY
05-Mar-1990
?
FR
Reunion Is
FR5EL
W3JO
02-Mar-1990
1425
9L
Sierra Leone
9L1US
K1JRW
25-Feb-1990
1434
OZ
Denmark
OZ6OL
K1TOL
19-Jan-1990
1321
ZC4
Cyprus UK Base
ZC4MK
K1HTV/3
26-Nov-1989
1456
KH4
Midway Is
KD7P/WH4
WA6BYA
25-Nov-1989
2144
PY0F
Fernando de Noronha
ZW0F
K1TOL
20-Nov-1989
1208
D4
Cape Verde Is
D44BC
K8UNV
18-Nov-1989
1828
5N
Nigeria
5N0/ON5NT
K5CM
08-Nov-1989
1515
6W
Senegal
6W1/F6CBC
W3WFM
01-Nov-1989
?
ZS1
*Walvis Bay
ZS1IS
KA2RDO
01-Nov-1989
1419
YN
Nicaragua
YN3CC
W4CKD
19-Oct-1989
1336
VK0
Macquaire Is
VK9YQS/0
WA6BYA
15-Apr-1989
2326
P2
Papua New Guinea
P29PL
WA6BYA
14-Apr-1989
2328
T2
Tuvalu
T20JT
K6QXY
08-Apr-1989
0204
YB
Indonesia
YB0ARA
K6STI
02-Apr-1989
0120
T30
West Kiribati
T30DJ
WA6BYA
29-Mar-1989
0004
ZK1
North Cook Is
ZK1WL
K6QXY
27-Mar-1989
0038
TR
Gabon
TR8CA
W5FF
27-Mar-1989
1933
5W
Western Samoa
5W1GP
W5OZI
14-Mar-1989
2225
J5
Guinea-Bissau
J52US
K1TOL
11-Dec-1988
1454
KH3
Johnston Is
WY5L/KH3
KN5S
02-Nov-1988
?
VP8
Falkland Is
VP8PTG
K1FJM/4
16-Oct-1988
2238
P4
Aruba
P40JT
KF6AJ
09-Jun-1988
2037
GD
Isle of Man
GD3TNS
K2OVS
06-Jun-1988
2145
9H
Malta (ZB1)
9H1BT
K1TOL
17-Jun-1987
2140
C3
Andorra
C30DAW
K1TOL
17-Jun-1987
2103
GM
Scotland
GM4TXX
K1TOL
07-Jun-1987
1325
GU
Guernsey
GU2HML
N4VA
09-Jul-1986
2244
ZK2
Niue
ZK2RS
WB7OHF
07-Apr-1984
2219
ZL7
Chatham Is
ZL7OY
WA5IYX
05-Apr-1984
2349
GJ
Jersey Is
GJ3YHU
WA1OUB
01-Jul-1983
2232
GI
Northern Ireland
GI3ZSC
KA1PE
01-Jul-1983
1230
V4
St Kitts (VP2K)
VP2KBH
KA4LXZ
19-Jun-1983
2043
GW
Wales
GW3LDH
K1TOL
19-Jun-1983
2315
TI9
Cocos Is
TI9/W6JKV
W5VY
12-Jun-1983
1901
HR
Honduras
HR/K6MYC
W4OO
11-Jun-1983
2145
ZP
Paraguay
ZP6XDW
WB4OSN
21-Mar-1983
2013
CU
Azores
CU2/W6JKV
K8MMM
08-Jan-1983
1600
KH0
Mariana Is
W6JKV/KH0
WA7JTM
23-Nov-1982
2210
8R
Guyana
8R/KA3BUJ
WB4OSN
02-Jul-1982
2254
XF4
Revillagigedo
XE1JJU/XF4
WA5HNK
12-Jun-1982
1539
V2
Antigua
V2/K1FJM
W4OO
12-Jun-1982
1727
ZL9
Campbell Is (ZL/A)
ZL4OY/A
WB7OHF
20-Apr-1982
2035
FK
New Caledonia
FK8AX
KA6ING
09-Apr-1982
?
A3
Tonga
A35JT
W7KMA
08-Apr-1982
2337
J3
Grenada
J3AE
W5VY
31-Jan-1982
1435
V8
Brunei (VS5)
VS5DX
W7FN
11-Nov-1981
0110
C5
Gambia
C5AEH
W2UTH
07-Nov-1981
1614
JD1
Minami Torishima
JD1YAA
N7DB
04-Nov-1981
?
5B
Cyprus
5B4AZ
WA4LOX
31-Oct-1981
1403
SV
Greece
SZ2DH
W4HHK
31-Oct-1981
1352
HK0
San Andres
HK0BKX
W4OO
03-Aug-1981
2255
J8
St Vincent
J88AR
K1TOL
07-Jul-1981
2228
KP5
Desecheo Is
KP2A/p
W4OO
09-Jun-1981
1150
VP2E
Anguilla
VP2ET
W4OO
04-Jun-1981
1520
VK9W
Willis Is
VK9ZD
W7KMA
01-May-1981
0114
VK9N
Norfolk Is
VK9NS
WB6BMB
03-Mar-1981
?
9Y
Trinidad (VP4)
9Y4DX
K5FF
26-Feb-1981
1519
PJ
St Maarten (5,6,7,8)
PJ7GIL
W5EU
09-Feb-1981
1430
I
Italy
I5TDJ
N3AHI
26-Nov-1980
1603
J7
Dominica
J73A
K5FF
19-Nov-1980
1454
ZS
South Africa
ZS6LN
K8EFS
05-Nov-1980
1610
T32
East Kiribati
T3LAA
W7KMA
24-Oct-1980
2210
EL
Liberia
EL2AV
K1IKN
19-Oct-1980
?
KH8
Amer. Samoa
AH8A
N6AJ
11-Oct-1980
2058
DU
Philippines
DU1GF
K6KLY
11-Oct-1980
?
4U
United Nations
4U1UN
WB2MAI
17-Sep-1980
1429
HC8
Galapagos Is
HC8EE
W4CKD
05-Jul-1980
2329
FM
Martinique
FM7AB
W4OO
09-Jun-1980
2215
TF
Iceland
TF3SG
AC1T
16-Dec-1979
1640
V6
Micronesia (KC6)
KC6IN
W7FN
24-Nov-1979
2127
HL
South Korea
HL9TG
N6CT
03-Nov-1979
?
YJ
Vanatu
YJ8OT
N6DX
06-Jul-1979
?
CP
Bolivia
CP1AT
K5CM
01-Jul-1979
1430
VP2V
British Virgin Is
VP2VDL
WB4OSN
07-Jun-1979
0035
KG4
Guantanamo
KG4BN
K1TOL
04-Jun-1979
0020
HH
Haiti
HH2PR
W8CMS
23-May-1979
?
H4
Solomon Is
H44DX
W6XJ
05-May-1979
?
3D2
Fiji
3D2CM
WA6JOO
07-Apr-1979
2040
V3
Belize (VP1)
VP1MT
W5VY
04-Apr-1979
0010
FO
French Polynesia
FO5DR
K6KLY
03-Apr-1979
?
ZL8
Kermadec
ZL1BIQ/K
N6DX
17-Mar-1979
?
ZB
Gibraltar
ZB2BL
K1TOL
18-Feb-1979
1325
YS
El Salvador
YS2CS
WA2TPU
12-Feb-1979
?
HP
Panama
HP2VK
WA2TPU
12-Feb-1979
?
KH2
Guam (KG6)
KG6JIH
N6CT
12-Nov-1978
2056
FY
French Guiana
FY7AS
W3JO
10-Jul-1978
2248
KP2
US Virgin Is (KV4)
W4UWH/KV4
W2CNS
11-Jun-1978
?
CY9
St Paul Is
VY0CA
K1GPJ
21-May-1978
2136
J6
St Lucia (VP2L)
VP2LAW
WA1OUB
02-Jun-1976
2045
KZ5
*Canal Zone
KZ5OO
WA0VJF
26-Apr-1974
2256
8P
Barbados
8P6EN
WB4OSN
21-May-1972
2021
HK
Colombia
HK3OK
WA5IYX
05-Mar-1972
2100
ZK1
South Cook Is
ZK1AA
WA5IYX
05-Apr-1970
2008
PY
Brazil
PY5GK
W1HOY/2
20-Mar-1970
2120
VP2M
Montserrat
VP2MJ
WA5TTH
01-Apr-1969
?
ZD8
Ascension Is
ZD8NK
W2UTH
01-Dec-1968
1515
ZF
Cayman
ZF1DT
W4HJZ
20-Jul-1968
2155
YV
Venezuela
YV5ADF
W2CAP/1
03-Jul-1965
2312
HI
Dominican Rep
HI8XHL
W2CAP/1
02-Jul-1963
1420
FP
St Pierre
FP8CG
W2CAP/1
02-Jul-1963
1800
FG
Guadaloupe
FG7XT
W8CMS
14-Jun-1963
?
OX
Greenland (KG1)
KG1FN
K8WKZ
08-Nov-1959
?
VP5
Turks & Caicos
VP5FP
K4UKG
15-Aug-1959
0148
CY0
Sable Is
VE1ABV/p
W8CMS
26-Jun-1959
?
PJ
Bonaire (2,4,9)
PJ2AO
W5SFW
01-Mar-1959
?
KR6
*Okinawa
KR6AF
W7RT
02-Dec-1958
?
5X
Uganda (VQ5)
VQ5GF
W8CMS
08-Nov-1958
2100
OH
Finland
OH2HK
W2VTH
01-Nov-1958
1420
VK
Australia
VK4HD
W6PUZ
13-Mar-1958
2240
FS
Saint Martin
FS7RT
W5SFW
23-Feb-1958
1645
6Y
Jamaica (VP5)
VP5RS
K6JCK
23-Feb-1958
1815
ZL
New Zealand
ZL1ZBL
K6ZEH
22-Feb-1958
2121
A2
Botswana (ZS9)
ZS9G
W5SFW
21-Feb-1958
1815
CT3
Madeira
CT3AE
W3KMV
14-Nov-1957
?
V5
Namibia (ZS3)
ZS3G
W6FZA
12-Nov-1957
?
CT
Portugal
CT1CO
K2QWD
02-Nov-1957
?
EI
Erie
EI2W
W2JTE
27-Oct-1957
?
LA
Norway
LA7T
W2UTH
27-Oct-1957
1342
SM
Sweden
SM5CHH
W4UMF
06-Oct-1957
1428
CE
Chile
CE1AH
W4CQO
29-Feb-1957
?
9J
Zambia (VQ2)
VQ2PL
K9GGF
18-Feb-1957
?
Z2
Zimbabwe (ZE)
ZE2JE
W8LPD
18-Feb-1957
?
V7
Marshall Is (KX6)
KX6BQ
W7ERA
16-Nov-1956
2120
TI
Costa Rica
TI2AFC
W6NLZ
11-Nov-1956
1725
JA
Japan
JA1AUH
K6EDX
27-Oct-1956
2352
PZ
Suriname
PZ1AE
W8CMS
20-Oct-1956
?
VP9
Bermuda
VP9AY
W8CMS
26-Feb-1955
?
CO
Cuba
CM2ZK
W8CMS
01-Sep-1951
?
C6
Bahamas (VP7)
VP7N0
W8CMS
14-Aug-1951
?
KP4
Puerto Rico
KP4NX
W8LPD
19-Jun-1951
?
CX
Uruguay
CX3AA
W5VY
04-Apr-1949
0235
TG
Guatemala
TG9CH
W5FSC
16-Jun-1948
?
HC
Ecuador
HC2OT
W5NYM
25-Jan-1948
2300
F
France
F8ZF
W5VY
22-Nov-1947
1415
HB
Switzerland
HB8VK
W1CGY
22-Nov-1947
?
G
England
G6DH
W1HDQ
05-Nov-1947
1302
KL7
Alaska
KL7DY
W9ALU
31-Oct-1947
1954
PA
Netherlands
PA0UN
W1HDQ
28-Oct-1947
1245
LU
Argentina
LU9EV
W5VY
13-Oct-1947
2059
KH6
Hawaii
W7ACS/KH6
W5VY
11-Oct-1947
1548
XE
Mexico
XE1GE
W4EQR
17-May-1947
?
OA
Peru
OA4AE
W4IUJ
23-Mar-1947
1950
VE
Canada
VE3ANY
W4FKN
31-May-1946
?
K
United States
W2EUI
W2IDZ
17-Mar-1946
?
table end
* Deleted Country
** EME Contact
Criteria
The preceding table lists the earliest known dates and times stations in any of the 48 contiguous United States made 50-MHz contacts with each DXCC country.
This is a working list. There are probably earlier contacts for many countries and others have yet to be claimed. If you have any corrections or additions,
please send them directly to
W3ZZ.
List of 5 items
1. All claimed first two-way six-meter contacts with DXCC countries must be made from one of the continental 48 United States no early than March 1, 1946,
using any transmission mode between 50 and 54 MHz. Dates and times are UTC.
2. ARRL DXCC rules govern criteria for countries, including official six-meter authorization dates, new and deleted countries, and authenticity of expeditions.
Contacts with countries before operations where authorized cannot be included.
3. Contacts must be valid, but do not submit QSL cards. It may be necessary to verify some claimed contacts at a later time.
4. Please submit any additions, corrections, or updates, if any of your contacts is earlier than those listed. If no time is indicated and you made a contact
on the same date, please include your contact with the time.
5. Send your claims to The World Above 50 MHz, 33 Brighton Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 USA or preferably via E-mail to
w3zz@arrl.org.
list end
ARLD003: DX news
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD003
ARLD003 DX news
ZCZC AE45
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 3 ARLD003
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT January 11, 1996
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD003
ARLD003 DX news
This week's bulletin was made possible with info provided by Tedd,
KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, the Yankee Clipper Contest Club
PacketCluster network and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all.
MONACO, 3A. Laura-Marcelle, 3A2MD, is on 14175 to 14180 kHz between
1400 and 1600z daily. QSL via Laura-Marcelle Martinez, 73 Bd du
Jardin Exotique, 98000 Monaco.
GHANA, 9G. Steve, PA3GBQ, is now signing 9G5BQ on all bands. Check
3515 kHz at 0240z and 7010 kHz at 0115z. QSL via PA3GBQ.
ZAMBIA, 9J. Brian, 9J2BO, is very active on all bands. Try 3505
kHz at 0415z and 10103 kHz at 0520z. His new QSL route is via Brian
Otter, PO Box 34554, Lusaka, Zambia.
VIETNAM, XV. Rolf, XV7SW, now has 160 and 80 meter inverted L
antennas. An inverted vee for 40 meters will be installed soon.
His downtown Hanoi QTH is noisy, so separate receiving antennas may
be necessary. Rolf runs 100 watts on 160 meters and his license
restricts him to specific frequencies. Try him on 1827, 3505, 7013,
14016, 14021, 21016, 21019, 28016 and 28019 kHz. QSL direct to Rolf
T Salme, Embassy of Sweden, Box 9, Hanoi, Vietnam, or to his QSL
Manager SM3CXS.
PALAU, KC6. Seiji, JH6RTO, will sign KC6FS January 12 to 16. QSL
via Seiji Fukushima, 2-183-A207, Soubudai, Zama City 228, Japan.
MIDWAY ISLAND, KH4. Bill, NH6D, returns January 15 for a 2 week
stay to operate 160, 80 and 40 meter CW and SSB. QSL via KL7H/W6.
Another DXpedition to Midway is planned for March, as an all-band,
all-mode operation involving a large group of mainly US amateurs.
More details, including QSL route, TBA later.
CENTRAL KIRIBATI, T31. T30DP is in Kanton on business for a few
weeks. Listen for T30DP/T31 on 20 meters only, though he was
recently on 7012 kHz at 1300z. QSL via VK4CRR.
WEST MALAYSIA, 9M2. Tex, 9M2TO, is active from Panang Island and
enjoys CW. Check 7007/7027 kHz from 1400 and 1500z, 10102 kHz from
1300 to 1400z and on weekends try 18070 kHz from 0800 to 1000z. QSL
via JA0DMV or direct to Tex Izumo, Bukit Dumbar Apr. 9-4, 97 Jalang
Thomas 11700, Gelugore, Malaysia.
CAMBODIA, XU. Mike, VS6WV, should be here as this bulletin goes to
press. Suggested frequencies are 7007 QSX up 2 to 4 kHz, 3511 or
3517 QSX up 2 to 4 kHz and 1823.5 or 1829 to 1831 kHz QSX up. QSL
requests should continue to go to Mike Vestal, Box 2011, GPO, Hong
Kong.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. Full plate this time around. The Japan
International DX Contest CW, Hunting Lions In The Air, Kentucky QSO
Party, Michigan QRP Club CW, Meet The Novices and Technicians Day
and the North American QSO Party CW are all going on this weekend.
For more information, check page 105 in January QST.
NNNN
/EX
ARLD003: DX news
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD003
ARLD003 DX news
ZCZC AE78
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 3 ARLD003
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT January 19, 1995
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD003
ARLD003 DX news
This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin and the Contest Corral Column from
the pages of QST magazine. Thanks to all.
PHILIPPINES. According to The DX Newsletter, 4E7 prefixes were to
start being issued as of January 1, 1995. VS6VW reported hearing
SM0CNS/4E7 active on 160 meters.
KENYA. 5Z4FO has been on 75 and 80 meters with CW and SSB below
3800 kHz. Operating has been as early as 2215z and as late as 0415.
He has also been working 160 meters, mainly with CW, on 1832 kHz at
0100z. QSL via KB4EKY. Listen for 5Z4DU on 75 meter SSB at about
0330z. QSL via KG4X.
ZAIRE. Joe, G3MRC, is signing 9Q5MRC and has been operating mostly
30 and 20 meter CW between 1900 and 2200z. QSL via G3MRC. Bjorn,
LA9IY, is active as 9Q5IY. He has been on 18071 kHz at 1630z. QSL
direct only via LA1K.
SOUTH KOREA. Harry, HL9HH, is looking for some help with low band
WAS. He needs CT, NJ, NC, RI, SC and VT on both 40 and 80 meters.
On 80 he is looking for DE and MD, and on 40 he needs MA, ME and NH.
Listen for him around 3589 and 7009 kHz after 1030z.
PACIFIC DXPEDITION. Ed, K8VIR, will be doing a lot of traveling
over the next six months. He should start amateur activity from New
Caledonia, FK. Other stops should include Western Samoa and Tonga.
QSL via CBA.
CURACAO. John, W1BIH, will be active as PJ9JT until mid April. Try
3506 kHz at 0130z and 40 meter CW between 0100 and 0200z, and again
at 1130z. Check 21279 kHz at 1430z. QSL via W1AX.
CAMBODIA. Mike, VS6WV, reports that Sanyi, XU7VK, has been on 1829
kHz at about 1435z.
ZIMBABWE. Bill, Z21CS, can be worked on 18124 kHz around 1715z.
When QSLing, do not send IRCs or green stamps. Bill does request
packets of flower seeds for his XYL. QSL via Bill Taylor, Box 264,
Kwekwe, Zimbabwe.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. Over the weekend you get to choose from
the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes, North American QSO Party Phone,
North Dakota QSO Party and the YL-ISSB QSO Party CW. Details for
the NA QSO Party appear on page 127 of January QST. Info on the
other events are on page 123 of December QST.
NNNN
/EX
ARRL Plans Federal Court Appeal of Certain BPL Rules
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 4, 2006 -- The ARRL Executive Committee is expected this weekend to ratify plans to appeal in federal court certain aspects of the FCC's
Part 15 rules governing broadband over power line (BPL) systems. Assuming the EC signs off on the strategy, the League will file a Notice of Appeal by
October 22 with the US District Court of Appeals -- DC Circuit. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the League went forward with its
appeal plans only after considering the effect on licensed spectrum users of letting the BPL rules stand.
"This decision was made after careful review of the FCC's October 2004 BPL Report and Order (
R&O)
and of the August 2006 Memorandum Opinion and Order (
MO&O)
that dealt with petitions for reconsideration," said Sumner, who addressed ARRL's concerns with the FCC's BPL rules in his "
It Seems to Us . . ."
editorial in October QST.
New Rule Limits Interference Liability to Mobile Stations
Several reconsideration petitions of the initial R&O -- including
one from ARRL --
called on the FCC to strengthen rules aimed at protecting licensed radio systems from BPL interference. Instead, in a new rule only revealed after the FCC
made the MO&O public, the FCC limited the extent to which an unlicensed, unintentional radiator has to protect a licensed mobile station.
The new rule, §15.611(c)(1)(iii), provides that BPL operators only have to reduce emission levels below established FCC permissible limits by 20 dB below
30 MHz and by 10 dB above 30 MHz -- even if that's not enough to resolve harmful interference complaints. The FCC called these levels "modestly above the
noise level."
According to ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, these levels would be some 25 dB higher than the median values for man-made noise in residential areas
and up to 40 dB higher than the minimum values hams use for reliable communication.
What the FCC has done with respect to licensed mobile services "should strike fear into the hearts of those who rely on public safety communications," Sumner
added, especially since the rule requires BPL operators to do even less above 30 MHz than at HF.
ARRL Challenging Extrapolation Factor Decision
The Commission also declined to adjust the 40 dB per decade "extrapolation factor" applied to measurements performed at distances from power lines other
than those specified in Part 15. Sumner says this is an important technical point because the existing Part 15 rule causes test results to underestimate
actual field strength. In their petitions for reconsideration, the ARRL and others demonstrated that the 40 dB per decade extrapolation factor was wrong
and that a figure closer to 20 dB per decade was appropriate.
Making Matters Worse
"The MO&O just made matters worse," Sumner said, "because the FCC simply cast aside any new information that did not support its original, flawed conclusion
and dismissed it without explanation." He called the Commission's stand on the 40 dB per decade rule "clearly, demonstrably and inarguably wrong."
Sumner contends the rule change in the MO&O regarding mobile stations contravenes the International Radio Regulations and the Communications Act of 1934.
"The FCC has, in effect, tried to redefine harmful interference," he said. "It can't do that. The Commission doesn't have the authority to do that, and
we're going to demonstrate that to the Court of Appeals." Sumner said the FCC's action is "exactly the kind of administrative decision the courts of appeal
love to overturn."
He said the principles that the FCC appears to be following for the first time -- if applied generally -- represent an abuse of licensees' rights. "It's
unacceptable that the FCC would reduce the rights of its licensees in favor of unlicensed, unintentional emitters," he said. "Remember that 'unintentional
emission' is just another term for 'spectrum pollution.'"
No Free Pass
Sumner made it clear that the League is not suing BPL providers for causing interference, nor suing the FCC for failing to enforce its own rules against
harmful interference. "We are not satisfied with the level of attention the Commission is paying to existing cases of BPL interference, but this is not
the time to pursue that in federal court," he said.
He said the ARRL will demonstrate in court that the FCC's administrative process was flawed and resulted in rules that go beyond its mandate by reducing
the rights of its licensees and providing a free pass to spectrum polluters.
"The court is not going to rewrite the rules," Sumner explained. "The court can make the Commission go back to the drawing board and re-decide them, however."
He said the League also wants the court to formally recognize that the FCC's failure to reconsider its initial decision regarding the 40 dB per decade
extrapolation factor is "indefensible."
While these aspects of the new rules precipitated the decision to appeal, Sumner said, the arguments the League puts forward in its court filing may touch
on other matters as well.
160-Meter Experiment Will Explore Marconi's 1901 Transatlantic Success
Marconi-SignalHill-Tower-sm
Marconi's 1901 receiving station was on the grounds of this castle-like structure on what's now called Signal Hill, overlooking St John's Harbor in Newfoundland.
Signal Hill is home to VO1AA. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo]
Marconi-SignalHill-sm
Guglielmo Marconi at his Newfoundland receiving site in 1901. He used a kite-supported antenna for the successful transatlantic radio reception test.
Marconi-PoldhuXmtr-sm
The 1901 Marconi transmitter in Poldhu, Cornwall, England.
Joe Craig, VO1NA
Joe Craig, VO1NA. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 5, 2006 -- A 160-meter beacon will take to the air this fall and winter from Cornwall, England, to explore how Guglielmo Marconi was
able to span the Atlantic by wireless for the first time on December 12, 1901. Radio history says that's when the radio pioneer at a receiving station
in Newfoundland successfully copied the Morse code letter "s" sent repeatedly by his team in the Cornwall town of Poldhu. The latter-day venture is a cooperative
effort of the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club (PARK) in Cornwall and the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland (
MCRN).
The Poldhu club's Keith Matthew, G0WYS, said the 2001 centenary of Marconi's achievement reopened discussion into the mechanism by which the 1901 spark
transmitter signal propagated.
"The winter of 1901 coincided with a sunspot minimum, and it was realized that this coming December 2006 should show similar conditions to those of December
1901," he said. Just how Marconi was able to receive the transatlantic transmission has long been a topic of discussion and even controversy, especially
given the frequency Marconi is likely to have used, thought to be between 800 and 900 kHz, and the time of day, afternoon in Newfoundland -- not to mention
daytime absorption levels (see "
Fessenden and Marconi: Their Differing Technologies and Transatlantic Experiments During the First Decade of this Century"
by Jack Belrose, VE2CV, and additional articles
(1)
(2)
on the Team Marconi 2006 Web site).
"The beacon will help understand the possibility of low sunspot number transatlantic medium wave propagation 24 hours a day, but especially 1400 through
1800 UTC," Matthew said. The 160-meter amateur band is being used, he explained, because Marconi's original frequency today is a highly populated piece
of the radio spectrum.
"It was realized that a clear channel would be necessary on the nearest amateur band, and a temporary license to operate a beacon on 160 meters has now
been obtained," Matthew announced this week. Starting on or about November 1 and continuing through next February, the GB3SSS beacon will transmit on 1960
kHz.
The 1960 kHz beacon will use a two-minute transmit sequence starting at the top of the hour, Matthew explained. It will consist of a CW identification followed
by a series of carrier bursts, each reducing in power by 6 dB. An identification in PSK31 will follow. The transmit sequence will repeat at 15-minute intervals.
On the listening end in Newfoundland will be well-known low-frequency experimenter Joe Craig, VO1NA, of the MRCN, who lives near St John's. "This is a very
exciting project," Craig said. "I am very grateful for the support from my fellow members in the club and our sister club, the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club."
Craig offered his own observations on Marconi's 1901 feat in a 2001
article "
Marconi's First Transatlantic Wireless Experiment," for The Canadian Amateur, the journal of Radio Amateurs of Canada (
RAC).
Also monitoring in North America will be the Antique Wireless Association's W2AN club station in upstate New York.
ARRL member and radio history buff Bart Lee, KV6LEE, proposed the 160-meter experiment to test the feasibility of Marconi's 1901 accomplishment (some would
say "claim").
"Continuing cooperation between Canadian and British Amateur Radio operators can thus play a part in verification of one of the most interesting events
in the history of our technology," Lee said in his
article "
A Plea for Timely Experiments" on the California Historical Radio Web site. Lee and Matthew recently visited with Craig and other MRCN members in Newfoundland.
An
e-mail address
has been established to send beacon reception reports.
Keith-at-VON-sm
Keith Matthew, G0WYS, at VON, the Canadian Coast Guard radio facility in St John's, Newfoundland. VON operates on 2 MHz SSB, 518 kHz NAVTEX and VHF FM.
[Joe Craig, VO1NA, Photo]
bev3-sm
The Beverage receiving antenna at VO1NA. Craig says it runs off 525 feet to the left. "The pole is a fir tree I cut for a transmission-line pole," he explains.
"It holds up a pair of quarter-inch 75 ohm hard lines, and one of the hard lines feeds the Beverage. The other goes to a 7-foot LF receiving loop about
100 feet to the right." [Joe Craig, VO1NA, Photo]
ARLB018: ARRL plans federal court appeal of certain BPL rules
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB018
ARLB018 ARRL plans federal court appeal of certain BPL rules
ZCZC AG18
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 18 ARLB018
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT October 4, 2006
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB018
ARLB018 ARRL plans federal court appeal of certain BPL rules
The ARRL Executive Committee is expected this weekend to ratify
plans to appeal in federal court certain aspects of the FCC's Part
15 rules governing broadband over power line (BPL) systems. Assuming
the EC signs off on the strategy, the League will file a Notice of
Appeal by October 22 with the US District Court of Appeals - DC
Circuit. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the
League went forward with its appeal plans only after considering the
effect on licensed spectrum users of letting the BPL rules stand.
''This decision was made after careful review of the FCC's October
2004 BPL Report and Order (R&O) and of the August 2006 Memorandum
Opinion and Order (MO&O) that dealt with petitions for
reconsideration,'' said Sumner.
Several reconsideration petitions of the initial R&O - including one
from ARRL - called on the FCC to strengthen rules aimed at
protecting licensed radio systems from BPL interference. Instead,
in a new rule only revealed after the FCC made the MO&O public, the
FCC limited the extent to which an unlicensed, unintentional
radiator has to protect a licensed mobile station.
The new rule, 15.611(c)(1)(iii), provides that BPL operators only
have to reduce emission levels below established FCC permissible
limits by 20 dB below 30 MHz and by 10 dB above 30 MHz - even if
that's not enough to resolve harmful interference complaints.
Sumner contends the rule change contravenes the International Radio
Regulations and the Communications Act of 1934. ''The FCC has, in
effect, tried to redefine harmful interference,'' he said. ''It can't
do that. The Commission doesn't have the authority to do that, and
we're going to demonstrate that to the Court of Appeals.''
What the FCC has done with respect to licensed mobile services
''should strike fear into the hearts of those who rely on public
safety communications,'' Sumner added, especially since the rule
requires BPL operators to do even less above 30 MHz than at HF.
The Commission also declined to adjust the 40 dB per decade
''extrapolation factor'' applied to measurements performed at
distances from power lines other than those specified in Part 15.
Sumner says this is an important technical point because the
existing Part 15 rule causes test results to underestimate actual
field strength. Petitions for reconsideration from the ARRL and
others argued that a figure closer to 20 dB per decade was more
appropriate. Sumner called the Commission's stand on the 40 dB per
decade rule ''clearly, demonstrably and inarguably wrong.''
He said the principles that the FCC appears to be following for the
first time - if applied generally - represent an abuse of licensees'
rights. ''It's unacceptable that the FCC would reduce the rights of
its licensees in favor of unlicensed, unintentional emitters,'' he
said. ''Remember that 'unintentional emission' is just another term
for 'spectrum pollution.'''
Sumner made it clear that the League is not suing BPL providers for
causing interference, nor suing the FCC for failing to enforce its
own rules against harmful interference. ''We are not satisfied with
the level of attention the Commission is paying to existing cases of
BPL interference, but this is not the time to pursue that in federal
court,'' he said.
While the separate standard for what constitutes harmful
interference to a mobile and the 40 dB per decade extrapolation
factor issues precipitated the decision to appeal, Sumner said, the
arguments the League puts forward in its court filing may touch on
other matters as well.
''The court is not going to rewrite the rules,'' Sumner explained.
''The court can make the Commission go back to the drawing board and
re-decide them, however.''
NNNN
/EX
==>ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS OUTLINES AMBITIOUS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Frigid New England temperatures and a major snowstorm failed to chill
enthusiasm as the ARRL Board of Directors met January 21-22 in Windsor,
Connecticut, to tackle a lengthy agenda. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
chaired the gathering. Among the highlights of the session was the Board's
unanimous adoption of positions on six initiatives for the 109th Congress.
Topping the list was a call for "consistent application" of the FCC's
limited federal preemption policy--PRB-1--to Amateur Radio antenna
systems. The League wants PRB-1 to apply to "all types of land use
regulations," public and private. That would include deed covenants,
conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
"The American Radio Relay League seeks congressional instruction to the
FCC to extend its limited preemption policy governing residential Amateur
Radio antennas, so that private land-use authorities cannot preclude, but
must reasonably accommodate, Amateur Radio communications in subdivisions
and communities," the Board resolved. After the FCC declined to include
CC&Rs under the PRB-1 umbrella, the League since 2002 has initiated bills
in Congress to accomplish the same end.
In addition, the Board expressed support for measures to improve federal
management of telecommunications, including beefing up the FCC's ability
to regulate transmitter, receiver and antenna issues and resolve
electromagnetic interference. The Board also wants public service
allocations, including Amateur Radio's, exempted from auction or
commercial reallocation, and compensatory spectrum whenever the federal
government reallocates existing public service spectrum to another
service. The resolution reflected the essence of the "Amateur Radio
Spectrum Protection Act of 2004," HR 713. An identical bill will be
introduced into the 109th Congress.
Calling amateur frequencies "the technological equivalent of a national
park," the Board further resolved to support measures that "preserve and
protect" primary Amateur Radio access to existing amateur spectrum "as a
natural resource for the enjoyment of all properly licensed individuals,
and protect against interference from unlicensed transmitters such as Part
15 devices" operating on amateur frequencies.
Finally, the Board expressed support for requiring the FCC to develop
effective, mandatory standards for radio frequency susceptibility of
consumer electronic devices. And it expressed general opposition to
expansion of current prohibitions against the reception of radio signals
beyond those already on the books.
In a related vein, the Board affirmed support for the ARRL Grassroots
Legislative Action Plan and called for its immediate implementation.
Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, says the Grassroots
Legislative Action Plan will function mainly by direct contacts with
lawmakers in their members' home districts and by motivating legislative
support through letter writing by members.
Working with the new Congress could prove more difficult than in the past,
ARRL's congressional consultant John Chwat of Chwat & Co suggested to the
Board. He expressed the belief that the 109th Congress is very contentious
and advised that every League effort on Capitol Hill focus on Amateur
Radio's role in emergency communication.
Following recommendations of the ARRL Executive Committee, the Board
adopted changes to the League's pending petition that would propose
segmenting bands principally by maximum bandwidth rather than by emission
type. Amendments to the plan, still in the draft stage, would call on the
FCC to permit non-telephony emissions not exceeding 3 kHz at 10.135 to
10.150 MHz, prohibit "continuous" test transmissions on most frequencies
above 51 MHz, and clarify the rules to specify that amateur stations may
use any published digital code, as long as other rules are observed.
The Board will consider the amended bandwidth petition at its July
meeting. The League is not expected to file the petition with the FCC
until later this year.
Turning out for their first meeting of the ARRL Board were new
Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Vice Director Ned
Stearns, AA7A, both elected last fall. New on the "back bench" was Rocky
Mountain Division Vice Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT. At 25, Mileshosky
is believed to be the youngest vice director in League history. He
succeeded Rev Morton, WS7W, who attended for the first time as Rocky
Mountain Division Director.
The Board also elected a new ARRL chief operating officer. He's Harold R.
Kramer, WJ1B, of Cheshire, Connecticut, now a vice president with
Connecticut Public Broadcasting. When he officially joins the ARRL staff
February 15, Kramer will succeed former COO Mark Wilson, K1RO, who left
the ARRL Headquarters staff last September. Board members got a chance to
greet Kramer at the January Board meeting.
Additional details on the January Board meeting are on the ARRL Web site
<
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/01/27/1/>.
The minutes of the Board
meeting also are on the ARRL Web site <
http://www.arrl.org/announce/board-0501/>.
==>FCC FINES CONTINUE TO MOUNT IN GERRITSEN CASE
Briefly licensed radio amateur and alleged jammer Jack Gerritsen,
ex-KG6IRO, of Bell, California, now faces a total of $52,000 in
FCC-imposed or proposed fines. In a January 21 Notice of Apparent
Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) the FCC proposed to levy another $21,000
forfeiture on Gerritsen--this time for apparently violating Section 333 of
the Communications Act by interfering with a US Coast Guard rescue effort
last October 29 on amateur frequencies. Part 97 Amateur Service rules also
require that control operators "give priority to stations providing
emergency communications," the FCC noted.
"Gerritsen's apparent willful and malicious interference with the radio
communications of the Coast Guard Auxiliary officer who was attempting to
communicate with a ship in distress is egregious," said the most recent
NAL, signed by FCC Los Angeles District Office District Director Catherine
Deaton. "According to the evidence, Gerritsen knowingly operates, without
a license, radio transmission equipment." In the NAL, the FCC alleged that
Gerritsen continued to transmit "despite repeated warnings and requests to
vacate the frequency."
The latest proposed forfeiture factors in an "upward adjustment" from the
$7000 base fine for causing interference to licensed stations, the NAL
said. The FCC already has affirmed a $10,000 fine levied against Gerritsen
last year for interfering with Amateur Radio communications. In December,
the Commission proposed another $21,000 fine, citing additional instances
of alleged interference on amateur frequencies.
Gerritsen has been accused of bombarding numerous Los Angeles-area
repeaters with verbal tirades, often identifying with his now-deleted
amateur call sign. The FCC in 2001 granted Gerritsen a Technician ticket,
then promptly set it aside when it learned of Gerritsen's state conviction
for interfering with public safety radio communications. He spent some
time in jail as a result of that case, which he's appealing.
According to the FCC, the October 29, 2004, incident involved efforts by a
member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary to contact the sailing vessel
Elke-Marie after a storm had knocked out the boat's VHF marine radio. The
vessel had working Amateur Radio gear, however. When the USCGA officer
attempted to contact the S/V Elke-Marie on behalf of the Coast Guard using
the Catalina Island Amateur Radio Association (CARA) VHF repeater,
"Gerritsen began speaking and transmitting a prerecorded message," the
officer and the complainant in the case--the wife of a passenger on the
sailboat--alleged.
Although the officer asked him to stand down, Gerritsen continued to
transmit, accusing the officer of declaring a sham emergency in an effort
to jam Gerritsen's transmissions, the NAL recounts. The FCC said the
transmissions, which continued for some 40 minutes, included the repeated
playing of a recording and ultimately ended with the perpetrator's saying,
"If you jam me, I'll jam you."
FCC agents promptly tracked a signal on the repeater's input frequency to
Gerritsen's residence, but attempts to contact him by telephone proved
unsuccessful. Later that day, FCC officials tracked to Gerritsen's
residence a transmission on another 2-meter frequency during which the
operator identified as KG6IRO. Although the agents reported hearing a
voice from inside the dwelling that "synchronized with the voice" on their
scanner, the NAL said, no one answered the door.
In the NAL, Deaton said the Communications Act requirement that all radio
stations give "absolute priority" to radio communications or signals
relating to ships in distress "exemplifies one of the best uses for radio
transmissions, the endeavor to save a human life."
"Gerritsen's actions on October 29, 2004," she concluded, "exemplify the
worst."
Several hundred ARRL members from the Los Angeles area have complained to
the League about Gerritsen. In mid-December, the League called upon FCC
Enforcement Chief David Solomon to intervene with the US Attorney's office
in the case, citing the urgency of the situation and suggesting "that
procedures other than monetary forfeitures be brought to bear."
TAMPERE CONVENTION EASES INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS
When an international disaster strikes, humanitarian organizations now
will be able to provide telecommunications more quickly and effectively to
help victims, thanks to a treaty that became effective January 8. The
Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for
Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations largely eliminates roadblocks to
moving telecommunications personnel and equipment into and within
disaster-stricken areas--such as those affected by the December earthquake
and tsunami. Delegates to the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency
Telecommunications (ICET-98) adopted the 17-article treaty in June of 1998
in Tampere, Finland. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, attended on behalf of
the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). ARRL Chief Technology
Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, credits Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, with being "a
prime mover" behind the Tampere Convention.
"The Tampere Convention has broader purposes but is an important building
block in IARU's efforts to improve recognition of the Amateur Service in
providing emergency communications for disaster relief," Rinaldo says.
Zimmermann coordinated work on the Tampere disaster telecommunications
treaty while Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR, chaired the convention's organizing
committee.
Rinaldo notes too that the IARU led the way for a revision of Article 25
of the international Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 (WRC-03) to include an item enabling radio amateurs to
handle third-party traffic during emergency and disaster relief
situations. While FCC Part 97 has not yet been revised to reflect this
change, ARRL understands from FCC staff that if governments of
disaster-affected countries do not object to their amateur stations
receiving messages from our amateur stations on behalf of third parties,
the US has no objection to its amateur stations transmitting international
communications in support of disaster relief.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says that until the
Tampere Convention, regulatory barriers often impeded the ability of
humanitarian organizations to deploy telecommunications equipment across
borders in an emergency, and delays have cost lives.
"With this convention, relief workers can make full use of today's
telecommunication tools, which are essential for the coordination of
rescue operations," ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi said in a
statement.
The first treaty of its kind, the Tampere Convention calls on signatory
countries to facilitate prompt telecommunication aid to mitigate a
disaster's impact. It covers both installation and operation of
telecommunication services and waives regulatory barriers such as
licensing requirements and import restrictions as well as limitations on
the movement of humanitarian teams. The pact also grants immunity from
arrest and detention to those providing disaster assistance, and exempts
them from taxes and duties.
In his role as IARU's new International Coordinator for Emergency
Communications, Zimmermann, in concert with IARU regional coordinators, is
focusing on assisting IARU member-societies to fulfill "the expectations
of the international community, of all those who rely on
telecommunications when responding to emergencies, and of those affected
by disasters." As a first step in this task, he's facilitating an exchange
of information on training and cooperation on all levels.
Addressing that in a broader forum will be the first Global Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC-2005). An initiative of the
Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), GAREC 2005 will take place June
13-14 in Tampere, in recognition of the city's "long tradition in
emergency telecommunications," Zimmerman says.
Rinaldo also points to ITU Radiocommunication Sector Recommendation
M.1042, "Disaster Communications in the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite
Services" as another vehicle to formalize Amateur Radio's role in
international emergency and disaster mitigation. It encourages the
development of "robust, flexible and independent" Amateur Radio networks
that can operate from emergency power and provide communication in natural
disasters. The IARU, Rinaldo added, also had leading role in developing
the ITU-D Emergency Telecommunications Handbook, recently edited under
Zimmermann's leadership.
"Together," Rinaldo observed, "the Tampere Convention, the Handbook,
Article 25 and Recommendation M.1042 represent an improved environment in
which Amateur Radio operators can conduct international emergency
communications."
r
FCC DENIES TWO AMATEUR RADIO PETITIONS FOR RULEMAKING
On May 7, the FCC denied two separate Petitions for Rule Making (PRM)
dealing with digital issues.
Mark Miller, N5RFX, of Arlington, Texas, sought to delete the FCC's 2006
addition to how it defines data, amend the rules to prohibit
automatically controlled stations from transmitting on frequency
segments other than those specified in Section 97.221(b), and replace
the symbol rate limits in Section 97.307(f) with bandwidth limitations.
The FCC denied all three parts of Miller's PRM, saying he "did not set
forth sufficient reasons for the Commission" to approve his petition and
that "should future experience substantiate Miller's concerns, he may
file a new, factually supported petition for rulemaking." The complete
copy of the FCC's reply to Miller is on the FCC Web site
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1082A1.pdf>.
Ken Chafin, W6CPA, of La Crescenta, California, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR,
of Los Angeles, California, also filed a PRM concerning additional
spectrum for more repeaters, including digital systems, requesting that
the FCC "propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station
operating as a repeater (repeater station) may operate."
Chafin and Brown argued that additional spectrum is needed for repeater
stations because some amateur repeater stations have begun using digital
communications protocols" and "digital voice operation is incompatible
with existing analog operations [because d]igital voice users are unable
to determine if the desired frequency is in use by analog users and can
inadvertently cause harmful interference to those users." The men
pointed out that coordinating groups have been unable to separate analog
and digital voice repeater operations to avoid harmful interference
because the available repeater spectrum in the 2 meter band is "fully
occupied by existing analog users in most metropolitan areas."
The FCC, after considering Chafin and Brown's PRM, concluded that the
PRM did not present grounds for the Commission to amend its rules:
"Repeater stations are authorized to transmit on any frequency in the 2
meter band except the 144.0-144.5 MHz and 145.5-146.0 MHz frequency
segments. These two segments were excluded to minimize the possibility
of harmful interference to other amateur service stations and operating
activities, including 'weak signal' operations. Allocating an additional
three hundred kilohertz of the 2 meter band to repeater operation would
not be consistent with that concern. Rather, it would likely result in
increased interference to non-repeater stations." The complete copy of
the FCC's reply to Chafin and Brown is on the FCC Web site
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1083A1.pdf>.
NEW NASA TOOL ALLOWS EXPLORATION OF IONOSPHERE FROM INSIDE
Last week at the Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, NASA
released a 4D live model of the Earth's ionosphere
<
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30apr_4dionosphere.htm?list2125
89>. Without leaving home, anyone can fly through the layer of ionized
gas that encircles Earth at the edge of space itself. All that is
required is an Internet connection and a free copy of Google Earth
<
http://earth.google.com/>.
NASA calls the ionosphere the "last wisp of
Earth's atmosphere that astronauts leave behind when they enter space.
The realm of the ionosphere stretches from 50 to 500 miles above Earth's
surface where the atmosphere thins to near-vacuum and exposes itself to
the fury of the sun. Solar ultraviolet radiation breaks apart molecules
and atoms creating a globe-straddling haze of electrons and ions."
Using a Google Earth interface, users can fly above, around and through
these regions getting a true 4D view of the situation. "The fourth
dimension is time. This is a real-time system updated every 10 minutes,"
said W. Kent Tobiska, president of Space Environment Technologies and
chief scientist of its Space Weather Division. The proper name of the
system is CAPS, short for Communication Alert and Prediction System.
Earth-orbiting satellites feed the system up-to-the-minute information
on solar activity; the measurements are then converted to electron
densities by physics-based computer codes. It is important to note,
Tobiska said on the NASA Web site, that CAPS reveals the ionosphere not
only as it is now, but also as it is going to be the near future.
According to propagation specialist Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, this model
"can provide Amateur Radio operators a broad view of what the ionosphere
is doing 'now.' This broad view is due to the fact that the resolution
in the color coding schemes only gives coarse estimates of the six
parameters available." Luetzelschwab, former editor of "National Contest
Journal" (NCJ) <
http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>,
writes a propagation column
in NCJ and other publications.
"This is an exciting development," said NASA solar physicist Lika
Guhathakurta on the NASA Web site. "The ionosphere is important to
pilots, ham radio operators, earth scientists and even soldiers. Using
this new 4D tool, they can monitor and study the ionosphere as if
they're actually inside it." Guhathakurta made his comments on the NASA
Web site.
NASA understands that "[h]am radio operators know the ionosphere well.
They can communicate over the horizon by bouncing their signals off of
the ionosphere -- or communicate not at all when a solar flare blasts
the ionosphere with X-rays and triggers a radio blackout." As radio
amateurs, we use -- and depend on -- the ionosphere to make contacts.
Tobiska agrees: "For ham radio operators, this is a great application
because it enables them to figure out what frequencies that are going to
be available for communicating with any part of the world they want to
communicate with at that moment in time. So ham radio operators who are
in South Carolina want to talk to someone in Europe or Africa, they can
know exactly what frequencies to turn to on their dial."
Luetzelschwab said he personally believes that "The importance of this
new product is the fact that this is likely the first physical model of
the ionosphere available to the widespread Amateur Radio community. This
is in contrast to the model in our current propagation predictions --
such as VOACAP, W6ELProp and the like -- that is based on years of
measured ionospheric data correlated to a proxy for the true solar
ionizing radiation (the proxies being sunspots and 10.7 cm solar flux)."
NASA explained that it appears that this new physical model takes
satellite measurements of solar radiation at extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
wavelengths (the true ionizing radiation) and inputs this data, along
with a geomagnetic field activity index, into a model of the atmosphere
to determine electron densities. Luetzelschwab said "Yes, it only offers
a broad view now -- but I think it is a sign of things to come."
More information on this tool for radio amateurs can be found on the
ARRL Web site <
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/06/10081/>.
ARLX009: FCC, federal agencies shut down after terrorist attacks
SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX009
ARLX009 FCC, federal agencies shut down after terrorist attacks
ZCZC AX09
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 9 ARLX009
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 11, 2001
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX009
ARLX009 FCC, federal agencies shut down after terrorist attacks
Along with most other federal agencies, the FCC has closed its
offices and sent its employees home in the wake of apparent
terrorist attacks this morning in New York City, Washington, DC, and
elsewhere. The FCC has issued no emergency declaration nor other
special instructions to the Amateur Radio community. The ARRL has
advised amateurs to stay alert to instructions from local
authorities. President George W. Bush has announced that the US
military is on high alert in the US and abroad.
US air traffic was shut down after two airliners struck the twin
towers of the 110-story World Trade Center in New York City this
morning within a short time of each other. The building's towers
partially collapsed in the wake of the collisions. An aircraft
subsequently crashed into the Pentagon, and another aircraft crashed
near Pittsburgh, reportedly after being hijacked. American Airlines
and United Airlines both have acknowledged that they have lost
planes this morning. More than 260 died in the crashes. Thousands
were believed injured in New York City; there's no estimate on the
number killed.
New York City-Long Island Section Emergency Coordinator Tom
Carrubba, KA2D, said there has been no request for any Amateur Radio
Emergency Service response at this time, although hams have been
requested to assist the American Red Cross. New York City's
emergency management offices are located in the World Trade Center.
He said he was alerting all amateurs, especially ARES and Radio
Amateur Civil Emergency Service personnel, to get prepared and to
stand by. Carrubba said he's in the process of setting up a command
channel on a linked repeater system that will cover the area from
New York City into Long Island's Suffolk County. Kenneth Goetz,
N2SQW, reports New York State RACES is operational on 3.993.5 and
7.248 MHz handling emergency and governmental-type traffic. He asked
amateurs to avoid these frequencies.
In the Washington, DC, area, Virginia SEC Tom Gregory, N4NW, says
Virginia ARES has been put on alert but has not yet been activated.
''I've asked everyone to monitor the emergency frequencies and to
keep a full tank of gas.'' He said the attack on Washington has
resulted in a massive traffic jam as workers in DC attempt to leave
the capital; cellular telephone communication was
next-to-impossible. While no emergency nets are in operation yet,
Gregory said all repeaters would be available as well as 7.243 MHz
and 3.947 MHz on HF.
Virginia RACES reportedly has been activated at the state emergency
operations center at Virginia State Police headquarters in Richmond
as a precautionary measure.
The FCC's Riley Hollingsworth today suggested that the amateur
community remain calm but ready. He invited amateurs monitoring any
suspicious radio activity to contact him, and he will relay relevant
information to the FCC duty team. He advised monitors to tape such
radio traffic, if possible.
Should a state of war be declared, Amateur Radio would not
automatically be shut down. This requirement was eliminated prior to
the Gulf War.
NNNN
/EX
Barry.pdf
Open parent document
AOÛT 2004
BROADBAND OVER POWER LINE (BPL) INTERFERENCE:
FACT OR FICTION?
Barry Malowanchuk, VE4MA
INTRODUCTION
BPL is an exciting new variation of an
old idea that proposes to use the wires
of electric power systems through
neighborhoods and in buildings to
transport high speed Internet
(broadband) data signals for public
customers and utility applications. These
modern power line carrier current
system variants are in the process of
undergoing technical trials and limited
implementation in Canada and the USA.
Concerns have been raised as to
possible interference to users of the
radio spectrum between 1.7 and 80
MHz. This document will attempt to give
some technical information concerning
the systems being proposed, the user
applications, the nature of the possible
interference, control measures being
proposed, the testing activities underway
to evaluate possible interference and the
state of BPL deployments in Canada and
the USA.
SYSTEM TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
A basic understanding of how BPL
systems are created and the differences
between them is necessary to
understand the technical issues
associated with interference. The
differences lead to significant changes
between system characteristics as they
are implemented and consequently will
greatly vary the potential impact on the
Radio Amateur.
From a world perspective BPL is not
new, and has been widely deployed in
the United Kingdom for at least a
decade. The reasons for early
deployment there are not obvious, but
one should consider that the heavily
populated centres of Europe have
already been “wired” for telephones. To
rewire to deliver new or additional
telecommunication services based on
coaxial or fibre optic cable would be a
very costly undertaking and
consequently unlikely to occur. The
electric power system is, of course,
already in place and any technology that
could make use of existing wires to
deliver new services to customers is
going to be a desirable option. This was
also the motivation for the deployment of
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modems
on conventional telephone lines by the
telephone companies.
European BPL
The electric systems of Europe are
different than in North America and this
goes beyond the standard use of 220
Volts at 50 Hz, but rather in the basic
TCA
configuration. For each distribution
transformer that converts the medium
voltage (MV) line voltage (4 to 40 kV)
down to the low voltage (LV) 220 Volts,
there are 200 to 250 customers that are
connected to the LV side through
coaxial supply cables. The distribution
transformer is a significant obstacle in
the use of BPL, as the transformer
which is intended to pass low
frequencies near 50 Hz, appears as an
open circuit to the passage of higher
frequency signals. Thus, in order to
provide telecommunications services to
a large number of electricity system
customers, a means of bypassing the
transformer is necessary. This bypass
operation is costly as there are large
voltages to deal with on the MV side of
the transformer and there are concerns
with the transient voltages that are
produced by lightning hits on the MV
lines. The fact that 200 to 250
customers can be reached from the LV
side of each transformer is the main
reason for its early deployment in
Europe. The source of broadband data
only needs to be delivered to each
transformer by fibre optic cable, DSL
lines or even broadband microwave
radio. This made the economics and
practicality of BPL very attractive to
reach European customers from the
onset.
North American BPL
In North America (NA) the situation is
different, with a
maximum of
about 20
customers
being served by
a single
distribution
transformer,
and in most
cases the
number of
customers
typically will
vary from 1 to
8.
Therefore, providing BPL service to a large number of customers in NA will be a significantly higher cost than in Europe because of the need to attach to
the LV side of a proportionately larger number of transformers at a much higher cost per
JUILLET &
customer. Otherwise the transformer
barrier needs to be crossed in order to
get a better utilization of the high speed
data line. The NA BPL manufacturers
have had to concentrate on transformer
bypassing and have a number of options
to choose from, and this ultimately
defines the major differences in their
systems. Each approach has its strengths
and weaknesses. Without getting specific
to the different manufacturers
approaches, let’s consider the options as
follows:
All Wireline BPL Implementation
From an electric utility perspective it
would be important to keep the facilities
provided by other entities to a minimum
by using BPL throughout. In the figure
below, the configuration of a typical
distribution network can be seen. There
are one or more high voltage lines
(typically 66 to 230 kV) which transport
electricity to a substation. The substation
will have large transformer banks to
reduce the voltage to something in the
range of 4 to 25 kV for connection to the
many medium voltage lines that distribute
the electricity out to the MV-LV
transformers that are located near the
customers.
Substations in an electric system will vary
in their sophistication depending on the
age and significance of the station to the
electric grid. Significant stations will often
be served by utility-owned microwave
La Revue des Radioamateurs Canadiens
39
40
AUGUST 2004
JULY &
radio or fibre optic cables. These
BPL signal for both the MV and LV lines
hybrid configuration shown below
telecommunications systems are
and eliminates any interference between
incorporates the same arrangements to
necessary for the operation of the
these signals provided by cross-coupling
inject the BPL signal into the MV lines at
electricity system but often are capable
of the MV and LV wires. The degree of
the substation, but at the distribution
of supplying higher data bandwidths
cross-coupling will depend on the
point the signal is sent to the customer
than required by the station itself, and
physical configuration of the lines on the
using one of the data industry standard
thus can provide surplus bandwidth to a
distribution system. In Europe and North
802.11a/b/g format wireless products.
BPL system. The BPL data system will
America there is a BPL product available
This has the advantage of being able to
require the installation of data
for LV use that follows the “Homeplug”
avoid the transformer entirely and even
processing equipment at the station to
standard. The Homeplug products are
creates the freedom to locate signal
interface to the high speed data network
available for home networking using the
distribution points at technically
(and ultimately the Internet) and to
local power system wires, so obviously
convenient locations which are
launch or inject BPL signals into the MV
there is an advantage to use these in the
independent of the actual transformer
lines. The connection to an MV line is
customer interface of a BPL
and customer locations. It provides
made by some form of coupling device,
implementation and to use a completely
separation of the MV and customer
a capacitor based network in its
different product that uses a different
interface (LV side) signals and permits
simplistic form, or realistically some form
spectrum range and potentially different
the MV side equipment to use the entire
of a wideband transformer. The coupler
techniques to deal with MV line issues.
spectrum for only MV side BPL. It, of
has to isolate the high MV voltages (4 to
course, has all of the wireless issues of
The need for regeneration and possible
25 kV) from the station’s BPL data
potential interference from other
frequency changing equipment makes
equipment. There are choices to be
unlicensed wireless products sharing the
implementation of BPL much more
made as to how many conductors to
same spectrum and needing a clear
difficult, with a lot of complex equipment
couple to on the MV line. A single
“view” of the radio access node. It could
mounted outside on poles or in
conductor is the minimum required of
permit customers to receive service in a
underground equipment cabinets.
course, but there are usually three
cellular type manner and connect to
phase conductors associated with an
more than one wireless node. This
Hybrid BPL Implementations
MV line and better BPL transmission
technique offers the potential for mobile/
distances can be achieved by coupling
portable computer networking with
Other techniques involve the use of
to two phases.
higher bandwidths than offered by the
wireless technology but still make use of
present wireless data service providers.
BPL to avoid having to tackle the
The BPL signal will then propagate down
transformer bypass issue. The first
the wires to the
The second hybrid
distribution
transformer location
and the issue of
bypassing the
transformer has to be
dealt with. In the
simplistic situation,
the bridge to the LV
side is performed by
a capacitor or
wideband transformer
network similar to the
coupler used to inject
the BPL signals onto
the MV line at the
station. Thus the
same BPL signal that
is carried on the MV
lines is coupled onto
the LV lines. In a
practical BPL
implementation,
however, there will be
a need to periodically
regenerate the digital
BPL signals and, of
course, this must
happen somewhere
along the length of a
contiguous MV line.
The LV side of the
transformer will have
more complexity in
the frequency domain
and it may be
advantageous to
translate the BPL
signal to a different
lower spectrum range
before connecting to
the LV side. This
allows the
regeneration of the
technique reverses the
usage of the MV/ LV
lines and only uses
BPL connected only to
the LV line. The BPL
equipment would
receive the high speed
data connection from a
wireless connection.
This wireless
connection could be
provided by the
standard 802.11a/b/g
format wireless links or
could use licensed
microwave multipoint
distribution (MMDS)
systems. This last
option has the
advantage of not being
susceptible to
interference from other
systems but would lack
the cellular like
portable coverage. It
would use BPL
modems which could
be the Homeplug
standard or other
proprietary models.
WHY BOTHER WITH
BPL?
Broadband Access
Approximately 75% of
Canadians have
Internet access and of
those about 48% have
a high speed
(Broadband)
connection at home.
TCA Canada’s Amateur Radio Magazine
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AUGUST 2004
JULY &
This compares very favorably with 21%
in the USA and 5% in Europe. Thus only
about 30% of all Canadians have a
broadband home Internet connection
and the question comes up as to why?
Certainly some Canadians cannot justify
or afford the added cost of a high speed
connection, but most are denied access
because high speed service is not
provided in the area of their homes.
Providing service requires a significant
capital expenditure by the service
provider and unless there is the future
prospect for a sufficient number of
customers, service will not be extended
to an area. The same is true for almost
all of the delivery technologies including
DSL, cable modems, wireless and even
BPL. Only satellite service offers the
potential to spread the required number
of customers over a large territory. The
case for BPL is that the power system
wires are already there and only the BPL
equipment needs to be added, and thus
the opportunity exists to provide service
where service cannot be economically
delivered by other means. In areas that
are already served by high speed cable
or DSL providers, the prospect is that
BPL can provide a lower cost option for
consumers and the added competition
will force the cost of broadband Internet
services lower.
All governments — provincial and
Federal — look at broadband Internet
availability as being a key ingredient to
the providing a high standard of living for
all Canadians. It holds the promise of
being an enabler of advanced health
care and education in rural areas and
potentially even a new source of
employment opportunities where few
others exist. This is hoped to help stop
the migration of people from the rural
areas to the cities and towns. As a
country it should help lower the cost of
doing business in a global marketplace.
Governments fully support any initiative
which can help fulfill the goal of getting
broadband Internet to most Canadians.
Utility Applications
The equipment used by Canadian
electric utilities to generate, transmit and
distribute electrical energy has a long
economic life and because the electrical
systems expanded greatly after the end
of World War II, much of that equipment
is 50 years old. It is in need of
replacement and the modern
replacements offer the promise of
features that can enhance utility
operations and improve customer
service. These features require the
remote retrieval of information through
communications facilities. Until recently,
utilities relied on narrowband data
channels (and often dial-up service) to
retrieve information from major stations.
Smaller stations often had no means of
data retrieval other than dial-up. Many
utilities have been able to construct
microwave radio and fibre optic-based
networks that now provide high speed
data access to the larger stations, but
the smaller (distribution or customer
service) stations have not yet received
these services. With extensive
equipment replacement programs going
forward in the near future, the expansion
of utility data networks is necessary to
facilitate use and provision of advanced
services. BPL can help provide the
missing link to the smaller stations and
to utility equipment that is located out on
the lines.
BPL MODEM TECHNICAL
PROPERTIES
Much of the information concerning BPL
modems is commercially confidential
and it seems especially well protected
due to the controversy concerning radio
interference. There are certainly many
ways to create high speed modems and
the technologies used were certainly
developed in response to similar needs
for high speed data transmission in the
wireless world. The main modem
modulation techniques are:
•
DSSS: Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
•
FHSS: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
•
OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Domain Modulation
All of these techniques are capable of
delivering such a service, but since
public information exists for OFDM BPL
modems, that will be the subject of this
discussion. The OFDM chip sets in use
by at least two BPL manufacturers are
manufactured in Spain by DS2. The
modem characteristics are:
•
45 Mbps using 1,280 Distinct Carriers
•
Adaptive Bit Rate per Carrier Depending on Channel S/N Conditions
TCA Canada’s Amateur Radio Magazine
•
Spectrum Usable from 1.7 to 80 MHz
•
Only 10 MHz of Bandwidth used per Modem
The 1280 individual carriers are
effectively independent and can adapt
dynamically to S/N conditions being
experienced, so that if the frequency
response for a particular modem carrier
is poor, the modem will adapt its
modulation scheme to suit the
circumstances and obtain the best data
transmission possible to contribute to the
aggregate output of the modem. It is
possible that a particular frequency may
be totally unsuitable for transmission and
not contribute at all to the output. The
modem chip sets are capable of
operating up to 80 MHz, but the
expectation is that the frequency
response will be best and the losses will
be lowest at the lower frequencies, but
this is subject to the spectrum being
available for use. The 10 MHz bandwidth
requirement is for one particular modem,
so depending on how the transmit/
receive functions are handled in the
modem set, there may be two or three
times the 10 MHz required to handle all
the data transmission requirements.
Typical BPL modem spectral
characteristics are shown in the figure
on the next page. This particular modem
is of European origin, but the important
thing to note is the closely spaced
carriers and the absence of carriers at
certain frequencies which just happen to
coincide with many of the Amateur
Radio allocations!
The next generation of BPL modems
that are reported to be capable of 100
Mbps are currently undergoing test and
are expected to be available for
commercial service later in 2004. The
spectral characteristics are unknown, but
since the manufacturers were attempting
to obtain authority to
operate at higher signal
levels, one can imagine
that higher S/N ratios
are required to support
operation of modems
that provide higher data
rates. It is possible that
this was desired to
preserve the existing
use of only 10 MHz of
spectrum while
providing higher data
speeds.
BPL Interference
BPL Interference is a
very controversial
subject and recently it
has been the subject of
much lobbying (read
politics) by both sides
in the argument. As
with all political debates
you have to listen
carefully and ask
informed questions and
hope that you get a
straight answer.
The ARRL in the USA
has been strong in its
lobbying efforts and has
put a lot of information
on its webpage
<www.arrl.org>, but
unfortunately some of the information
needs to be qualified for its relevance to
the North American situation. As
discussed earlier, the configuration of
the power distribution grids differ greatly
between Europe and North America,
combined with the fact that many of the
tests are old (3-5 years) and reflect old
BPL technology, and thus the results
cannot be taken as conclusive proof that
BPL will result in severe interference.
BPL proponents cite many examples of
BPL systems (Hong Kong, Spain and
France for example) where no
interference has been reported, however
the details of the deployment are often
not known.
Considering that BPL is a wideband
digital service, it is certainly reasonable
to expect that BPL will generate
wideband “noise”. If you have ever tried
to use a portable radio next to a modern
digital computer then the influence of
digital system noise can be appreciated.
Fortunately, computer noise largely
disappears with a short distance
separation. Unlike narrowband analog
systems any BPL signals will tend to be
wideband in nature and not generate
discrete signal spurs.
The BPL signal will propagate down the
wires by conduction but due to the fact
that the wires are not solidly shielded or
adequately balanced with close
conductor spacing (in the case of
2 phase coupling), the signal will tend to
radiate. Of course the nature of the
AOÛT 2004
distribution system will greatly influence
the situation. Many modern distribution
systems are buried and use what are
effectively shielded cables. The overhead
drop wires from the transformer to the
customer are severely twisted and will
certainly offer some shielding effect. Last
but not least, the power level used at the
injection points on BPL systems will
have a direct influence on interference.
With all of these variables combined with
the differences between the different
possible methods of implementing BPL,
it becomes very difficult to predict
interference levels. Thus it is not
reasonable to say that all BPL systems
will generate interference — but certainly
the potential exists. An example of
European BPL interference tests shows
the possible impact of BPL signals on
HF Amateur operations.
The test results on the next page show
the short wave signals (narrow spikes)
underneath the two undulating lines that
represent the envelope of BPL signals
that were measured in close proximity to
the BPL carrying cable. It is clear that if
the receiver’s antenna is close enough to
the BPL carrying conductor, interference
may result.
With all of the speculation and
incomplete testing, it is fortunate that
some good science is currently being
performed by the National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA). Their work to date
JUILLET &
has provided many answers (see below)
but further work is required to answer
the lingering questions.
FCC BPL PROPOSALS
The FCC, in its February 2004 Notice of
Proposed Rule Making (NOPRM) on
BPL, has made it clear that it intends to
make regulations that will allow BPL
deployment to proceed, but
acknowledged that the potential for local
interference may exist. It has, however,
refused to increase to permitted
emission limits defined under Part 15
Carrier Current System regulations and
has asked that measures be put in place
to ensure that interference can be
managed. The FCC interference
mitigation proposals include:
•
Cessation of Operations Altogether: If required to resolve interference!
•
Dynamic Reduction of Transmit Power: This is the ability to remotely reduce the power of a transmitter. This is certainly possible but is undesirable once
a system is installed since the repeater spacing will be expected to be spaced as far as possible to minimize the installation cost.
•
Avoid Operating on Specific Frequencies to Prevent Harmful Interference: This is practical with OFDM & Frequency Hopping Modems (see the notches in the
modem spectra discussed earlier). This is potentially limiting of the modem’s
TCA La Revue des Radioamateurs Canadiens
43
AUGUST 2004
JULY &
•
routinely use the lowest power
bandwidth capability but as long as
vicinity of overhead power lines. The
the avoided spectrum is not wideband
necessary from each BPL device
report looked at interference to various
it can be tolerated.
receiving systems including:
•
avoidance of locally used radio
frequencies
If the avoided spectra are wideband
•
a land vehicular receiver
such as the Amateur or short wave
•
balanced (multi-wire) injection oriented
•
a shipborne receiver
broadcast bands, this can probably be
to minimize radiation
overcome by using additional
•
a fixed service system using a rooftop
•
use of filters and terminations to
spectrum elsewhere. Careful planning
based antenna
extinguish BPL signals where not
of spectrum use will be required so
needed
•
an aircraft in flight
that BPL implementations can be
smooth and simple. This type of
•
judicious choice of frequencies to
The tests indicate that high field
planning was successfully
decrease radiation
intensities were encountered at locations
demonstrated with the creation of the
A future Phase II report will address the
well removed from the BPL devices due
Homeplug standard in Europe & USA.
potential interference via ionospheric
to discontinuities in the distribution lines.
In fact, the ARRL participated in the
propagation of BPL emissions from
interference tests and approved of
The tests indicate that interference may
mature large scale deployments of BPL
these products.
occur at low to moderate level signals at
networks.
significant distances (75m to 460m) from
Similar work has recently occurred
Is BPL in Your Future?
lines and there is a frequency
between one BPL OFDM Modem User/
dependence. For a BPL implementation
As discussed earlier all levels of
Manufacturer and the ARRL, and
with a density of one system per square
government in the US and Canada are
although the ARRL is guarded in its
kilometre, there will be interference to
supporting BPL deployment as another
approval of these test results, there
aircraft reception of moderate to strong
means to get service to underserved
should be some optimism that the
radio signals at an altitude of less than
areas. BPL systems are now being
technology can be made to work around
6 km within 12 km of the centre of the
deployed in many US states including
the interference problems. Another
BPL deployment.
Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina,
recent trial system received interference
Pennsylvania, Alabama and New York.
complaints from four Amateur Radio
The results indicate that the
operators. Apparently, the interference
measurement procedures for BPL
In Canada, the first deployment was
was resolved and, in fact, three of the
systems need to be refined to use
announced in February 2004 by PUC
Amateurs have subscribed to the
measurement antenna heights near the
Telecom in Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario.
service!
heights of the power line and that BPL
Other Canadian utilities are conducting
emission limits not be relaxed from
trials to evaluate the technologies and to
National Telecommunications and
existing Part 15 rules.
get a firsthand knowledge of the costs
Information Administration (NTIA)
and issues associated with implementing
Interference Tests
The report further recommends that the
BPL. For more on the Sault Ste. Marie
measures identified in the FCC NOPR
installation see page 46.
On April 27, 2004 the NTIA issued its
be applied as needed to avoid
Phase I report “Potential Interference
Industry Canada is monitoring the
interference (selective frequency
from Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
situation intensely and working with the
avoidance and power reduction).
Systems to Federal Government
utilities and manufacturers and will be
Radiocommunications at 1.7 – 80 MHz”.
The NTIA further recommends to
creating its own BPL standards.
This report defines the interference risks
prospective BPL developers:
to radio reception in the immediate
44
TCA Canada’s Amateur Radio Magazine
Open parent documentr
Frequency Measuring Test 2006
—
Back to Basics, Plus
H.
Ward Silver, NØAX
W
W
ith
the
return
of
the
Frequency
Measuring
Test
(FMT)
in
2002,
hams
were
given
a
series
of
new
challenges
—
technical
and
operating.
Technically,
how
well
can
you
measure
the
frequency
of
transmitted
signals? Operationally, do you know the frequency
of
the
signals
you
are
transmitting?
The
FMT
provides
a
grindstone
on
which
to
sharpen
both
sides
of
the
knife!
The Basics
“Back
to
Basics”
means
just
that.
Last
year
and
in
2004,
the
FMT
challenged
hams
to
measure
the
frequency
of
an
audio
tone
that
modulated
a
steady
carrier.
In
2006,
we
return
to
the
original
format
of
the
FMT
by
asking
for
measurements
of
the
transmitted
carrier’s
frequency.
Let’s get
one thing straight,
though
—
accurate
frequency
measurement
is
within
reach of nearly all hams with modern equipment.
You
don’t
have
to
own
a
rack
full
of
sophisticated
test
equipment.
You
don’t
even
have
to
wear
a
lab
coat!
(although
it
might
make
you
feel
more
accurate).
The
frequency
accuracy
of
most
radios
sold
in
the
past
decade
is
specified
as
±10
parts
per
million
(ppm)
or
better
(see
the
sidebar
“Precision,
Accuracy
and
Stability”).
By
calibrating
your
radio
(see
the
sidebar
“Calibrating
Your
Receiver”)
to
a
known
frequency
reference
such
as
WWV
or
CHU
(you
don’t
even
have
to
take
the
cover
off)
and
letting
the
radio
reach
an
even,
stable
temperature,
your
measurements
can
be
within
1
ppm
or
even
better!
The
basic
techniques
for
making
the
carrier
frequency
measurements
are
the
same
as
they
were
in
2002.
The
FMT
announcement
for
that
year
gives
detailed
instructions
on
how
to
make
them.
You
can
download
the
2002
article
at
www.arrl.org/w1aw/
fmt/0210051.pdf.
The Plus
During
the
time
at
which
FMT
transmissions
are
made
from
W1AW,
propagation
does
not
favor
the
West
Coast.
This
was
reflected
in
the
locations
from
which
measurement
reports
were
submitted,
mostly
east
of
the
Mississippi.
While
the
ARRL
couldn’t
do
much
about
propagation,
the
ham
community
did
respond
and
a
volunteer
station
was
selected
to
make
the
West
Coast
“run.”
Hopefully,
more
reports
from
W6
and
W7s
will
be
received
in
this
year’s
exercise.
Finding
a
station
whose
transmitter’s
oscillators
were
of
adequate
stability
was
a
bit
of
a
challenge,
but
thanks
to
volunteer
Mike
Fahmie,
WA6ZTY,
the
FMT
measuring
transmissions
will
be
heard
loud
and
clear
from
his
location
in
San
Francisco’s
East
Bay.
The
West
Coast
run
will
be
on
40
meters
only
and
will
follow
the
W1AW
transmis
sions
(see
“West
Coast
Format”
on
the
next
page).
It
was
decided
that
at
this
time
of
day
Mike’s FMT
transmissions
will be powered
by Heathkit, but
the stable source
of the signals is
Hewlett-Packard
instruments,
synchronized to
GPS satellite time.
in
November,
40
meters
would
offer
the
best
reception
for
the
West
Coast
and
western
interior
states.
Mike’s
FMT
station
consists
of
an
HP-5100
synthesizer
referenced
to
an
HP107BR
Quartz
Standard,
which
is
manually
disciplined
to
the
US
Naval
Observatory
standard
via
GPS.
He
expects
that
his
transmissions
will
be
accurate
to
within
1
part
in
1011
with
even
better
stability
during
the
test.
As
shown
in
the
photo,
the
synthesizer
will
drive
a
DX-60
Heath
transmitter
driving
an
SB-200
amplifier.
The
antenna
is
a
40
meter
dipole
for
broad
area
coverage.
As
a
check,
John
Staples,
W6BM,
is
just
a
mile
from
Mike’s
station
and
has
agreed
to
Precision, Accuracy and Stability
Precision is the smallest difference in frequency that can be displayed or
measured. Above 10 MHz, a radio with a 7 digit display (10.000.00) has a preci-
sion of 10 Hz. At 28 MHz, 10 Hz is equivalent to 0.36 ppm (0.000036) percent,
and at 3.5 MHz, 2.9 ppm (0.00029) percent.
Accuracy is a measure of how close the displayed frequency is to the actual
frequency. For example, an operating manual might specify that the displayed
frequency will be ±7 ppm from the actual frequency. It’s important to know the
displayed frequency accuracy when operating near the limits of your license
privileges.
Stability is the ability to remain at a specific frequency over time. Even after a
warm-up period, vacuum tube radios tended to drift — sometimes up to several
dozen Hz per minute. Solid state radios, with low heat dissipation that minimizes
temperature changes inside the radio, are much more stable. Stability is speci-
fied as a frequency error over a range of temperature, such as ±10 ppm from
–10 to +50° Celsius.
From November 2006 QST © ARRL
By creating your own “fine-tune” scale,
the precision of your frequency measuring
capabilities can be increased by a factor
of four to 10.
make
an
independent
measurement
using
a
Cesium
frequency
standard
as
the
reference.
John
and
Mike
will
have
made
several
test
runs
before
the
actual
FMT.
Mike
was
first
licensed
in
1961
as
WV6ZTY,
and
after
a
tour
of
duty
in
the
US
Navy,
moved
to
the
East
Bay
to
work
at
the
Lawrence
Radiation
Lab;
he
is
currently
working
on
the
laboaratory's
Advanced
Light
Source,
a
200
meter
electron
cyclotron,
among
other
things.
He
also
maintains
a
pair
of
UHF
voice
repeaters,
a
packet
BBS
and
assists
with
the
northern
California
packet
network.
When
not
in
the
lab,
he’s
an
avid
skier
and
enjoys
bluegrass
music,
hiking,
backpacking
and
putting
up
big
antennas
with
the
WB6W
Field
Day
team.
Schedule
The
W1AW
FMT
will
run
on
November
16
at
0245
UTC
(November
15
at
9:45
PM
EST).
It
will
replace
the
W1AW
Phone
Bulletin
normally
scheduled
at
that
time.
It
is
recommended
that
participants
listen
to
W1AW’s
CW/digital
transmissions
prior
to
the
event
to
get
an
idea
of
conditions
to
see
which
band
(or
bands)
will
be
best
for
measurement
purposes.
W1AW Format
The
FMT
will
begin
with
a
general
W1AW
(QST)
call
beginning
exactly
at
0245
UTC
sent
simultaneously
on
three
amateur
frequencies.
The
test
will
consist
of
three
60-second
key-down
transmissions
for
each
band,
each
followed
by
a
series
of
dits
and
station
identification.
The
test
will
last
for
a
period
of
approximately
15
minutes
total.
The
test
will
end
with
a
series
of
Vs,
followed
by
station
identification.
W1AW
will
identify
before,
during
and
after
the
transmissions.
The
approximate
frequencies
are
as
follows:
•
160 meters — 1853 kHz
•
80 meters — 3586 kHz
•
40 meters — 7039 kHz
During
the
course
of
the
FMT,
W1AW
Calibrating Your Receiver
You can turn your rig into a precision FMT machine with just a few minutes
of work, a pencil and a sticky note! You’ll use one of the on-the-air time and fre-
quency references, such as WWV, WWVH (www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/
stations/wwv.html) or CHU (www.nrc.ca/inms/time/chu.html).WWV and
WWVH modulate their AM signals with a 500 Hz tone, while CHU uses an FSK
data signal.
•Tune to the highest frequency reference that you can receive clearly. Set your
rig’s display for its highest precision if there is more than one setting.
•Place the sticky note behind the rig’s main tuning knob and make a light pen-
cil mark on the edge of the tuning knob near the center of paper (see Figure 1).
•Switch back and forth between USB and LSB while adjusting frequency until
the audio tone is the same pitch.You are now zero beat with the transmitted carrier.
(The steady tones transmitted by WWV and WWVH are easier to compare by ear.)
•The difference between the displayed frequency and the carrier frequency is
the displayed frequency error. Record this value.
•Make a mark on the paper aligned with the mark on the knob.
•Tune the rig higher until the right-most digit of the frequency display changes.
Make another mark at the position of the knob’s mark.
•Tune the rig down through the zero beat frequency until the right-most digit of
the display changes again and make another mark here.
•Record the frequency at both marks — you now have a fine-tune scale!
Interpolate between these two marks at specific frequencies to estimate the fre-
quency of the zero-beat mark.
For example, if you zero beat the 15 MHz WWV transmission and your display
reads “15.00002” your rig is 20 Hz high, or 1.33 ppm. For superheterodyne receiv-
ers (most modern receivers), this represents the sum of the frequency errors of
all of the local oscillators in the mixing chain. Subtract the difference from any
displayed frequency. Although any of the receiver's oscillators may be slightly off-
frequency, this procedure assumes the error is due to the tunable VFO.
In this example, the two marks on either side of the zero-beat mark would be
at 15.00003 and 15.00002 MHz (the ‘‘2’’ changes to ‘‘1’’ at 15.000019999… MHz).
If the zero beat mark were three-quarters of the distance from .00002 to .00003,
then the implied frequency would be 15.0000275 MHz. Subtracting the display
error of 20 Hz, the zero beat frequency would be 15.0000075 MHz, within
0.5 ppm of the true carrier frequency!
will
indicate
the
band
on
which
participants
should
measure.
For
example,
after
the
initial
call-up,
W1AW
will
begin
sending
NOW
160
METERS
via
Morse
code.
During
the
160
meter
measuring
time
frame,
W1AW
will
continue
to
indicate
the
band
first
by
IDing,
and
then
indicate
the
band
in
the
following
way:
QST
DE
W1AW
160
METERS.
West Coast Format
The
West
Coast
FMT
transmissions
will
follow
the
W1AW
transmissions,
beginning
at
0330
UTC
(7:30
PM
PST).
The
test
will
begin
with
a
general
call
of
QST
DE
WA6ZTY.
The
measurement
period
begins
with
NOW
40
METERS
(at
10
wpm),
followed
by
one
minute
of
continuous
carrier
and
10
seconds
of
continuous
CW
dits.
The
measurement
transmissions
are
repeated
twice
more.
The
test
concludes
with
15
seconds
of
V,
followed
by
DE
WA6ZTY
WA6ZTY
SK
SK.
The
approximate
frequency
will
be
7029
kHz.
Reporting and Results
Your
submitted
report
should
include
the
time
of
reception,
frequency
measured
and
signal
report,
along
with
your
name,
call
and
QTH.
If
possible,
participants
should
submit
reports
on
as
many
bands
for
which
measurements
were
made.
A
Certificate
of
Participation
will
be
available
to
all
entrants.
Those
entrants
that
come
closest
to
the
measured
frequency
will
be
listed
in
the
test
report
and
will
also
receive
special
recognition
on
their
certificate.
All
entries,
including
West
Coast
entries,
should
be
postmarked
by
December
16,
2006
to
be
eligible.
Send
entries
to
W1AW/
FMT,
225
Main
St,
Newington,
CT
06111.
If
you’d
like
more
information
about
the
equipment
that
will
be
in
use
at
W1AW
to
generate
the
test
signals,
take
a
look
at
www.
arrl.org/w1aw.html.
For
more
information
about
the
FMT,
including
a
Frequently
Asked
Questions
list
and
updates
to
test
schedules,
the
FMT
Web
page
is
www.arrl.org/fmt.
Reference
H.
W. Silver, NØAX, “The ARRL Frequency Measuring Tests,” QST, Oct 2002, p 51.
From November 2006 QST © ARRL
From November 2006 QST © ARRL
From November 2006 QST © ARRL
Letters to the Editor
An Analysis of Stress in Guy-Wire
Systems (Mar/Apr 2006)
Doug,
On page 42 of my article, the pressure on
a round cross-section is defined as
P = 0.0025 V2. I shouldn¡¯t have stated that
FW = Area ¡Á Pressure ¡Á Coefficient of Drag
= WW ¡Á RD ¡Á P ¡Á Cd, since the coefficient
of drag (0.0025) is already incorporated into
the pressure value. In fact, that is true wherever
the pressure appears in an equation. The
attendant computer program is correct.
In an equation on page 43, one character
was omitted. The equation is dT = y ¡Á dF = y
¡Á P ¡Á dA = lever arm ¡Á pressure ¡Á width ¡Á y
(the last term should be dy rather than y). I
missed that on the proof copy.
¡ª
73, Bill Rynone, Ph.D., P.E., PO Box 4445, Annapolis, MD, 21403
RF Power Amplifier Output
Impedance Revisited
(Jan/Feb 2005; Letters, Mar/Apr 2006)
Hello Doug,
This letter is in response to your challenge
to the readers of Letters to the Editor in the
March/April issue of QEX, and to the two contributors
in that issue debating the topic of RF
power amplifier output impedance for solidstate
PAs, that certain assertions previously
advanced on these pages remain unchallenged,
and that further experiments are needed. I
would like to remind you that an overwhelming
series of experiments to convince readers
that when a PA tuned for maximum power
output, and operating within the design recommendations
by the manufacturer of the
tubes used, is indeed conjugately matched to
its load.1 My response refers to your comments
on the load variation method to measure the
output impedance of a power amplifier, refuted
by Warren Bruene, W5OLY, ¡°Letters to the
Editor¡±, Jan/Feb 2001 QEX, pp 59-61.
I do not intend to rebut that letter. My purpose
is to convince you that Mr. Bruene is
wrong, based on experiments previously reported.
Tom Rauch, W8JI, (a co-author of the
referenced paper) improved the test procedure
devised by W5OLY, which is involved
with feeding a small reverse generator signal
back into an operating amplifier via a
high-power attenuator, and measuring the
reverse generator¡¯s voltage level along a
50-ohm transmission line. This test once
again agreed with the results I obtained using
the test setup identical to Mr. Bruene¡¯s,
but the new test¡¯s ability to determine the
direction of change resulted in conclusions
very much contrary to Bruene¡¯s earlier measurements.
Mr. Rauch¡¯s measurements revealed that,
for some 14 amplifiers of widely varying types,
maximum efficiency could be obtained by tuning
the output network while solely observing
the reverse mismatch change! As the tank network
was adjusted to present a 50-¦¸ load to
the reverse power generator (reverse generator
voltage equal at every point along the
50-¦¸ line), maximum efficiency and output
power was obtained. As a matter of record,
Rauch noted it was much more difficult to obtain
optimum efficiency using the meters on
the amplifier and the power output indicator
than it was by watching the mismatch for the
reverse power generator (RPG).
Amplifier output impedance (referenced to
the output terminals of the PA) is certainly nondissipative;
power generated is available for
transfer. Assuming a low-loss transmission
line, the impedance of the transmission line is
a non-dissipative impedance. The antenna
itself has a measured (or calculated) input impedance,
which for efficient antennas is a nondissipative
impedance. Power is not absorbed
by the resistive component of this impedance,
power input to the antenna is transferred to the
propagation medium. Finally, since the input
impedance of antenna systems measured at the
input to the transmission line feeding the antenna
is generally not a resistive impedance
equal to 50 ¦¸, an antenna system tuning unit
(ASTU) is used, the purpose of which is to
provide a conjugate at the output terminals of
the ASTU, and hence a conjugate match referenced
to the input terminals (the transmitter
side of the ASTU).
¡ª
John S. (Jack) Belrose, VE2CV, ARRL Technical Advisor, john.belrose@crc.ca
Hi Jack,
Thanks for your letter. We had to shorten
it a bit so we could focus on two fundamental
assertions you mention that appear to us
to be mutually incompatible.
You¡¯ve consistently stated that maximum
power transfer occurs when a conjugate match
is achieved. Yet, you indicate that under the
conditions you claim to constitute such a
match, no power is dissipated at the tube end
of a network from the reverse power injected
during the Bruene experiment (non-dissipative
resistance), even though Mr. Rauch measures
the s22 of the amplifier to be 50 + j0 ¦¸.
In that case, you imply on the one hand
that no power transfer is occurring from load
to source and on the other, that no reflections
occur anywhere. We just don¡¯t see how you
can have it both ways.
Were amplifier output impedance com
pletely non-dissipative, you would not measure
an s22 of 50 + j0 ¦¸. You would instead
measure a pure reactance. If you say that the
s22 isn¡¯t the same as the amplifier output impedance,
then you don¡¯t have a conjugate
match by definition.
¡ª
Doug Smith, KF6DX, QEX Editor,
kf6dx@arrl.org
In Search of New Receiver
Performance Paradigms
(Empirical Outlook, May/June 2006)
Dear Doug:
Your plaints concerning measured IMD
shortcomings are well understood if not
widely recognized. More specifically:
The voltage gain of nonlinear, black-box
components (such as receivers, transmitters,
A/D converters, etc) can be expanded in a
power series when input level does not cause
significant change in component operating
point. For typical low-distortion components,
that power series can often be truncated, retaining
terms only up to the third order.
Straightforward trigonometric expansions of
two-tone response then yield the often useful
concepts of second- and third-order ¡°intercept
points.¡± These points permit a rapid
estimation of useful black-box dynamic
range. It is quite easy to show that these estimates
are seriously in error when:
1) More than two sinusoids are applied to
the input (complex waveforms, multiple interferers,
etc).
2) Truncated terms above third order are
significant (such as A/D converters, class-C
transmitters, etc).
3) Black-box operating point is a function
of input level.
In those instances, detailed and often messy
calculations are required, based upon both the
actual voltage-gain function and the phase relationships
among the multiple input
sinsusoids. I know of no simple ways of overcoming
these inherent drawbacks to the use of
IMD in characterizing black-box performance.
¡ª
Neal Eddy, fneddy@charter.net
Hi Neal,
Thanks for your comments. My main
point, of course, was that we continue to report
figures that don¡¯t comply with the defining
equation. Something has to give.
¡ª
Doug Smith, KF6DX, QEX Editor,
kf6dx@arrl.org
1J. S. Belrose, W. Maxwell and C. T. Rauch,
¡°Source Impedance of HF Tuned Power
Amplifiers and the Conjugate Match,¡±
Fall 1997 Communications Quarterly,
pp 25 - 40.
Jul/Aug 2006 61
Measuring Height With a Poor Man¡¯s
Gizmo (Tech Notes, May/June 2006)
Doug:
Last week, I mused (honestly!) about the
many times I have heard hams state the
heights of their antennas. All of them apparently
used the elusive ¡°eyeball algorithm¡± to
establish their measurements. I¡¯ve never
heard anyone say that the height was measured
with an instrument of known accuracy.
Kudos to William Rynone and QEX for
the ¡°Poor Man¡¯s Gizmo.¡± Print and sell a
bunch of reprints and publicize the gizmo in
QST and on the ARRL Web site. Finally, reflect
on the wisdom of Henry St. John (1716):
¡°Truth lies within a little and certain compass,
but error is immense.¡±
¡ª
73 de Jim Olsen, Jr, W3KMM,
w3kmn@aol.com
Uniform Current Loop Radiators
(May/June 2006)
Editor,
NP4B has written an interesting article.
What a novel idea to segment a piece of twinlead
like this ¡ª very clever. I don¡¯t think the
theoretical explanation is correct though.
First, the sinusoidal distribution of current
along a conventional wire antenna is not due
to wire inductance as the article says. It is due
to propagation delay, and reflection from the
ends of the wire in the case of a dipole. The
current distribution is a standing wave along
the antenna, caused by the interaction of forward
and reverse waves. That is covered in The
ARRL Antenna Book and elsewhere.
Also, the model for the segmented line
shown in Figure 2B doesn¡¯t seem to be correct.
It appears that the inductors represent the
alternating wire segments and the capacitors
represent the overlap between the segments.
The overlap is almost the entire portion of the
line, however, and not only is there capacitance
in this region but the wires are magnetically
coupled, too. For the entire overlap, in fact,
the structure remains the original transmission
line with its original distributed capacitive and
inductive coupling between the wires.
I think the model for the segmented line
is more complex than the author has indicated.
The results are interesting and obviously
the antenna works, but I don¡¯t think
the explanation is correct.
¡ª
Gerrit Barrere, KJ7KV, gerrit@exality.com
Dear Doug,
I accept the criticism of KJ7KV on my
simplistic explanation as due to wire inductance
alone. The model of Figure 2B is a
lumped model of a distributed system. The
Figure 1 ¡ª Detailed EZNEC modeling of the uniform current loop antenna with closely
spaced overlapping wire segments. For ease of modeling, eight sections are used in this
model.The driving source is in the center (current maximum) of element #1.
Figure 2 ¡ª This diagram shows how a resonant section of the loop is split in the center
to accept the feed line.
complete distributed system has been modeled
on EZNEC as in Figure 1 of this
letter. Note the (essentially) triangular distribution
of current on each wire segment;
summing the current in adjacent wires yields
a net uniform current, as proposed and realized.
While KJ7KV is technically correct in that
the wire segments are also magnetically
coupled, this coupling is lower than the electrical
coupling by a factor of ¦Ì0 (approximately)
and may be ignored.
I look forward to further discussion in QEX
regarding this antenna.
By the way, my article contained an error
in Figure 9, the SWR plot. The vertical scale
should be corrected to run from 1.0 to 6.0.
Also, several readers wrote to ask how the
feed line is connected and where. Figure 2 in
this letter shows how a resonant section is split
in two to accept the feed line.
¡ª
73, Bob Zimmerman, NP4B,
zimmo2@juno.com
Dual Directional Wattmeters (May/
June 2006)
Doug:
There were a few minor errors in my
DDW article, and I would like to issue a correction
or clarification in an upcoming issue.
In Figure 6B the wattmeter readings
should have been 43.5 W and 143.5 W for
PREF and PFWRD, and in Figure 6C they should
read 5.5 W and 105.5 W.
In Figures A1, A2, and A3, I used an alternate
notation for the forward and reverse
voltage with V+ used for VFWD and V¨C for
VREV.
¡ª
73, Eric von Valtier, K8LV,
EVonvaltie@aol.com
62 Jul/Aug 2006
N9GL's RF Safety Column: RF Safety and the "C" Word
By Greg Lapin, N9GL, Chairman
ARRL RF Safety Committee
February 10, 2000
Understanding the scientific basis of RF Safety can be a lifetime's work. Here's the first in a series of columns by Greg Lapin, N9GL, the chairman of the
ARRL RF Safety Committee, that's aimed at clearing away the confusion and misconception.
An Introductory Word
An amazingly complicated topic, the interactions of electromagnetic energy with biological tissue is a mystery to most. Add to this the general lack of
understanding of how RF energy behaves in the presence of tissue. Very few people understand near-field antenna behavior. Compound that with resonance
and polarization effects of RF with respect to tissue size and orientation and you have an engineering problem that is very difficult to define. Along
with the engineering uncertainties in the field come the biological uncertainties. It is very unusual to find a research laboratory with expertise in both
of these complicated topic areas, and it is not uncommon to find basic mistakes in research studies that can invalidate the conclusions. Despite this,
most of the electromagnetic bioeffects scientific community has been able to agree on a standard of safe exposure levels, which is what the FCC regulations
have been based on. A combination of RF bioeffects studies on laboratory animals and a compilation of the health histories of people who have been exposed
over their lifetimes to RF energy make up the data input to a determination of safe levels of RF exposure. These are all topics that will be covered in
future articles. It is my hope that the brief overviews of these topics will provide hams with the basis to understand and critique things that they see
and hear about the topic. In particular, when biased and inflammatory news items appear on TV and in the papers, the person armed with this understanding
will be able to recognize them for what they are, and dismiss them.
Cancer
In the many years that I have been speaking about RF Bioeffects at scientific conferences, ham club meetings, and hamfests I have found that most people
are concerned about the "C" word, Cancer. While there is much more to RF Safety than this family of diseases, it is understandable that it is something
that might strike fear into even the most diehard of ham radio operators.
In this, the first of my monthly columns covering aspects of RF Safety, I'll discuss scientific investigation with an emphasis on cancer. In future columns
I'll expand on many of the topics raised here, but let's start off with an overview.
I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, when scientific advances were coming hard and fast. Cancer was targeted as one of the two diseases that science would
conquer in these decades (the other being heart disease), and even though this has not come to pass, enormous strides have been made. A diagnosis of cancer
is no longer the automatic death sentence that it once was. Back in the early days of this fight, there was a trend in scientific investigation in which
different chemical substances were tested for their cancer causing potential (or, in scientific lingo, carcinogeneity).
One problem with investigations of this kind is that it takes a lifetime of exposure to most carcinogenic things for the disease to occur. To speed up the
process, scientists exposed laboratory animals (usually mice and rats) to massive doses of a given chemical. Amazingly, it appears that just about everything
caused cancer, and it seemed like every other week in the news we were being warned that things we used every day caused cancer: insecticides, the oil
used in our transformers, cyclamates, saccharin and even coffee.
It was fortunate that many of these adverse reactions were discovered, and the public health has benefited by removal of these chemicals from our society.
It turned out that other apparent cancer-causing agents were not, however. The study that targeted coffee was later disproved. Although cyclamates are
no longer sold, the other artificial sweetener, saccharin, is still available in stores, with a warning on the package: "Use of this product may be hazardous
to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."
Although the original study was not disproved, it was shown that normal use of this chemical had such a low probability of causing cancer that it was not
considered to be a public health hazard. It was later realized that there is a chance of cancer occurring whenever the body is subjected to an insult that
can damage cells. One study that concerned me at the time said that people who repeatedly bit their cheeks could form cancer in that spot. In my pre-braces
days, that was happening to me. You can bet that I was happy to get that fixed!
Cellular Errors
A prevalent theory of how cancer occurs says that whenever cells are injured or die, the process that repairs or replaces them can make mistakes. A very
small percentage of those mistakes can cause a cancerous cell to occur. Let's backtrack a bit and introduce some definitions. Cancer is a family of diseases
that is characterized by cells that replicate too rapidly. It is called a family of diseases because there are many different types of cancer and most
of them have different characteristics. The cells of our body normally replicate but usually, in adults, new cells are produced only in order to replace
others that have died (in children there is more normal cell replication in order to produce more tissue as they grow). The cancerous cells often form
a structure that is called a tumor, though some cancers don't, such as leukemia, which produces too many white blood cells that are then released into
the bloodstream.
The unrestrained growth of cancerous cells is caused by a defect in their DNA. DNA is made up of genes, which contain the blueprint of every part of our
bodies, including plans for how cells grow. Every time normal cells reproduce, they replicate their DNA and this becomes the basis of the new cells. There
is a chance that DNA replication will not happen correctly, and this is called a mutation.
There are billions of possible errors that can occur when DNA replicates. Most of these mutations simply cause the new cell to die. Very few of the possible
errors can create a new cell that is cancerous. Don't forget that mutation is the basis of Darwin's theory of evolution; it is not necessarily a bad thing
and has been happening since the beginning of time. A very interesting type of cell to study with regard to cancer is the brain cell. Cells in the adult
brain do not normally replicate at all. This removes one of the ways that those cells can become cancerous.
Yet, brain tumors still occur. Another mechanism for the formation of cancerous cells is when the DNA of a cell is damaged. The body has the ability to
repair damaged DNA and if the repair process is faulty it is possible that a few of the billions of possible mutations can result in a cancerous cell.
So, we have two occasions in which normal DNA can be modified to make a cell cancerous. Forcing the need for cell replication, usually by killing other
cells, and directly damaging cell DNA, which requires a DNA repair process, both can lead to this result. Yet still, the statistical probability of this
happening is miniscule.
The more times that DNA replication or repair happens, the more chance of the bad mutation occurring. Much like a roulette wheel, the more times you spin
it, the more likely one of the spins will result in a 00. Even if a cell's DNA is modified to become cancerous, the disease hasn't taken over yet. The
human body's immune system is constantly on the lookout for cells that it does not recognize. If it is able to determine that a mutation has occurred,
it will often kill the mutated cell. This further lessens the probability that a mutation will successfully lead to cancer.
Considering that mutations occur every day, the probability of forming a viable cancer is so low that it may take more than 100 years for this to occur.
Anything that increases that probability can statistically lessen this amount of time. Take smoking for example. Smoking has been shown to cause cancer
in the population (more on this in future columns), yet there are people who have smoked for more than 50 years and have never developed the disease. Some
influences do not directly cause DNA replication or repair to occur, but merely the presence of such a factor during DNA changes can lead to mutations.
These influences are considered to be most dangerous for children, who have a much higher percentage of their cells replicating than adults do.
So, What About RF?
The key question that most hams should ask is, "Is RF one of these influences?" Actually, this is not exactly true. The main question that I have been asked
by most hams is more like, "Can I still use my linear to break through pileups to get that new one?" However, I take that to mean the same thing. Since
the answer is not a simple one, I'll have to address it in my next column. Until then, follow the FCC RF Safety Regulations--and keep trying for that new
one.
Editor's note: First licensed in 1969 at age 13 as WN1NUK in Connecticut, Greg Lapin, N9GL, went on to earn a PhD in electrical engineering from Northwestern
University. He started working in the RF Safety world after spending many years first studying cardiac function imaging and then brain tumor kinetics.
He is currently chairman of the ARRL RF Safety Committee and a member of the IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation. A former professor of Biomedical Engineering
and Neurology at Northwestern, he now works as a consulting professional engineer in the electronics industry. Lapin professes to still be fascinated by
virtually all aspects of Amateur Radio. One of his many interests is electronic design, and he is the author of Chapter 8, "Analog Signal Theory and Components"
in The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs. His non-ham interests include making things grow in his garden and serving as commissioner of the local children's
softball league. At other times when he is not working or doing his kids' homework, you might find him with the local emergency services agency, climbing
his tower, building a new QRP rig, playing with his APRS setup, responding to QSL cards, going off on a DXPedition, or trying to get that new one. Readers
may contact Greg Lapin at
g.lapin@ieee.org.
from what I'm able to gather other people can still get to my board. For some reason when I try I get a 404 error. Something's funny!
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Try Building Your Own Equipment
Getting the Parts
The first step is to carefully read the schematic diagram and compile a complete parts list. Parts lists in most articles
typically describe only the less-than-ordinary parts being used. So read the parts list carefully, to be sure you understand
exactly what each part must be.
Once you know what you need, you have to figure out where to get the parts. It took me about a month of thumbing
through ham radio and electronics magazines to find sources for all the parts I needed. Finally, between a couple of very
well-stocked QRP kit companies3 and a local electronics surplus store, I acquired all the parts.
Wes (W7ZOI) and Roger (KA7EXM) Hayward encourage the use of “ugly” construction techniques.4 But, because I
was new to building, I opted for PC boards that were offered by FAR Circuits.5 My rationale was twofold: First, I felt that I
could more easily diagnose a problem in a circuit that was neatly laid out. Second, I estimated there would be fewer
component-insertion mistakes with a clearly marked PC board (FAR’s component overlays make part placement easier).
Those are two primary considerations for the beginning builder. Finally, I wanted the finished product to look good and
operate well.
Populating the Boards and Initial Testing
Once I had the PC boards, the building started. Being a complete novice to such a venture, I built all three boards in
a weekend, without thought of testing each subsection. (My education continued: I later learned to build a small section of
a board and test it before going on to the next one, so problems can be localized as they occur). Besides, what would I
test for anyway? How was I supposed to know what the output of a correctly operating oscillator should look or sound like?
I went back to the article to find out what to do next. The next logical step, it said, was to test each section as it was
being built. Oops! It was a little late for that. This makes a very good point: Before you start work, read the article (or
instruction sheet) thoroughly and repeatedly, to be sure you understand everything you should do, such as when to stop
building and perform intermediate testing!
“Testing should begin with the oscillator board.” Okay, I can hook up a 12-V supply and listen for an 800-Hz tone at
7.000
MHz on my Kenwood rig. This is one of many little tricks I learned along the way: using another radio to test the radio under construction. I powered up
the board, tuned my rig to 7.000 MHz and began turning the air-dielectric variable capacitors hooked to the oscillator board. But alas! No signal! What
happened? How could this be? I did everything according to the instructions!
I went back and immediately began looking for obvious mistakes. Okay, I did solder the main inductor into the
oscillator incorrectly, grounding the wrong end. I found another mistake, a transformer wound with the incorrect number of
turns. I hooked the power back up, and began tuning the oscillator, while listening on the Kenwood rig for a 7-MHz signal.
Still nothing!
At this point, I enlisted the help of other hams I knew. As you would expect, each one had a different piece of advice.
One thought that the oscillator was just being finicky, and maybe if I replaced the transistor in it, it would work. Another
suggested that the original circuit might be incorrect. I followed through with these suggestions, testing the circuit yet again
and determined that the VFO still would not oscillate!
To put it mildly, I was very frustrated. Reading the construction articles made everything sound so easy, and here I
was with about $50 worth of parts that did nothing! I decided to start at square one and rebuild the oscillator. I purchased
another oscillator board (by now, the original had several lifted traces caused by the several times I had placed, removed
and replaced parts).
From reading the various QRP books, I was able to figure out which part of the board was the oscillator circuit (my
education was paying off!). I put the 10 or so components on the board, powered it up and listened with my Kenwood for a
Page 1 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
signal. Still nothing! I was really discouraged at this point; 10 little components were defeating me! I decided to yet again
replace those components, one by one. I did this, checking for oscillation after each new part was installed.
I had replaced all but two disc-ceramic capacitors, yet the board still didn’t function. The capacitors were clearly
marked with the correct value and coefficient, so I didn’t question their integrity. As a last resort, I decided to change them
anyway, using components from another parts source. I powered up the oscillator board and it immediately started
oscillatingsuccess at last! And another lesson learned: Never assume that a componenteven a new componentmust
surely be okay.
The next step was to connect the oscillator board with the transmit buffer/amplifier board. This went well. With the
buffer/amplifier, I heard a much louder signal in my receiver. Then I connected the receive board to the oscillator and
buffer/amplifier boards. Using the calibration feature, I was able to tune the lower end of the oscillator to exactly 7.025
MHz. The calibration feature allows you to tune in a known frequency with your radio, and use that as a reference as you
tune the VFO. I set the band edge to 7.025 MHz with the VFO tuning capacitor in the fully meshed position; then as I
turned the VFO capacitor clockwise, the operating frequency increased. The rig operates from 7.025 to just above 7.100
MHza nice frequency spread for CW operating. The frequency reference used is strictly according to which part of the
band you are licensed for. I could have easily set the lower band edge to 7.100 MHz, for the Novice/Technician part of 40
meters, or to 7.000 MHz for the Amateur Extra Class portion of the band.
First QSO
Before putting the Ugly Weekender into an enclosure, I hooked up my multiband vertical, and eight NiCd D cells,
trying eagerly to make my first contact with the newly finished rig. Propagation was poor, though, and I was unable to
make a contact that evening.
I woke early the next day and began calling CQ about 6 AM. Rick, AC4WB, answered my call. We chatted for a few
minutes and then signed off. I was ecstatic! I’d made a good contact with only about 1.5 W from Rochester, New York, to
North Carolina! The thrill of contacting another ham with a low-power signalon a rig you’ve built yourselfis a great
feeling!
About the time Rick’s QSL card for that contact arrived, I also received a card from an ARRL official observer (OO). I
had heard of OOs, but never had any direct experience with them. The OO, an amateur not far from Rick, had heard my
signal and sent me a card notifying me that my signal sounded chirpy. I thought about the report and realized that the
eight NiCd batteries weren’t sufficient to power my new rig. I added another two cells, to bring the voltage up from 10 V to
12.5
V, and the chirp problem was solved.
Putting the Rig in a Box
After the excitement of the initial QSO, I started work on how to integrate the three circuit boards in an enclosure. My
search for an enclosure started at the local electronics surplus store. They had an aluminum chassis without a bottom
plate (or, in the manner I used it, no top plate), but I could resolve that matter at a later date.
I wanted to build a home-station-size rig, so there wasn’t a need to squeeze the project into a miniature enclosure. I
may have opted for the latter if I had planned on taking the rig backpacking. My next step was to build a sub-enclosure for
the oscillator board, which would also contain the two air-dielectric variable capacitors. The enclosure isolates the VFO
from the other circuits and minimizes any changes in capacitance caused by nearby objects (the operator’s hand, for
example).
I built this inner enclosure from some single-sided printed circuit (PC) board (see Figure 1). I cut the pieces of PC
board by scoring them with an X-acto knife, then snapping the board along the scored line. Very carefully, I soldered each
of four sides onto the bottom of the sub-enclosure, which would be bolted to the main enclosure later in the assembly. I
used hot-melt glue to secure a threaded standoff in each of the four corners. This permits the oscillator enclosure to be
bolted, not soldered, to the top of this inner enclosure. I could have soldered the entire unit, but that would have made
Page 2 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
access to the circuitry difficult if a problem arose in the future.
Planning the Control Layout
After building an enclosure for the oscillator and bolting the board and variable capacitors into it, I considered how to
arrange the controls on the enclosure’s front and rear panels. There are no right or wrong ways to lay out the panels.
However, I didn’t want the controls so close together that I would accidentally nudge one while adjusting another. I wanted
the controls arranged in the most user-friendly fashion, from my point of view. Wow! I had progressed from being an
equipment builder to being an ergonomics engineer!
The photos show how I chose to place the tuning knobs, calibration, on/off, spotting, and audio output functions on
the front of the rig. The power, key, and antenna jacks are on the rear panel. Based on the location of these controls, I
placed the two boards and oscillator enclosure into the aluminum enclosure, trying to minimize lead lengths between the
boards. From the photo you’ll see that I placed the receiver board on the left, the oscillator enclosure in the center, and
the transmit buffer/amplifier board on the right. Before installing any boards, I first made a template of the holes I needed
to drill in order to accommodate the controls on the rig, as well as what would go inside it.
I used a pencil to carefully mark the aluminum enclosure so as to ensure that the holes were aligned with each
other, and that they were a comfortable distance from one another. I didn’t want the volume switch too close, for example,
to the tuning knobs. Again, I wasn’t trying to build the world’s tiniest radio, so ease of use was a higher priority than
minimizing the package size. Next, I drilled the holes. Using a drill press, I started with a 1/8-inch-diameter hole
everywhere a hole was called for. When larger holes were needed, I drilled several times, increasing the drill-bit size each
time. This procedure produces a neater hole than trying to blast a 1/2-inch-diameter hole from the start.
Finishing the Enclosure
I sanded the enclosure to remove any burrs resulting from the drilling. Next, I washed the enclosure in soapy water
and rinsed it well to remove any oil or grease. I painted the enclosure, first with a primer coat, followed by several coats of
gloss black enamel. Be sure to follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions! In my haste to paint, I applied a coat of paint
before the previous coat was curedthe result was an enclosure with an unwanted wrinkle finish! That mistake sent me
back to the enclosure-sanding phase! Now, I let the paint dry for 48 hours (drying times differ with paint brandsread the
label!) before applying another coat
Lettering
After the paint was dry, it was time to letter the controls. I purchased dry transfer letters from the local college
bookstore. These transfers come in a variety of sizes and type faces, both in black and white. White letters were fine for
my black enclosure. The method for putting these letters on an object is simple: Just put the page of letters on the surface
of the project and using a pencil, apply gentle and uniform pressure over the surface of the letter to be transferred, by
drawing lines across it. The pressure of the pencil point makes the letter stick to the object. Aligning the letters is crucial; I
used pieces of Post-It paper as a guide line for alignment of the letters. Another trick I learned was to begin lettering a
label with the middle letter of the label. This character goes directly above the control. Next you add letters working from
the middle character toward both ends. The result is neat and aligned labels on the rig’s controls! Once the lettering was
complete, I coated the enclosure with several applications of clear gloss enamel, to protect the labels from being chipped
or rubbed off. Be careful when applying the clear coat (apply it sparingly), as any damage to the black undercoat or
lettering will send you back to the enclosure-sanding phase.
Mounting the Boards and the Controls
Once the enclosure was ready, I bolted the two boards and oscillator enclosure into the main enclosure,
reconnecting the boards with wires that were just the right length. Next, I mounted all the controls and jacks on the
enclosure, being careful not to scratch or damage the finish. All that was left to do was to figure out what to use as a top
for the enclosure. I thought it would be neat to put a transparent cover on the rig, so the viewer could see how the rig was
Page 3 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
put together. So I put a piece of 1/8-inch acrylic plastic on the top of the enclosure. In order to secure the panel to the
enclosure, I again used the hot-melt glue gun to affix threaded standoffs into the upper corners of the enclosure. Using
countersunk bolts, the top is attached to the enclosure. A strip of rubber, about 1/16×3/8 inch, acts as a gasket between
the enclosure and the acrylic. Four rubber feet on the base keep my desk from getting scratched.
The End Product
I took great pains to plan and align the controls and jacks, was careful to ensure a smooth paint finish, and used the
label aligning and centering technique described to ensure a neat job. The result is a rig for which I have received many
compliments on both its appearance and its on-the-air signal.
Summary
In the process of building and debugging this project, I learned a lot. Since this rig was built, I have met other hams
who, as I am, are excited about home brewing their own station equipment. We have exchanged information on rig
building, and this has also increased my knowledge. I have even made several circuit boards after Brad Mitchell,
WB8YGG, showed me how easy it was.
My bench now sports a 30-meter QRP (milliwatt) transmitter project, a Neophyte receiver, and a version of the Ugly
Weekender for 30 meters.
There is an upsurge in the number of hams who are becoming interested in learning how radios work, using the
hands-on technique of learning by doing. I can remember how I would read The ARRL Handbook, QST and other ham
radio books and magazinesI would think I was understanding things, but then I couldn’t assimilate it. I couldn’t put it in
practice. When you build something, troubleshoot its problems, and make all the necessary adjustments to get it to work,
you finally start to understand all those words you read!
With patience and careful attention to detail, you can home brew a rig that looks as good as the available kitsand
may look as good as some of the commercially built radios. As a bonus, you’ll take pride in operating a radio that you
made yourself!
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Wes and Roger Hayward for their effort in designing, building, and writing the articles for the Ugly
Weekender. I also thank N2HZK, KB3W, WD4RDZ, WK2A, and WA2N for their help and encouragement during the
debugging phase of my Ugly Weekender (which turned out so well they call it the Professional Weekender).
Gary M. Diana, Sr, was first licensed in 1989, and is currently an Amateur Extra Class. He is employed at Harris/RF
Communications, in Rochester, NY, as a lead software engineer. Gary received his BS in computer science from the
SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica, New York, in 1985. In 1990, he earned his MS in computer science at the Rochester
Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. His other interests, in addition to home brewing ham radio equipment,
include hunting, fishing, and woodworking.
Notes
(1)
Some examples of recommended background reading are as follows: QRP Classics, 1990; W1FB’s QRP Notebook, 1991; W1FB’s Design Notebook: Practical Circuits
for Experimenters, 1990 (all ARRL: Newington). G-QRP Circuit Handbook, 1983 (G-QRP Club: Rochdale, Lancaster, UK, 1983). Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, and Doug DeMaw,
W1FB, Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur, (ARRL: Newington, 1986).
(2)
Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, and Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, “The Ugly Weekender,” QST, Aug 1981, pp 18-21. (The Ugly Weekender also appears on pages 30-33 to 30-36 of
the 1994 and several earlier editions of The ARRL Handbook . Also Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, “The Ugly Weekender II: Adding a Junk-Box Receiver,” QST, Jun
1992, pp 27-30. (This second article describes a receiver and a method of interfacing it with the Ugly Weekender transmitter article.)
Page 4 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
(3)
Oak Hills Research, 20879 Madison St, Big Rapids, MI 49307; tel 800-842-3748. 624 Kits, 171 Springlake Dr, Spartanburg, SC 29302; tel 803-583-1304. Dan’s
Small Parts and Kits, 1935 S 3rd W, No. 1, Missoula, MT 59801; tel 406-543-2872. It is just happenstance that these are the suppliers I used; there are
many other suppliers of equal quality. Check the ads in QST for the many possible parts sources, and ask local hams for their suggestions along these lines.
(4)
“Ugly” construction is a method in which the builder solders components directly to a single or double-clad PC board of selected size, without etching the
board and usually without drilling any component-mounting holes. “Dead bug” construction is frequently used synonomously with ugly construction because
the components (such as ICs) are often secured to the PC board with a dab of glue, their leg-like leads erect, resembling a dead bug with its legs in the
air.
(5)
FAR Circuits, 18N640 Field Court, Dundee, IL 60118.
Why Would I Want To Home Brew My Own Equipment?
The main reason for wanting to home brew your own equipment is that it is fun; what’s more, you can learn a great
deal. If you thought your first contact using ham radio was fun, you won’t believe the feeling of accomplishment you get by
doing the same with a radio you built yourself!
Don’t let your current class of license discourage you from a home brew project, even those for the HF bands. You
can build an HF transceiver and use it in the receive mode to build your code speed to upgrade your license class. W1AW
transmits code practice on many ham bands every day (see the W1AW Schedule in this issue for details of time and
frequency)!
There are resources out there to help you with your project. If you have Internet access, you can read the
newsgroups that relate to home brewing (ie, rec.radio.amateur.homebrew), or you can subscribe to the QRP listserver
(mail listserv@netcom.com, subscribe qrp-l).
There are several excellent QRP newsletters that offer information on home brewing: the Northern QRP Club, QRP
ARCI, MI QRP Club, G-QRP Club, etc. There may even be some hams in your town that have experience building their
own equipment. Join or start your own club for home brewers.
The front panel of N2JGU’s Ugly Weekender.
Page 5 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Looking through the clear plastic top cover into the N2JGU “pretty” version of the Ugly Weekender.
Page 6 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Figure 1The oscillator sub-enclosure, fabricated from pieces of single-sided PC-board material.
Page 7 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
A collection of N2JGU’s home brew QRP gear, showing that home brew doesn’t have to be homely!
Page 8 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
everytime I try to get in to it, I get some kind of fadle error message and something about the memory capacity being maxed out. I don't remember what it said really but the short answer was no. Maybe they don't want us specifically to post on that board anymore. Oh well, now we have the animal house.
NON-TRAP PARASITIC ELEMENTS
ELEMENT P-10
10M Reflector 39
10m Rear Driver 28
10M Front Driver 28
10M Director 24
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
2. Drawing not to scale
ELEMENT ASSEMBLY
04-10-01 140002 H
NONE 2 OF 3
C A
COMPONENTS, DIMENSIONS: PARASITIC ELEMENTS
COMPONENTS, BOOM
(SEE DETAIL DWG.)
A
COMPONENTS, TRAP ASSEMBLY
ASSY 140019
B
REINFORCEMENT
TYPE P (SEE DWG. 140009)
36"
A
B
REINFORCEMENT
TYPE BC
REINFORCEMENT
TYPE BE (SEE DWG.)
P-10
SLOT WITH SINGLE
HACK SAW BLADE
REINFORCEMENT
TYPE "BE"
Revision C, 2-11-01
ITEM PART A PART B PART C PART D PART E PART F REINFORCEMENT
MTL QTY LEN MTL QTY LEN MTL QTY LEN MTL QTY LEN MTL QTY LEN MTL QTY LEN TYPE MTL QTY LEN
TRAP DRIVEN ELEMENT 1 2 36 2 2 44 3 2 44 4 2 35 4 2 20.5 5 2 28
TRAP REFLECTOR 1 1 72 2 2 44 3 2 44 4 2 45 4 2 20.5 5 2 28
TRAP DIRECTOR 1 1 72 2 2 44 3 2 44 4 2 21 4 2 20.5 5 2 26
PARASITIC DRIVEN ELEMENT 2 2 72 3 4 44 4 4 45
PARASITIC REFLECTOR 2 1 72 3 2 44 4 2 55
PARASITIC DIRECTOR 2 1 72 3 2 44 4 2 40
TRAP 5 12 4 8 12 1
BOOM 7 1 72 6 2 62 BC 6 2 10
BOOM BE 7 4 2
MATERIALS TABLE
MTL # DESCRIPTION
1 1.125 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
2 1.00 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
3 0.875 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
4 0.75 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
5 0.625 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
6 1.875 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
7 2.00 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
8 0.50 OD X 0.058 WALL, 6063-T8 OR EQUIV
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
2. Drawing not to scale
ELEMENT ASSEMBLY
04-10-01 140002 H
NONE 3 OF 3
ITEM PART A PART B PART C PART D PART E PART F
SLOT: SLOT: SLOT: SLOT: SLOT: SLOT:
TRAP DRIVEN ELEMENT ONE END ONE END ONE END ONE END ONE END DO NOT SLOT
TRAP REFLECTOR BOTH ENDS ONE END ONE END ONE END ONE END DO NOT SLOT
TRAP DIRECTOR BOTH ENDS ONE END ONE END ONE END ONE END DO NOT SLOT
PARASITIC DRIVEN ELEMENT BOTH ENDS ONE END DO NOT SLOT
PARASITIC REFLECTOR BOTH ENDS ONE END DO NOT SLOT
PARASITIC DIRECTOR BOTH ENDS ONE END DO NOT SLOT
TRAP SEE DWG.
BOOM SEE DWG. SEE DWG.
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
TUBE SLOTTING CHART
140004
1 OF1
03-19-01 C
1.38
0.04 TYP. (SEE NOTES)
2. Slot tubing as shown, using a single 18 tooth/in. hacksaw blade.
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
BOOM TO MAST PLATE
140005
1 OF 1
03-17-01 B
0.75
2.00
8.00 8.00
2.00
0.88. 4 pl.
1.75. typ 4 pl.
1.156
2.312. 4 pl.
0.88
2.00
2.00
4.00
8.88
17.75
6.00
3.00
2.00
4.00
9.00
4.00
2.00
2.312 (Note 3)
1.156 (Note 3)
0.344 Drill, 4-places
0.344 Drill, 8 places
2. Material: 6061-T6 or equiv., 0.312 thick
3. 5/16" U-Clamp spacing determined by selected mast size. Dimesnions shown for 2" mast diameter.
4. Drawing NOT TO SCALE
2.00
#7 DRILL
1/4-20 TAP THRU
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
BOOM / MAST PLATE SPACER
140006
1 OF 1
03-16-01 B
<1.81>
<3.62>
1.16
2.312 0.344 Drill, 2 places
2. Material: 6061-T6 or equivalent, 0.250 thick
3. (8) pieces required per assembly
0.63
<1.25>
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
INSULATOR, ELEMENT
140007
1 OF 1
02-08-01 A
<1.25> in
(Material Thickness)
2. Material: Cast Acrylic, 16 pieces required
Top surface
0.688
0.688
<1>.00
<2>.00
<0.37>5
<0.37>5
<0.69>
1.38
#21 DRILL THRU, 3 PLACES
10-32 TAP THRU, 3 PLACES
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
TRAP D.E. BOOM/ELEMENT PLATE
140008
1 OF1
03-25-01 C
0.375
0.375
0.375
0.375
0.375
0.375
2.500 2.500
0.375
1.156
2.312
0.375
0.688
0.688
1.00
2.00
0.375
2. Material: 6061-T6 or equiv. by 0.38 thick
9.000 9.000
18.000 (REF)
0.344 DRILL, 2 PLACES
#2 DRILL THRU, 8 PLACES
5.812 5.812
1.00
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
ELEMENT CENTER SECTIONS
140009
1 OF 1
03-25-01 C
0.88
5.812
0.88
7.00
14.00
1.625
1.625
5.812
#18 DRILL THRU
BOTH SIDES
#8 DRILL THRU
BOTH SIDES
4 PLACES
MTL: 1.00 OD X 0.125
WALL FIBERGLASS
"PULLTRUSION"
5.31
10.625
7.00
1<4>.00
ELEMENT
TRAP DIRECTOR, TRAP REFLECTOR
ALL NON-TRAP PARASITIC ELEMENTS
MATERIAL
1.0 OD X 0.058 WALL 6061-T6 TUBING
0.875 OD X 0.058 WALL 6061-T6 TUBING
B. ELEMENT CENTER REINFORCEMENT
(EXCEPT TRAP DRIVEN ELEMENT)
A. TRAP DRIVEN ELEMENT COUPLER
(CENTER SECTION)
#8 DRILL THRU
BOTH SIDES
2 PLACES DRAWING NOT TO SCALE
1.0 NOMINAL SPACING
BETWEEN ENDS OF
TRAP DE "A" SECTIONS TRAP DRIVEN
ELEMENT "A"
SECTION
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
BOOM/ELEMENT PLATE
140010
1 OF 1
03-16-01 B
1.156
2.312
0.375
0.750
12.00
0.375
0.750
0.688
1.375
1.00
2.00
0.375
2. Material: 6061-T6 or equiv. by 0.38 thick, 6 required
#2 DRILL THRU, 4 PLACES 0.344 DRILL, 2 PLACES
5.312
6.00
10.625
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
MOUNTING PLATE BLANKS
140012
1 OF 1
03-05-01 A
3.62
2.00
12.00
9.00
17.75
2.00
18.00
1.25
(1) REQ'D. MAKE FROM 3/8" THK 6061-T6 OR EQUIV
(6) REQ'D. MAKE FROM 3/8" THK.
6061-T6 OR EQUIV.
(8) REQ'D. MAKE FROM
1/4" THK. 6061-T6 OR EQUIV.
(1) REQ'D. MAKE FROM 5/16" THK.
6061-T6 OR EQUIVALENT
DRAWING NOT TO
SCALE
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
ASSY. DETAILS, 140008, 140010
140013
1 OF 1
03-08-01 A
6.00
12.00
DWG. NOT TO SCALE
0.375 2.00
2. Material: Aluminum, 6061-T6 or equivalent
0.625 (SEE NOTE3)
<1.25>0 (SEE NOTE 3)
<1>.00
<2>.00
0.125
#28 DRILL THRU, 4 PL.
TAP #8-32, 4 PL
SEE NOTE3
ALIGNMENT PLATE
(2) REQ'D PER ASSY.
3. HOLES ARE MACHINED AS PART OF ASSY. PROCESS ! Clamp first alignment plate
in the proper position. Use tap drill through both the alignment plate and the boom / element
plate. Remove clamp and alignment plate. Use clearance drill and C'SINK on alignment plate.
#8-32 tap the (2) holes in the boom / element plate. Screw the alignment plate in postion, using Loc Tite.
Using a 0.976" spacing tool, clamp the second alignment plate in position and repeat
the previous procedure.
4. Use the same procedure with the trap d.e. boom / element plate.
<0.25>
<0.5>0
P/N 140010. USE SAME TOOLING
PROCEDURE (SEE NOTE 3) ON
P/N 140008.
#19 DRILL THRU, 2 PL.
C'SINK FOR #8 FLATHEAD
0.488 (SEE NOTE 3)
0.976 (SEE NOTE 3)
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
BOOM ASSEMBLY
140014
1 OF1
03-25-01 C
3.0 (BOTH ENDS)
12.0 REF
5.00
5.00
54.00
81.00
62.00
87.00
50.0 33.0 39.0 (REF) 50.0
TRAP DRIVEN
ELEMENT
PARASITIC
DRIVER
PARASITIC
DRIVER
10M PARASITIC
REFLECTOR
TRAP
REFLECTOR
TRAP
10M PARASITIC DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
BOOM - A
BOOM - B (2 PL)
DRAWING NOT TO SCALE
REINFORCEMENT
TYPE "BE"
4 PLACES
10.0 10.0
6.75 6.75
#21 DRILL THRU
10-32 TAP
2 PLACES
VIEW OF BOOM END SHOWING
ORIENTATION OF 1/4-20 BOLTS
SECTION A - A , BOOM AT TRAP DRIVEN
ELEMENT CENTER LINE, SHOWING PLACEMENT
OF INTERNAL BOOM REINFORCEMENT SECTIONS
BOOM REINFORCEMENT
TYPE "BC"
TRAP DRIVEN ELEMENT
CENTER LINE
A
A
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
MOUNT, BALUN
140015
1 OF1
03-27-01 A
MAKE FROM SOFT ALUMINUM,
0.75 WIDE X 0.062 THICK.
MOUNTS WITH #8-32 X 3/8 LONG
BODY OF MODEL EB-1
BALUN SHOWN FOR
CLARITY (AVAILABLE
FROM CAL-AV LABS, INC.)
5/16 SS NUT AND LOCKWASHER,
PORTION OF SS U-BOLT
SHOWN FOR CLARITY
1.16
2.312
1.69
3.38
0.681
0.375
0.188
DRILL AND TAP
FOR #8-32
0.344 DRILL THRU
2 PLACES
MAKE FROM 3/8 THK
6061-T6, 1.25 WIDE
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.020, X.X = +/-0.032
CAPACITIVE HAT ASSY.
140016
1 OF 1
04-12-01 A
8.0, EACH WIRE
HOSE CLAMP
0.38
1.<2>5
0.38 TYP
DRILL & TAP #8-32
2 PLACES
MAKE FROM #8 ALUMINUM
GROUND WIRE, RADIO SHACK
P/N 15-035, 2 REQ'D PER ASSY.
0.75 X 0.125 THICK
ALUMINUM ANGLE
#8-32 X 0.38 LONG SS
MACHINE SCREW, WITH
#10 SS FLAT WASHER,
2 PLACES
2. Mount assembly in place with wires horizontal, using hose clamp to attach to "E"tube of trapped elements
3. Place assembly edge closest to the wires, 1.38" from junction to "F" tube and secure in place with hose clamp.
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.010, X.X = +/-0.032
TRAP COMPONENTS
140017
1 OF1
04-15-01 B
<1.12> <0.44> <1.12>
<7>.0
#19 DRILL THRU, ONE SIDE
3 PLACES
COIL FORM (1 REQ'D)
MTL: SEE NOTE 2
2. 3/4" PVC SCHEDULE 40 WATER PIPE
<1.5>
MTL: SEE NOTE 3
SLOT: SEE NOTE 4
3. 1/2" PVC SCHEDLE 40 WATER PIPE
4. CUT SLOT THRU ONE SIDE WITH SINGLE WIDTH HACK SAW BLADE
COIL FORM INSERT (2 REQ'D)
TRAP TERMINAL; CAPACITOR MOUNT (1 REQ'D)
<4>.0 0.31
MTL: SEE NOTE 5
5. 0.625 DIA X 0.058 WALL, 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
#28 DRILL THRU
HACK SAW SLOT
0.12 LONG, 2 PL.
MTL: SEE NOTE 5
<4>.0
TRAP TERMINAL (1 REQ'D)
MTL: NOTE 6
<1>.0
6. 0.500 DIA X 0.058 WALL, 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
REINFORCEMENT (2 REQ'D) 0.5 IN FLAT PATTERN
NOTE 7
7. AFTER SLOTTING, PLACE INSERT IN A FIXTURE WITH THE SAME I.D. AS THE COIL FORM.
(COMPRESS THE SLOT) DRILL THE INSERT ID 0.625 FOR SLIP FIT WITH TRAP TERMINAL.
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.010, X.X = +/-0.032
BOOM/MAST ASSY DETAIL
140018
1 OF 1
09-08-01 A
140006 BOOM/MAST PLATE SPACER
2 REQ'D PER U-BOLT, 8 TOTAL
(ONLY 2 SHOWN)
140008 BOOM/ELEMENT PLATE, 1 REQ'D
(NOT SHOWN, 6 EA. 140010 PLATES)
140005 BOOM TO MAST PLATE, 1 REQ'D
BOOM
(ONLY A PORTION SHOWN)
2" MAST TO PLATE U-BOLT
2 REQ'D (ONLY 1 SHOWN)
2" OD MAST
(ONLY A PORTION SHOWN)
BOOM/MAST PLATE U-BOLTS, 4 REQ'D
(ONLY 2 SHOWN)
BOOM/ELEMENT PLATE U-BOLT
7 REQ'D (ONLY 1 SHOWN)
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
TRAP ASSY.
140019
1 OF 1
03-13-03 A
50PF, 7500V
NPO CAPACITOR
ALUM. REINFORCEMENT
TRAP TERMINAL
CAPACITOR MOUNT
PVC COIL FORM
INSERT
FLEX. WIRE
CAPACITOR LEAD
10 TURNS,
#8 ALUMINUM
TRAP TERMINAL
(PLAIN)
COIL FORM
DWG. NOT TO SCALE
(SEE DWG. 140017 FOR COMPONENT DETAILS)
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.010, X.X = +/-0.032
2. Assemble the Trap Term/Cap mount, Capacitor, and flex wire Cap. lead as an assembly.
3. Insert one Coil Form Insert in the end of the Coil Form that has ONE hole through the side wall.
4. Press the Coil Form Insert until the end of the Coil Form and Insert are aligned.
5. Insert the assembly of note (2), Trap Terminal first, into the OPPOSITE end of the Coil Form.
6. Push the assembly through the Coil Form Insert until the Trap Terminal portion protrudes 2.5 inches.
7. Feed the Flex Wire Capacitor Lead through the "inside" hole at the other end of the Coil Form.
8. Install the remaining Coil Form Insert in the open end of the Coil Form.
9. As done before, press the Insert until it is flush with the end of the Coil Form.
10. Insert the Plain Trap Terminal until 2.5 inches remains exposed.
11. Using 5-Minute Epoxy and a screwdriver, glue and insert the Alum. Reinforcement pieces.
12. Using the 2 holes in the Coil Form as a guide, drill the appropriate size hole in each end of the Coil Form for the terminal screw.
13. This model used a #8-32 SS screw, and required the usual tap size drill, and tapping operation.
14. Insert the two terminal screws/washers, and attach one end of the aluminum wire Capacitor end.
15. Wind the coil carefully, starting the first turn as shown, so as to clear most of the capacitor.
16. Terminate the other coil end and the capacitor Flex Wire.
17. Adjust the trap resonant frequency to range from 21.175 to 21.200 MHz by squeezing or spreading turns.
18 Coat the completed Coil Form/Winding assy. with 2 layers of epoxy paint (mask the Alum Trap Terms)
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.010, X.X = +/-0.032
ANTENNA SCHEMATIC
140020
1 OF 1
03-17-03 A
20M - 15M PARASITIC REFLECTOR
(140002)
TRAP ASSY.
6 REQ'D. (140019)
10M PARASITIC
REFLECTOR
(140002)
10M PARASITIC
DRIVEN ELEMENT
(140002)
DRIVEN ELEMENT
20M - 15M PARASITIC
DIRECTOR (140002)
10M PARASITIC
DRIVEN ELEMENT
(140002)
10M PARASITIC
DIRECTOR
(140002)
CAPACITIVE HAT
ASSY. , 6 REQ'D.
(140016)
BOOM ASSY.
(140014)
BALUN
(NOTE 2)
2. CAL-AV Labs model EB-1, or equiv.
DWG. NOT TO SCALE
TITLE
SIZE DWG NO REV
SCALE SHEET
DATE
A
NOTES:
1. Unless otherwise noted; X.XXX = +/-0.005, X.XX = +/-0.010, X.X = +/-0.032
ALTERNATIVE CAPACITIVE
HAT ASSY.
140021
1 OF 1
03-20-03 A
8"
TYP.
CAPACITIVE HAT HOSE CLAMP
(ONLY A SECTION SHOWN FOR CLARITY)
ELEMENT-TO-ELEMENT
HOSE CLAMP
"Z" SHAPED CAPACITIVE
HAT, #8 GAGE ALUMINUM,
8 INCHES PER SIDE
ARLP022: Propagation de K7RA
SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP022
ARLP022 Propagation de K7RA
ZCZC AP22
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 22 ARLP022
From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA May 25, 2007
To all radio amateurs
SB PROP ARL ARLP022
ARLP022 Propagation de K7RA
This week saw a return to active geomagnetic conditions after a
period of relative quiet. The planetary A index reached a high of
42 on Wednesday, May 23, and the mid-latitude A index on that day
was 28. At the same time, sunspot numbers are dropping, from a high
of 56 on May 16 to 44, 23, 15, 14, 12 and 0 on May 19-24. Currently
the interplanetary magnetic field points south, making Earth
susceptible to geomagnetic upsets from solar wind.
We could see a blank sun through the end of May. On Thursday, May
24 at 2134z the USAF and NOAA released a second daily 45 day outlook
(revised from the initial forecast 35 minutes earlier), calling for
solar flux values through the end of the month of 70, 70, 65, 65,
65, 70 and 70 for May 25-31. When the sun is devoid of spots for
extended periods, we often see solar flux values below 70, so
predicting a solar flux of 65 implies no sunspots.
The three lowest solar flux values I am aware of were between July
19-22, 1996 when they were 64.9, 66.1, 65.4 and 65.1. There you
have it, the lowest, second lowest and third lowest solar flux
values, all during those four days. The fourth lowest value I am
aware of was 65.8 the year before, on May 27, 1995. During the
current sunspot minimum and the previous one around 1996, I am not
aware of any other solar flux values below 66, but my records only
go back to January 1, 1989. My records of solar flux resolved to
one tenth of a point don't begin until May 27, 1992. Prior to that,
they are all recorded as whole numbers.
Geomagnetic indices should remain active for the next few days, with
predicted planetary A index for May 25-29 at 25, 25, 20, 10 and 5.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts active conditions for May
25-26, unsettled May 27, quiet to unsettled May 28, and quiet May
29-31. During the CQ World Wide WPX CW Contest this weekend, expect
no sunspots and declining but still active or unsettled geomagnetic
conditions.
Several readers this week reported recent six-meter openings. Mark
Bell, K3MSB of Airville, Pennsylvania (about 40 miles southeast of
Harrisburg in grid square FM19) worked NP4A (FK68) and WP4N (FK78)
around 0000z on May 13. Don't miss Mark's photos of old classic ham
radio gear at
http://www.k3msb.com/.
Mike Williams, W4DL of Pompano Beach, Florida sent a message from
the Dayton Hamvention about an opening on six meters on May 14.
''After work, I dutifully turned on the 6 meter gear and by 8 PM
that evening, I had worked a page full of stateside stations on CW,
(my favorite), SSB, FM and AM. What a pleasant early evening!
There is much more activity on 52.525 and above and numerous CW
stations as compared to last year''.
Kenneth Tata, K1KT of Warwick, Rhode Island (FN41) wrote on May 22
that a strong six meter opening began at 2030z toward ''4-land'',
the southeast of the United States. A few days earlier, he sent his
favorite links for spotting VHF openings. For two meters, there is
a map based on APRS networks at
http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na.
A
description of the network lives at
http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/.
Ken also likes the tropo ducting maps at
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html.
He checks the two and six
meter loggings at
http://www.dxworld.com/144prop.html
and
http://dxworld.com/50prop.html.
Ken writes, ''A much more ambitious
website is
http://www.vhfdx.net/ .
Gabriel has done a truly amazing
job with this site! He collects VHF/UHF contacts BY BAND and
presents them on a map TO USER SPECIFICATIONS! It can also
automatically email propagation warnings to subscribers. And
there's a lot more there, too.''
Ralph Burgess, VE3BSJ asked, ''Very simply, what figures should I
hope for? Right now, I see on the top of my DX monitor: SF=70 A=37
K=3. What would show an improvement for me?'' My response follows.
An A index of 37 is generally undesirable, although K of 3 means
conditions have settled down a bit. The exception is if you want to
use auroral propagation on six meters, in which case a higher number
is desirable. Aurora appears at lower and lower latitudes as the A
and K index rise.
We want the solar flux (70) to be as high as possible. It generally
tracks with sunspot numbers. Minimum solar flux is below 70, when
there are no sunspots. For good HF conditions, we want many
sunspots with less geomagnetic activity.
Here is the relationship between A and K index:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/GEOMAG/kp_ap.html
The A index is calculated every 24 hours, and is based on the eight
K index readings done every 3 hours throughout the day.
From the nomograph at the URL above we can see that if we had 24
hours of K=1, A would be 4, A would be 7 if all the previous K index
readings were 2, 15 if they were 3, and 27 if they were 4. So your
A index of 37 probably means that most of the day's K index readings
were around 4 or 5.
The latitude of your address in Parry Sound is 45.344 degrees north,
which is actually 2.3 degrees south of my latitude in Seattle. The
farther north we are, the more we are negatively affected by high A
and K index. In fact, these geomagnetic indices can be measured
anywhere, and when there is geomagnetic activity you will see higher
numbers at higher latitudes.
Look at this:
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/DGD.txt
The A index you are seeing may be from Boulder, Colorado and is the
number derived at the end of the day (in UTC) for yesterday, while
the K index is the most recent reading:
http://sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt
Or perhaps it is from some European source.
My general rule is that HF conditions are better when the K index is
below 3, and worse when they are above 3. We have seen very quiet
conditions most recently, but when we have more sunspots in a few
years a Boulder A index of 3 will be about average.
You can see from that table of A and K index that the College
(Fairbanks, Alaska, at 64.9 deg N) index (both K and A) yesterday
(May 23) was much higher than the mid-latitude index, which is from
Fredericksburg, Virginia at 38.3 deg N latitude. The planetary
indices are derived from a combination of magnetometers around the
world. The Boulder numbers on WWV are from 40 degrees north
latitude.
If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,
email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.
For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL
Technical Information Service at
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.
For a detailed
explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/k9la-prop.html.
An archive of past
propagation bulletins is at
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/ .
Monthly
propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas
locations are at
http://www.arrl.org/qst/propcharts/.
Sunspot numbers for May 17 through 23 were 30, 45, 44, 23, 15, 14
and 12 with a mean of 26.1. 10.7 cm flux was 76.5, 75.8, 74.8, 74.1,
73.2, 72, and 70.1, with a mean of 73.8. Estimated planetary A
indices were 6, 18, 12, 6, 6, 11 and 42 with a mean of 14.4.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 15, 10, 6, 6, 10 and 28,
with a mean of 11.3
NNNN
/EX
==>ARRL SUBMITS PLAN TO MITIGATE REPEATER INTERFERENCE TO MILITARY RADARS
The ARRL has submitted an interference mitigation plan to the US Department
of Defense (DoD) as part of an effort to resolve reported interference from
dozens of 70 cm amateur repeaters to US military radar systems on both
coasts. Since Amateur Radio is secondary to government users from 420 to 450
MHz, hams must not interfere with primary users and, under the rules, can be
forced to cease operation. Earlier this year, the US Air Force asked the FCC
to order dozens of repeater systems to either eliminate interference to its
"PAVE PAWS" missile and satellite detection and tracking radars in
Massachusetts and California or shut down.
"We are waiting the response of the DoD representative to the proposal and
will continue to provide information as to its status when it becomes
available," commented ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson,
N1ND. The interference mitigation plan has four primary steps.
* All repeaters the DoD has identified as potential interference
sources will immediately and temporarily reduce transmitter power output
(TPO) to 5 W.
* The ARRL will conduct Longley-Rice studies on each repeater system to
determine what further mitigation techniques might apply to individual
repeaters. These could include relocating the system, the use of directional
antenna systems to create nulls towards the PAVE PAWS site, permanent power
reductions or a combination of these techniques.
* The DoD will review ARRL's studies to determine if the proposals will
meet DoD's unspecified field strength requirements to mitigate the potential
interference satisfactorily.
* Once the DoD reviews and approves the proposals, the ARRL will
provide the recommendations to respective repeater frequency coordinating
groups and the FCC.
The situation affects 15 repeaters within less than 100 miles of Otis Air
Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and more than 100 repeaters within
some 140 miles of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. PAVE
PAWS facilities occupy essentially the entire 70 cm band -- one factor that
makes mitigation difficult. Feeding upward of 1800 active antenna elements,
the broadband radar transmitters emit an average power output of more than
145 kW.
Henderson says repeater owners and trustees ultimately would be responsible
for implementing the mitigation proposals or for developing alternatives
that protect the radar systems to the same extent.
Cooperation will be the key to a successful resolution of the situation,
Henderson says. "Although ARRL has no means to compel compliance with the
mitigation strategies, each repeater is absolutely obligated not to
interfere with these radars," he emphasized. "Failure to implement the
mitigation strategy or otherwise eliminate interference attributed to an
individual repeater will result in immediate FCC action."
Henderson points out that the FCC is aware of and monitoring this situation
and will act as necessary to protect the radars from interference. He
stresses, however, that the US military is aware of the critical role
Amateur Radio repeaters play in disasters and emergencies, and a wholesale
shutdown of US 70 cm Amateur Radio activity is not under consideration.
A US Air Force contractor identified the allegedly problematic repeater
systems last summer, but the situation didn't become critical until the Air
Force contacted the FCC in March. ARRL officials met with Defense Department
representatives later that month to discuss alleged interference to the PAVE
PAWS radar sites, and last month Henderson contacted Amateur Radio frequency
coordinating organizations in both affected areas -- the Northern Amateur
Relay Council of California (NARCC) and the New England Spectrum Management
Council (NESMC).
Contact Dan Henderson, N1ND
<n1nd@arrl.org>
;; (860-594-0236), with specific
questions or issues associated with this situation.
==>EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION LEADS IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL AGENDA
The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
<
http://www.iaru.org/>
held its annual meeting May 14-15 in Boston,
Massachusetts. Topping the agenda was the IARU's upcoming participation in
the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference, GAREC-07. The
international gathering will take place in Huntsville, Alabama, in
mid-August -- just prior to the ARRL National Convention there
<
http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2007/huntsville.html>.
The Administrative
Council's primary goal is to enhance the coordination and promotion of
Amateur Radio's worldwide disaster response capabilities.
During the Boston gathering, the Council received a draft strategy paper
from IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans
Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP. The body will seek additional information from
member-societies on the national regulatory position of the Amateur Service
in preparing for and providing emergency communications, with an eye toward
identifying problem areas and developing solutions.
The Administrative Council meeting took place earlier in the year than usual
in order to complete the review of preparations for the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07)
in Geneva this fall.
The Council also received reports of the other IARU international
coordinators and advisers: International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter
Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN; Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV;
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY, and
Interim Monitoring System International Coordinator Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG.
Coordinators and advisers were reappointed for three-year terms.
A further progress report was received from an ad hoc committee
investigating the IARU's future role and structure. The Council resolved
that the work to date represents an appropriate direction for planning, and
it requested that the committee continue its work to address remaining open
issues, including consultation with member-societies.
The Council recognized a need for greater international coordination on EMC
matters, and it adopted conclusions and recommendations arising from a study
of how to accomplish this objective.
Continuing the strategic planning initiative begun in 2003, the Council
reviewed and renewed progress on a three-year plan for the development of
support for Amateur Radio frequency allocations for 2008 through 2011. Some
details are pending until after WRC-07.
The Council identified ITU meetings that will require IARU representation
over the coming year, and it reviewed plans for representation. The
principal focus continues to be on WRC-07 preparations.
A report on the status of the IARU member-society in Bosnia and Herzegovina
was received from the Region 1 representatives. The Council determined that
it requires additional information to clarify whether the member-society is
able to adequately represent the interests of all radio amateurs of Bosnia
and Herzegovina in the IARU.
The Council reviewed the budget for 2008-2010 as presented by the
International Secretariat (ARRL). The budget includes provision for
financial contributions from the three regional organizations to defray a
portion of the expenses, in accordance with previously adopted policy.
A working document describing the requirements for radio spectrum
allocations to the amateur and amateur-satellite services was reviewed.
Council members will take a comprehensive look at the document following
WRC-07.
In other business, the IARU Administrative Council:
* reviewed and endorsed a plan to revitalize the IARU Worked All
Continents (WAC) award program.
* selected "Amateur Radio: A Foundation for Technical Knowledge" as the
theme for the next World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2008.
* received and discussed reports from each of the three IARU regional
organizations.
The next regional conference will be Region 2's in Brasilia in
mid-September. The next scheduled Administrative Council meeting will be in
Germany in June 2008.
Attending the Boston meeting were IARU President Larry Price, W4RA; Vice
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; regional
representatives Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, Don Beattie, G3BJ, Hans Blondeel
Timmerman, PB2T, Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, Daniel
Lamoureux, VE2KA, Michael Owen, VK3KI, Joong-Geun Rhee, HL1AQQ, ARRL
President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, on behalf of the International Secretariat,
and recording secretary Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.
LOSS OF AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE IS PART OF SETTLEMENT WITH FCC
An Indiana radio amateur will have to surrender his General ticket under the
terms of a Settlement Agreement reached with the FCC stemming from alleged
corporate and personal misdeeds. In addition, Timothy M. Doty, WB9MCD, of W
Terre Haute, will have to yield his General Radiotelephone Operator License,
and Commercial Radio Service (CRS) Inc, in which he's an equal partner with
his brother, Gary, will have to surrender its Land Mobile Service licenses.
In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O)
<
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/revocations/files/FCC-07M-12.pdf>
in EB Docket
06-168, released April 26, the FCC said the settlement spares all parties
from a lengthy legal proceeding, although according to its terms, neither
the Dotys nor CRS admit to any violation of the Communications Act of 1934
or FCC rules.
"Suffice it to say, approval of the Agreement will obviate the need for a
protracted hearing, thereby conserving the resources of the Commission and
the private parties," the FCC said in its MO&O. "In addition, approval of
the Agreement will provide for a fair and equitable resolution of this
proceeding."
The agreement stipulates that neither Doty will be able to apply for or hold
"any attributable interest in any Commission license or authorization" for
five years. CRS and the Dotys also will make a "voluntary donation" of
$10,000 to the US Treasury. If the matter had gone to hearing, CRS could
have been liable for fines approaching $100,000.
In an Order to Show Cause last August, the FCC ordered Timothy Doty and CRS
to show cause why their respective Commission licenses should not be
revoked. The FCC cited information it had received suggesting that CRS may
not have properly disclosed information about Timothy Doty's felony
convictions in applications the company filed with the Commission.
In several proceedings in recent years, the FCC has considered a licensee's
or applicant's character among factors it takes into account when
determining whether an individual possesses the requisite qualifications to
be a Commission licensee.
As the agreement recites, in 1991 Doty was convicted in federal court of a
felony that involved manufacture and possession of unauthorized satellite TV
descrambling devices. He received three years' probation and a $2000 fine.
In 2001, Doty was found guilty in state court on a felony count of
possessing a controlled substance and sentenced to 18 months incarceration
with all but 30 days suspended.
"It appears, therefore, that the concerns raised by the Commission in its
order designating this case for hearing will have been resolved," the FCC
concluded. The Settlement Agreement is on the FCC's Web site
<<
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_docum
ent=6519409544>.
==>FCC'S TERMINATION OF PROCEEDINGS A MIXED BLESSING FOR HAM RADIO
The FCC's recent termination of two aging proceedings has some favorable and
less-than-favorable implications for Amateur Radio. As part of a recent
effort to clear the decks of languishing proceedings, the FCC closed out a
Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NOI and NPRM) in ET
Docket 03-237 <
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-237/>,
aimed at
establishing an "interference temperature metric" as a model for managing
interference and "to expand available unlicensed operation" in certain
bands. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, referred to the interference temperature
model as "a flawed concept" and said the May 4 termination Order
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-78A1.pdf>
is good
news. The FCC appeared to agree.
"Commenting parties generally argued that the interference temperature
approach is not a workable concept and would result in increased
interference in the frequency bands where it would be used," the Commission
said in its termination Order. "While there was some support in the record
for adopting an interference temperature approach, no parties provided
information on specific technical rules that we could adopt to implement
it."
The Commission further conceded that "with the passage of time" the November
2003 NOI and NPRM and the record in the proceeding "have become outdated."
The termination was "without prejudice," suggesting the Commission could
resurrect the concept later.
The FCC asserted four years ago that the new metric "could represent a
fundamental paradigm shift" in its spectrum management approach by using a
standard that takes into account "the cumulative effects of all undesired RF
energy" at a given instant. It initially wanted to implement the concept in
two microwave bands, suggesting that it the interference temperature limit
for a band "would serve as an upper bound or 'cap' on the potential RF
energy that could be introduced into the band."
When the ARRL filed comments
<
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-237/>
in the proceeding in
2004, it called the interference temperature concept "highly premature" and
said it should not go forward. The ARRL contended that the FCC didn't have
enough information to put such a model into place, and it should not try to
take a shortcut, as it did in the broadband over power line proceeding.
In a second Order
<
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-79A1.pdf>
released
May 4, the FCC also terminated its inquiry, in ET Docket 03-65, into whether
it should "incorporate receiver interference immunity performance
specifications into spectrum policy decisions on a broad basis." Sumner
commented that immunity standards for consumer electronics devices,
including receivers, have long been an ARRL objective. The Commission again
asserted that "the passage of time" had rendered out of date its Notice of
Inquiry <
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-54A6.doc>
and record in the proceeding.
"Further, to the extent receiver interference immunity performance
specifications are desirable, they may be addressed in proceedings that are
frequency band or service specific," the Commission remarked in the Order.
The FCC also left the door open to consider the issue again down the road.
In its July 2003 comments
<
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-65/ARRL-ET-03-65-cmts.pdf>
in
ET Docket 03-65, the ARRL told the FCC that improved interference standards
for consumer electronic devices is the most-pressing need as the Commission
considers the interference immunity performance of receivers. While
recommending "either mandatory receiver immunity standards or at least
guidelines" in most other services, the ARRL said no receiver immunity
standards are necessary or practical in the "essentially experimental"
Amateur Service.
"With the current explosion of consumer electronics and unlicensed devices,"
the League said, "the Commission must establish interference rejection
standards for unlicensed home electronic equipment and systems."
BASIS AND PURPOSE OF THE AMATEUR SERVICE
(a)
Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect
to providing emergency communications.
(b)
Continuation and extension of the amateur ’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c)
Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of
the art.
(d)
Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians and electronics experts.
(e)
Continuation and extension of the amateur’s unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations
Once, amateur frequencies were sacro
sanct. But today, spectrum allocation is a
dynamic process of perpetual adjustment
to competing interests. During 1996, com-
Every generation of Amateur Radio
mercial satellite services cast covetous
operators has had its own prophets of
gloom preaching some dark fate for Amateur
Radio whenever technology takes
another evolutionary step. Yet somehow,
each generation of amateurs manages to
pull together to pass the torch along to
the next generation. This success is due
largely to the wise and firm regulatory
principles on which the Amateur Radio
service was created — to provide emergency
communication, to contribute to
technology, to encourage communication skills, to create
a reservoir of trained operators and to enhance international
goodwill. Because of this firm foundation, Amateur
Radio remains an intrinsically valuable activity, able to
rise to the challenge each new generation brings.
Our challenge in 1996 — and through the remainder
of this decade — is rooted in what future historians will
almost surely refer to as the “telecommunications revolution.”
While it may represent the biggest challenge
we’ve faced to-date, frankly, it is not all bad. For example,
recent advances in wireless technology are improving the
transfer of medical information, facilitating the education
of children in remote locations, speeding transactions
between individuals and their financial institutions, helping
businesses provide better customer services, improving
navigation, and a wide range of other new uses for
the phenomenon of radio.
But the revolution also contains the seeds of worry.
Increasingly, Amateur Radio struggles not just to maintain
its place in the public imagination, but also to retain
access to the radio frequency allocations that make it all
possible. The truth is, Amateur Radio is no longer the
only home for the young (and not so young) interested
in spreading their wings on the radio waves. Today, many
new technologies — including the now ubiquitous
Internet — are competing for public attention, and Amateur
Radio is just one of many outlets for the technologically
inclined. Wireless wonders like cellular telephone,
digital broadcasting, satellite radio, paging, location services,
wireless cable, remote monitoring, microwave data
services and pcs represent the first small wave in this
revolution, and certainly more wonders are waiting in
the wings. As a result, we can no longer assume wholehearted
support from, or understanding by, the public
or from policy makers.
Equally important, all these wonders require spectrum.
eyes on our 2 meter and 70 cm bands, and
A MESSAGE
Congress passed legislation mandating
the reallocation of 2305-2320 MHz,
effectively stripping away the top half of
FROM
the amateur 2300-2310 MHz band. We
cannot afford the luxury of dismissing ARRL’S these challenges as mere corporate greed
or political stupidity. Rather, they are the
byproduct of fundamental change every
PRESIDENT
bit as powerful as the print revolution
spawned by Gutenberg’s invention of
moveable type in the fifteenth century.
The issue of spectrum regulation is not an isolated
phenomenon, but part of a sea change of thinking at the
policy level about antennas, power levels, fees, licensing
and other issues. Increasingly these will be hotly debated
in international forums like the ITU, domestically at the
FCC and NTIA, politically through Congress, and
increasingly, in state and local governments.
Acting as individuals, amateur operators are illequipped
to fight the political, bureaucratic and public
opinion battles necessary to maintain adequate support
for Amateur Radio in these and other forums. Even amateurs
who don’t take advantage of ARRL’s many programs
and services should understand the need for a unified
voice at the national and international levels.
The end of the century is only a few years away, and I
am confident that ARRL will be there to cheer in the new
millennium. But that will only happen if the Amateur
Radio community can maintain its footing and continue
to pull together through a strong and effective national
organization.
As we brace ourselves for our imminent leap into the
21st century, perhaps it is time to go back to the basics
and reaffirm our commitment to the five fundamental
principles upon which the Amateur Radio service was
founded so many years ago. As ARRL renews its commitment
to the basics, I ask you to renew your commitment
to the only organization that truly reflects your deep
concern for the future of Amateur Radio.
Rodney Stafford, KB6ZV
President
To The Board of Directors of The American Radio Relay League
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE EXECUTIVE
VICE PRESIDENT
FOR 1996
In an era of skepticism about
the ability of our organizations,
institutions and government to
be of real benefit to America, the
spirit of volunteer service is alive
and well in Amateur Radio. During
1996, thousands of Amateur
Radio operators pitched-in
locally, at the state level, and nationally
through ARRL, to make
a difference in people’s lives and
have some fun in the bargain.
Without that spirit of
volunteerism, this ARRL annual
report would paint a far different
picture than it does. But
thanks to the thousands of Amateur
Radio licensees who give
their time and energy every year
to provide communication during
emergencies, to coordinate
special events, and to teach technology
to youngsters in the community,
ARRL has remained a
viable — even vibrant — organization.
These pages will tell
you more about what ARRL
headquarters has been doing to
support their volunteer communication
work. In addition, you
will learn about the recreational,
educational and technological
dimensions of Amateur Radio’s
“spectrum” of activities.
In 1996, the volunteers and
staff at ARRL worked harder
than ever before to expand the
services we provide on behalf of
the Amateur Radio community.
First, we continued to exert our
leadership role worldwide in
Amateur Radio through our par
ticipation in the affairs of the International
Amateur Radio
Union. Our international focus
was more important than ever as
we began preparations to protect
the amateur bands during the
upcoming 1997 World Radio
Communication Conference of
the International Telecommunication
Union. The hard work of
protecting Amateur Radio spectrum
was also a fundamental element
in our activities with the
Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), the National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA)
and Congress.
While ARRL is an advocacy
organization to government and
the public, we also continue to
be the leading provider of services
within the amateur community.
Our Technical Information
Service answered more
questions than ever before. QST,
the League’s flagship publication,
continued to attract readers
as it evolved to meet the styles
and interests of the waning years
of the millennium, and ARRL’s
list of publications continued to
be the final word in Amateur
Radio knowledge and information.
Contests and awards remained
popular, even though
1996 offered some of the worst
HF band conditions in years.
Headquarters support for the
ARRL’s volunteer programs continued
to help attract dedicated
operators to provide emergency
and backup communication.
Yet, against this backdrop of
continued success, 1996 was a
year of challenge the likes of
which even old hands here at
League headquarters have
trouble remembering. First,
there were the unprecedented
threats to Amateur Radio spectrum
that we had to gear up to
meet, particularly to our 2 meter
and 70 cm bands from commercial
low earth orbit satellite
interests (Little LEOs). Hams
throughout the country assisted
greatly in this effort. Other challenges
arose in Congress, and at
the Federal Communications
Commission. At the same time,
the bottoming out of the sunspot
cycle had made DXing — and
indeed, any Amateur Radio involving
the HF bands — a more
iffy proposition than it has been
in years. As many hams sat back
to wait for propagation to improve,
sales of new HF gear
dropped, which in turn affected
ARRL advertising revenues and
drove some marginal suppliers
out of the business altogether.
As you review the challenges
(and the achievements) of our
association for 1996, I urge you
also to think about all of the activities
that go on behind the
scenes to ensure that our more
visible successes can occur. As
important, I urge you to think
about new ways you might become
involved not just in your
association, but in the many
community service activities
available to Amateur Radio operators
throughout the United
States.
David Sumner, K1ZZ
Executive Vice President
The Year in Review
1996
W1AW continued to be the
highlight of ARRL headquarters tours
during 1996, as more than 1000 people
visited the station dedicated to League
founder Hiram Percy Maxim. W1AW
aired just under 900 Amateur Radio
news bulletins during 1996.
1996 marked a year of challenges and
triumphs for Amateur Radio, but it was
also a time of growth and change! As
hams awaited the upswing of the new
solar cycle—which appeared to have
started late in the year—there was lots of
excitement elsewhere in the hobby. The
major challenge—a threat to ham radio’s
most popular VHF and UHF bands—
came in May when commercial satellite
interests—the so-called “Little LEOs”—
insisted on including 2 meters and 70 cm
on their list of bands proposed for sharing.
Inspired by a July QST “It Seems to
Us…” editorial by ARRL Executive Vice
President David Sumner, K1ZZ, hams
rallied in huge numbers behind the
ARRL to let the industry know how we
felt about the band grab. The League represented
Amateur Radio interests as the
discussions continued into 1997 and
maintained a firm stance against commercialization
of amateur bands.
The League also took the lead in convincing
the FCC to give the ham radio community
more time to comply with radio
frequency emission safety standards imposed
on the hobby in late summer. The
one-year delay granted by the FCC at
year’s end provided breathing room for the
League to adjust exam question pools and
to educate and inform the amateur community
about this important issue.
Hams certainly will remember 1996 as
the year the FCC finally launched the
long-awaited vanity call sign program.
After a great deal of anticipation and
seemingly endless delays, thousands
flocked to fill out the application, pay the
$30 fee, and obtain a new (or former) ham
radio identity. Interest in the program
remains high as hams await the opening
of Gates 3 and 4.
The World Radiosport Team Championship
(WRTC-96) was held during July
in the San Francisco Bay area in conjunction
with the IARU HF World Championship
contest. Top contesters from
around the world vied for the top spot,
won by the team of K1TO and KRØY,
operating as W6X. Through a Colvin
Award grant, the ARRL helped to sponsor
the event.
The ARRL 1996 National Convention
in Peoria, Illinois, in September was attended
by more than 3400 people. Astronaut
Chuck Brady, N4BQW, the
convention’s banquet speaker, struck an
emotional chord with the audience as he
related what Amateur Radio has meant
in his life.
The League helped to forge the basis
for putting ham radio permanently
aboard the International Space Station.
A disappointment on the space frontier
was the postponement of the launch of
Phase 3D—originally set for October
1996—to the summer of 1997 (It was
recently postponed again until midSeptember—
Ed). The League has invested
nearly $525,000 in Phase 3D—
including an installment of more than
$126,000 during 1996.
New faces appeared on the ARRL
Board of Directors as a result of elections,
the filling of vacancies and the election of
three new vice presidents during 1996.
1996 also witnessed the demise of
OSCAR 13, and tragedy in the murders
of former ARRL Delta Division Director
and well-known contester and DXer
Floyd Teetson, W5MUG, and his wife,
Winnie, WN5YTR. Several other notables
also became Silent Keys.
1996 saw 13,944 entries for DXCC, representing
6,613 individual operators—an
expected decline from previous years, in
a year when the solar cycle bottomed out.
It was also a year of great financial
challenges for the League. But it was also
the year that the League’s membership
rose to record levels, and the number of
hams in the US also increased!
Along the way, the League kept the
amateur community updated through
reports in QST and The ARRL Letter, as
well as on the ARRLWeb page and
W1AW. The ARRL Letter became a
weekly, all-electronic publication at the
end of the year.
Let’s take a closer look at how your
ARRL rode the shifting tides of 1996.
Membership Soars!
Membership was a top priority in
1996, and League efforts to quickly reach
newly licensed Amateurs with an invitation
to join ARRL led to our welcoming
19,079 new League members into our
ranks. At year’s end, we were proud to
report a new membership milestone, as
total membership reached 175,023—the
largest in League history!
QST—Creating the Best with Less
The slump in the Amateur Radio industry
had a direct, visible impact on
QST, even as the magazine debuted a
new look in January. As advertising fell
off in 1996, the number of pages available
for articles and columns declined as
well. The editorial staff faced the challenge
of making the best use of a shrinking
resource. Thus, “Exploring RF” and
“Lab Notes” bowed out of the magazine.
What remained had to be edited to fit into
fewer pages. Despite the squeeze, QST
readers were treated to fascinating cavalcade
of topics from ATV to zero-bias
triodes.
QST kept on the cutting edge of ham
radio news in its “Happenings” and “DC
Currents” columns. Some big stories
broke on days
when QST was
scheduled to go to
press. Editors and
production
people scrambled,
and in some cases,
we even sent replacement
pages
to the printer’s
overnight!
The League Revels in the Digital Age
The ARRLWeb—our World Wide Web
service—became firmly ensconced as a
popular member service during 1996—
as demonstrated by the dramatic increase
in use. At the beginning of the
year, the ARRLWeb was averaging about
4500 “hits” (file requests) per day. By
year’s end the daily average was about
25,000—and still growing.
1996 was the League’s “Year of the
Our Washington Presence Pays Off
The late Paul Tsongas once observed that “Congress is
the weather vane. If you want to change Congress, you
change wind direction.” The letters and phone calls of
individual ARRL members certainly gave their elected
representatives a strong weather warning as the 104th
Congress began a major “deregulatory” rewrite of the
Communications Act of 1934. Members’ participation
paved the way for the League in offices all over Capitol Hill.
As in past years, the ARRL’s focus was on key members of the House and
Senate Commerce Committees, where the real action on telecommunications
matters tends to take place. Thanks to the many Amateur Radio phone calls and
letters, Amateur Radio was largely unaffected by the new Telecommunications
Act.
Early in the session the bulk of ARRL’s congressional effort—guided by Legislative
and Public Affairs Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA—was directed
toward keeping our frequencies isolated from spectrum auctions. Ultimately,
Congress approved just one bill that affected hams. Public Law 104-208 required
the FCC to reallocate the use of frequencies at 2305-2320 MHz and 2345-2360
MHz—which includes a secondary ham radio allocation—to wireless services
by competitive bidding, the proceeds going to help balance the budget. The
congressional allocation of specific frequencies was unprecedented. The ARRL
opposed it vigorously, and our opposition was shared by House and Senate
Commerce Committee leadership. Even so, it is possible that we will see more
such bills in the future.
The Little LEOs threat had the highest visibility. A consortium of low-Earthorbiting
satellite interests set its sights on portions of the 2-meter and 70-cm
bands. The League focused on providing a comprehensive heads-up to key committee
staffers and by responding to members of Congress who were hearing
from concerned hams. ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI,
participated directly in working group discussions in which various proposals
were aired and debated. The final chapter of the story won’t be written until the
World Radiocommunication Conference of 1997.
Following the directive of ARRL’s Ad Hoc Committee on Enforcement, we
met with key Capitol Hill staff members to discuss the difficulty the amateur
community has had in getting the FCC to crack down on persistent rules violators—
particularly in cases of malicious interference.
CD-ROM.” In February, the 1995 ARRL
Periodicals CD-ROM debuted, followed
by The ARRL Handbook CD-ROM version
1.0, and QST View CD-ROM (back issues
on CD-ROM). All met enthusiastic audiences.
Another big step was to make it
possible to order ARRL publications and
supplies via our on-line catalog on the
ARRLWeb. The ARRLWeb also added
searchable affiliated club and Amateur
Radio exam listings, it began posting the
weekly The ARRL Letter, and it established
http://www.iaru.org as a separate
Web site. Nearly all ARRL departments
now have a presence on the ARRLWeb.
Field Organization Sees Small
Growth
The Northern New York Section came
into being during 1996 as the League’s
70th administrative section.
We observed a meager 1% increase in
field organization volunteers this past
year, despite a three-pronged recruitment
plan that included a feature article
in QST, a personal telephone campaign,
and the publication of a new recruitment
brochure. A few section managers have
reported more apathy on the part of
members in general this past year, and
consequently greater difficulty in recruiting
volunteers.
Field Services Manager Rick Palm,
K1CE, conducted the fourth annual New
Section Managers’ Training and Motivational
Workshop in December.
Twelve-year-old Pat Starling, KF4DUP,
gets his chance to make some radio
contacts during ARRL’s annual Field Day
weekend. Pat is a member of the Virginia
Beach Amateur Radio Club’s youth group.
President’s Initiative on Public
Service
In January, President Rod Stafford,
KB6ZV, called for a return to the basic
values of Amateur Radio and a renewed
emphasis on public service. An editorial
in the August issue of QST followed up
on this initiative. A sweeping resolution,
adopted by the Board at its special meet
mc-ref
Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, takes part in
an ARRL operating contest from the
north face of Oregon’s Mount Hood.
ing in October, proclaimed 1997 as the
Year of Public Service, and designated the
same theme for August’s National Convention
at Jacksonville, Florida.
Hams in Action
Among the occasions that put Amateur
Radio’s preparedness to the test was
the TWA Flight 800 disaster off Long Island
in mid-July. Dozens of ARES and
RACES volunteers from the immediate
area and surrounding states pitched in
over an extended period to provide
backup communication and other support
during the recovery effort. Hams
also helped when floods and storms ravaged
various regions of the US during
1996.
The League played a prominent role in
various disaster relief and emergency
preparedness initiatives. The Field Services
Department joined with the Hurricane
Watch Net Inc to sponsor a February
gathering of representatives of major
hurricane nets at Miami’s National Hurricane
Center. Field Services Manager
Palm attended. He also represented the
League and ham radio at April’s National
Hurricane Conference in Orlando, and he
attended an annual American Red Cross
partnership meeting to determine ways
hams and the Red Cross might work together
more closely. In November, Palm
attended a regional United Nations
workshop in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on
emergency telecommunications for the
Central American and Caribbean Region.
Ham radio was a dominant theme, and
several presenters cited the importance
of Amateur Radio in their disaster planning
and operation.
The ARES Field Resources Manual—
affectionately known as “the little red
Promoting Ham Radio in Schools, Space, Scouting
In 1996, nine astronauts became new hams, and the League’s Educational
Activities Department coordinated three Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment
(SAREX) flights that gave youngsters (and possibly future hams) a chance to talk
directly with the shuttle astronauts via ham radio. During the STS-79 SAREX
mission, one school boasted that 400 students took part in the event.
The SAREX Working Group coordinated the Houston meeting in November,
where the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
agreement was hammered out among representatives of eight countries.
ARISS will mean a permanent presence for ham radio aboard the International
Space Station.
EAD won a national-level Award of Excellence for ARRL’s SAREX program.
The American Society of Association Executives chose our entry as a winner over
many other contenders, in the “learning” category.
Helping to nourish the interests of future hams, EAD sent more than 13,000
informational packets to prospective hams. To encourage ham radio in the
classroom, we also ex-hibited at the national convention of the National Science
Teachers Association. To promote continuing education, EAD sponsored
technical workshops at major ham conventions.
Commemmorative
SAREX QSL cards,
like this one for the
STS-78 shuttle mission
in June and July 1996,
are available to those
who make contact with
or monitor the hams on
SAREX shuttle flights
on FM voice or packet.
SAREX is sponsored
by NASA, AMSAT and
the ARRL.
book”—became the first new publication
in some time for the ARES community.
Aimed at rank-and-file ARES members
deployed in actual situations, the manual
has been a brisk seller. Plans for a second
edition are in the works. The Field Services
Department staff also produced a
new edition of the venerable Public Service
Communications Manual (now also
available on the ARRLWeb).
Amateur Auxiliary volunteers were
prominent in taking up the slack as the
FCC continued to back away from enforcing
its regulations on the amateur bands.
Amateur Auxiliary volunteers in Louisiana—
with support from ARRL staffers,
the Board’s Enforcement and Amateur
Auxiliary Oversight committees, General
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and Louisiana
Section Manager Al Oubre, K5DPG—
provided information that led the FCC to
revoke the license of one especially flagrant
offender. Auxiliary teams have submitted
evidence in other serious cases as
the League continues to push for the Commission
to act under the ARRL/FCC
agreement.
Coordination Cooperation
1996 was also the year that an agreement
was reached to recognize the
single-point-of-contact concept for nationwide
repeater coordination. In October,
the ARRL Board authorized President
Stafford to sign a memorandum of
understanding between the ARRL and
the National Frequency Coordinators
Council (NFCC), officially recognizing
the NFCC, implementing the singlepoint-
of-contact concept and paving the
way for the ARRL and the NFCC to cooperate
in setting up a national frequencycoordination
system. Implementation of
the National Frequency Coordination
Office is under way.
A Progressive Agenda for The ARRL
Foundation
The ARRL Foundation was among the
League-related entities benefiting from
its presence on the ARRLWeb. As a result
of this vast improvement in visibility,
scholarship materials were more readily
available to our target-age group: youth.
Grant information was equally easy to
ARRL Laboratory Tackles RF Safety, Other Issues
The Lab’s “hot topic” of the year was the FCC’s new RF-exposure regulations,
and Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, KA1CV, was the League’s point man on this
issue. ARRL activities have ranged from coordination with the ARRL RF Safety
Committee; working with our Washington, DC, office; contact with the FCC;
preparing information for ARRL publications; conducting technical forums at
ARRL conventions; and answering member inquiries. Hare prepared a comprehensive
discussion of the RF-exposure issue for the January 1997 issue of
QST. “The FCC’s New RF-Exposure Regulations” summarized the regulations
and ARRL’s work and position as they stood at year’s end.
The ARRL Technical Information Service staff answered 8842 technical inquiries,
sending out 3148 TIS information packages, article templates or article
reprints during 1996. TIS staff also maintained the extensive topical bibliographies
(now available on the ARRLWeb page at http://www.arrl.org/tis/), updated
the TIS “addresses” database (found on disk in The ARRL Handbook) and
created a database of QST product reviews.
The Lab’s expanded test result reports—designed to augment and to enhance
the value of the QST“Product Review” column—proved popular during
1996 as 666 report copies were sold. In January, the Lab began offering the
comprehensive reports on certain high-profile products, such as MF/HF transceivers
(e-mail tis@arrl.org to find out how to get copies).
ARRL Lab Test Engineer
Mike Gruber, W1DG,
completed a major
renovation of the Lab’s
screen room facility to better
organize
the way the Lab uses its
equipment and computers.
Mike conducts most of the
behind-the-scenes testing
for QST product reviews.
find, so we’ve seen greater application
to the Victor C. Clark Youth Incentive
Program and larger grant initiatives.
Additionally, Internet and Web activities
have allowed us to place Foundation
information in databases maintained by
clubs, schools and grants/funding organizations.
The Foundation assisted ARRL in
strengthening ties with Scouting groups,
and it continued a commitment to helping
the fine work of the Courage HANDI-
HAM System and the pioneering efforts
of the Morse 2000 project for disabled
hams. The Foundation’s scholarship
program grew during 1996 with the establishment
of the Mary Lou Brown
Scholarship ($2500) and the North
Texas Section–Bob Nelson, KB5BNU,
Memorial Scholarship ($750).
Grants to worthy Amateur Radio
projects included: Center for Amateur
Radio Learning, at the Arizona Science
Center, $5000; AMSAT-Phase 3D
Project, $5000; The Morse 2000 Outreach,
$5000; ARRL/TAPR Digital
Communications Conference Best
Paper Awards, $1000; EAD Instructor
Stipend Awards, $1000; and ARRL Scout
Handbook, $900. The Victor C. Clark
Youth Incentive Program made the following
grants: Ekwok Amateur Radio
Club, $600; Waseca Senior High School
Amateur Radio Club, $500; Central
Square Middle School Amateur Radio
Club, $500; and Lakeside Middle School
Amateur Radio Club, $500 (combination
grant).
Generous hams enabled contributions
to remain strong throughout the
year. Memorial contributions and those
that accompanied ARRL membership
renewals dominated our mix of free-will
donations in 1996. Approximately 80%
of the contributions received with ARRL
membership renewals were from repeat
contributors!
Amateur Radio has High Media
Profile
In May, the ARRL shot footage for a
new television public service announce-
NASA Payload Specialist Ron Parise,
WA4SIR, captivates a group of students
at Connecticut’s Plymouth Middle
School. Just before this picture was
taken Parise and friends stepped in
front of the cameras for their staring
role in ARRL’s new public service
announcement.
ment (PSA) when NASA ham-Astronaut
Ron Parise, WA4SIR, visited a Connecticut
school. Appropriately titled “Parise
and Friends,” the 30-second spot captured
the excitement of the SAREX program
for a group of young people who
got to meet Parise after their QSO during
STS-67 in 1995.
The continuing appeal of Amateur
Radio in the ascendancy of the Internet
took the lead in newspaper stories
around the country during 1996, thanks
to the efforts of Media Relations Assistant
Jennifer Gagne, N1TDY. Two of the
best appeared in The New York Times and
The Hartford (CT) Courant. Other ARRL
media hits included features in the
Boston Herald, Detroit News, Omni magazine,
Sky & Telescope magazine and the
Washington Post. In addition, ARRL
helped dress the set for the radio shack in
the movie Phenomenon starring John
Travolta. The League also was able to
help supply similar props for the set of
the forthcoming movie Contact, in which
Jodie Foster will play a young ham
turned radio astronomer. A world map,
several issues of QST, and QSL cards
went to Hollywood for use in that production.
Based on the novel by the late
Carl Sagan, Contact is slated for release in
July 1997
ARRL/VEC Confronts Exam
Changes, Vanity Program
The ARRL/VEC participated with the
National Conference of VECs Question
Pool Committee in developing questions
for the new Novice and Technician class
question pools. This was complicated by
the August FCC release of proposed new
RF safety rules, which required additional
examination questions. The ARRL/VEC,
along with the Technical Department and
Lab personnel contributed a majority of
the RF safety-related questions.
As the vanity call sign program kicked
into high gear, the ARRL/VEC was a
major source of Form 610V applications
and information.
After the FCC permitted the electronic
filing of license modifications by VECs in
July, the ARRL implemented a policy of
electronically filing applications for license
modifications or renewals at no
cost to members.
Regulatory Information Bureau
Helps and Informs
Tom Hogerty, KC1J, assumed the
reins of the Regulatory Information
Branch during the second half of 1996.
During the year, the RIB staff shipped
some 320 federal preemption (PRB-1)
information packages; furnished 100
codes, covenants and restrictions
(CC&R) packages; and responded to
2400 requests for regulatory interpretations
and to 3900 requests on operating
from other countries. To recover costs,
we now charge for PRB-1 packages—$10
for members and $15 for nonmembers.
RIB’s Web page had more than 11,400
hits during the year; information available
includes all of Part 97, plus specific
information involving legal and regulatory
issues, from TVI and RFI to ham
radio license plate information, by state.
The volunteer counsel and volunteer
consulting engineer programs benefited
from a recruitment article in November
QST. We now have 261 volunteer counsels
in 44 states, the District of Columbia
and the Virgin Islands, and 74 volunteer
consulting engineers in 30 states.
The Bottom Line
Financially speaking, 1996 was the
most difficult year of the ’90s for the
Amateur Radio industry and—as a result—
for the ARRL. Slumping sales of
the League’s publications and products—
coupled with cutbacks in the
industry’s advertising budgets and
smaller contribution revenues—resulted
in a 12% decrease in total League revenues.
Although costs were actually
lower than in 1995, the revenue drop resulted
in the League’s experiencing an
excess of expenses over revenues from
“unrestricted” operations of $732,000 for
1996.
While certainly large, this loss did
not come as a total surprise and does
not indicate the beginning of fiscal disaster
for the League. Throughout the
first half of the 1990s, the League experienced
significant revenue growth and
was able to add to its unrestricted reserves.
As a result, we did not have to
curtail services in 1996 in response to
the short-term financial results. Instead,
we decided to continue funding
most ongoing programs and services
from surpluses generated in prior
years. Of course, we can neither expect
nor afford to indefinitely repeat our
1996 performance. We’re pleased that
our relative financial strength has permitted
us to continue to support our
membership and the Amateur Service
through a period of fiscal upheaval.
Revenues generated from the sale of
League publications dropped 19% from
their 1995 levels. Advertising revenues
were also down 7% for the year. Both
numbers reflected the continuing softness
in the Amateur Radio industry during
a time when activity was at a low—a
direct result of the sunspot cycle. Total
revenues from “unrestricted” operations
fell to $11.6 million from over $13.2 million
in 1995. Total expenses were also
reduced from their 1995 level. In 1996,
$12.3 million of total expenses were incurred,
a drop of 6.4% from the $13.1
million incurred the previous year.
There are some encouraging signs for
the near future. As a result of targeted
membership solicitations in the second
half of the year, dues revenue actually
grew slightly over 1995 levels, and we
finished the year at record membership
levels. In addition, members and nonmembers
alike responded to our need to
fund even stronger efforts in defense of
amateur frequencies. Last year, hams
contributed more than $400,000 to a fund
for the defense of frequencies. This
money was not spent in 1996, but will be
used to offset future costs incurred in
representing and defending Amateur
Radio.
1997 is shaping up to be another challenging
year. We already have taken
steps to reduce overall spending in conjunction
with our revenue projections for
the year. At the same time, we have committed
more money in 1997 to our advocacy
efforts. With the support of our
members and conservative fiscal management,
we will continue to provide the
wide array of programs and services the
membership expects.
Because of a need to conserve valuable
page space in QST, the independent auditors’
report is not included in the magazine.
To get a free copy, call Lisa Delude,
860-594-0211; or e-mail ldelude@arrl.org
(please include your USPS mailing address).
Officers
Directors
Stafford, Rodney KB6ZV
President
San Jose, California
Hendelshon, Stephan WA2DHF
First Vice President
Dumont, New Jersey
Harrison, Joel WB5IGF
Vice President
Judsonia, Arkansas
Turnbull, Hugh W3ABC
Vice President
College Park, Maryland
Price, Larry W4RA
Vice President,
International Affairs
Statesboro, Georgia
Sumner, David K1ZZ
Executive Vice President /
Secretary
McCobb, James K1LLU
Treasurer
Concord, Massachusetts
Shelley, Barry N1VXY
Chief Financial Officer
Atlantic Division
Craigie, Kay C. WT3P
Director
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Fuller, Bernie N3EFN
Vice Director
Saegertown, Pennsylvania
Central Division
Metzger, Edmond W9PRN
Director
Springfield, Illinois
Directors (continued)
Huntington, Howard K9KM
Vice Director
Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
Dakota Division
Olson, Tod K0TO
Director
Long Lake, Minnesota
Brakob, Hans K0HB
Vice Director
Plymouth, Minnesota
Delta Division
Roderick, Rick K5UR
Director
Little Rock, Arkansas
Leggette, Henry WD4Q
Vice Director
Memphis, Tennessee
Great Lakes Division
Race, George WB8BGY
Director
Albion, Michigan
Thernes, John W4ZN
Vice Director
Covington, Kentucky
Hudson Division
Sandell, Richard WK6R
Director
Scarsdale, New York
Vice Director: vacant
Midwest Division
Gordon, Lew K4VX
Director
Hannibal, Missouri
Frahm, Bruce K0BJ
Vice Director
Colby, Kansas
New England Division
Burden, Bill WB1BRE
Director
Strafford, Vermont
Haney, Don KA1T
Vice Director
Harvard, Massachusetts
Northwestern Division
Brown, Mary Lou NM7N
Director
Anacortes, Washington
Milnes, Greg W7AGQ
Vice Director
Hillsboro, Oregon
Pacific Division
Wyatt, Brad K6WR
Director
Los Gatos, California
Maxwell, Jim W6CF
Vice Director
Redwood Estates, California
Roanoke Division
Kanode, John N4MM
Director
Boyce, Virginia
Bodson, Dennis W4PWF
Vice Director
Arlington, Virginia
Rocky Mountain Division
Quiat, Marshall AG0X
Director
Denver, Colorado
Stinson, Walt W0CP
Vice Director
Denver, Colorado
Southeastern Division
Butler, Frank W4RH
Director
Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
Gauzens, Evelyn W4WYR
Vice Director
Miami, Florida
Southwestern Division
Heyn, Fried WA6WZO
Director
Costa Mesa, California
Goddard, Art W6XD
Vice Director
Costa Mesa, California
West Gulf Division
Comstock, Thomas N5TC
Director
College Station, Texas
Haynie, Jim WB5JBP
Vice Director
Dallas, Texas
American Radio Relay League
Board of Directors
January 1996
Row One: Hugh Turnbull, Larry Price, Rod Stafford, Steve Mendelsohn, Joel Harrison, Marshall Quiat
Row Two: Dave Sumner, Ed Metzger, Farrel Hopwood, Chuck Hutchinson, Steve Mansfield,
Walt Stinson, Tom Frenaye, Bruce Frahm, Tod Olson, John Thernes
Row Three: Evelyn Gauzens, Kay Craigie, Mary Lou Brown, Jim Haynie, Chris Imlay, Rick Palm,
Mark Wilson
Row Four: Jim Maxwell, John Kanode, Warren Rothberg, Frank Butler, Art Goddard, Barry Shelley
Row Five: Howard Huntington, Brad Wyatt, Jay Holladay, Tom Comstock, George Race
Row Six: Lew Gordon, Greg Milnes, Dennis Bodson
ARLS022: Next shuttle all licensed
SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS022
ARLS022 Next shuttle all licensed
ZCZC AS02
QST de W1AW
Space Bulletin 022 ARLS022
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT November 10, 1995
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS022
ARLS022 Next shuttle all licensed
Space Shuttle mission STS-74 is scheduled for lift-off at 1255 UTC
on Saturday, November 11, with all five crew members holding Amateur
Radio licenses.
NASA astronaut James Halsell, KC5RNI, and Canadian Space Agency
astronaut Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ, both received their licenses in
recent days, and both plan to participate in Shuttle Amateur Radio
EXperiment (SAREX) activities during the STS-74 mission.
Halsell is the shuttle's pilot, and Hadfield is a mission
specialist.
Shuttle Atlantis's commander for STS-74 is Ken Cameron, KB5AWP, who
used Amateur Radio from Atlantis during STS-37 in April 1991 and
from Discovery during STS-56 in April 1993. This will be the third
mission Cameron has flown where the entire crew are licensed radio
amateurs.
Other STS-74 crew members are Mission Specialist Jerry Ross, N5SCW,
who was also a member of STS-37, and who operated ham radio aboard
the STS-55 Columbia mission in April/May 1993; and Mission
Specialist Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, who used ham radio aboard Columbia
during STS-58 in October/November 1993.
For more information on the SAREX program, visit the SAREX home page
on the World Wide Web at
http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarexmainpage.html
NNNN
/EX
ARLS021: Shuttle Countdown Continues
SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS021
ARLS021 Shuttle Countdown Continues
ZCZC AS01
QST de W1AW
Space Bulletin 021 ARLS021
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT November 10, 1995
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS021
ARLS021 Shuttle Countdown Continues
The countdown for launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis continues on
schedule today for liftoff on Saturday, November 11. The
seven-minute launch window opens at about 1256 UTC.
The mission includes Amateur Radio activities as part of the Shuttle
Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX). The project has flown on 19
previous shuttle flights since 1983.
The mission will be Commanded by Ken Cameron, KB5AWP, who previously
used ham radio from Atlantis during STS-37 in April 1991 and from
the Shuttle Discovery during STS-56 in April 1993. This will be the
third mission Ken has flown where the entire crew are licensed radio
amateurs. The other members include Mission Specialist Jerry Ross,
N5SCW, who was also member of STS-37 SAREX crew, and operated ham
radio aboard the STS-55 Columbia mission in April/May 1993; and
Mission Specialist Bill McArthur, KC5ACR who used ham radio aboard
the Shuttle Columbia during STS-58 in October/November 1993. Two of
the crew members have just recently earned Amateur Radio licenses.
They are NASA astronaut James Halsell, KC5RNI and Canadian Space
Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ. Halsell will serve as the
shuttle's Pilot, and Hadfield is a Mission Specialist.
During the flight, the shuttle astronauts have scheduled contacts
with 5 schools from around the US. SAREX general voice contacts are
expected to commence after a rendezvous and docking with the Russian
Mir Space Station has occurred on November 14. There will not be any
packet radio activity for this mission.
The shuttle is scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida at about 1828 UTC on November 19.
WHEN: Launch is scheduled for November 11, 1995 at 1256 UTC (7:56 AM
EST) from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Landing
is scheduled for November 19, 1995 at 1828 UTC (1:28 PM EST) at the
Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 8 day, 5 hour mission.
WHERE: The launch will place the shuttle into Earth orbit at an
altitude of 196-245 statute miles (315-394 km) and an inclination of
51.6 degrees.
WHY: NASA's intent in making astronauts available for SAREX
operations is to involve the largest possible numbers of people,
particularly students, in technology and the US space program with
the help of Amateur Radio.
During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make the
following types of Amateur Radio contacts:
Scheduled radio contacts with schools.
Random radio contacts with the Amateur Radio community.
Personal contacts with the astronauts' families.
CREW MEMBERS (and Amateur Radio call signs):
Kenneth D. Cameron, Commander, KB5AWP
James Donald Halsell, Jr., Pilot, KC5RNI
Jerry L. Ross, Mission Specialist 1, N5SCW
William Surles McArthur, Jr., Mission Specialist 2, KC5ACR
Chris Hadfield, Mission Specialist 3, KC5RNJ
PAYLOAD: Primary Payload--Docking Module
The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its second trip to the Russian
Space Station Mir during this mission, this time to install a
permanent docking module that will simplify future shuttle link ups
to the Russian complex. The target Mir docking date is November 14.
STS-74 is the second of seven shuttle flights to Mir. This effort,
known as Phase 1, is the precursor to building the International
Space Station. This information taken from the NASA STS-74 Mission
Summary, 12/14/94.
Additional STS-74 mission information can be obtained from NASA:
NASA Spacelink computer information system (look under
Spacelink.Hot.Topics)
BBS: (205) 895-0028 VT-100, 8-N-1
Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61
NASA Shuttle World Wide Web Home Page: http://shuttle.nasa.gov
SAREX SPONSORS: The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) is
sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA). SAREX is supported by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: A handful of schools are selected from around
the world to make contact with the shuttle during most SAREX
missions. These contacts are prearranged, giving the schools a
greater chance at making a successful contact. Two or more students
at each of the selected schools ask questions of the astronauts
during the contact. The nature of these contacts embodies the
primary goal of SAREX--to excite students' interest in learning.
The following schools have been selected by the SAREX Working Group
for a scheduled radio contact during this mission:
Franklin Junior High School
Pocatello, ID
Connecticut-area schools (combined-effort)
Bedford Middle School (contact site), Westport
Coleytown Middle School, Westport
Western Middle School, Greenwich
Saxe Middle School, New Canaan
Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk
Lake Street Elementary School
Crown Point, IN
Round Lake area schools
Magee Middle School (contact site)
Round Lake Hts., IL
Quimby Oak Junior High School
San Jose, CA
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS-
SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES: During most SAREX missions, many of the
crew members will make random contacts with earth-bound hams. They
make these contacts during their breaks, before and after meal time,
and during their pre-sleep time. In fact, over the past years the
astronauts have contacted thousands of amateurs around the world.
Since this flight is a shuttle-Mir docking mission, and SAREX and
Mir Amateur Radio stations usually share the same downlink frequency
(145.55 MHz), the SAREX Working Group has decided to use the
following frequencies during this mission.
The crew will use separate receive and transmit frequencies. PLEASE
do not transmit on the shuttle's DOWNLINK frequency. The DOWNLINK is
your receiving frequency. The UPLINK is your transmitting frequency.
FM Voice Downlink: 145.84 MHz
FM Voice Uplink: 144.45, 144.47 MHz
The crew will not favor either uplink frequency, so your ability to
communicate with SAREX will be the ''luck of the draw.'' Transmit only
when the shuttle is within range of your station, and when the
shuttle's station is on-the-air.
CALL SIGNS:
FM voice call signs--KB5AWP, KC5NRI, N5SCW, KC5ACR, and KC5RNJ
QSL VIA: Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-74 QSL, 225 Main
Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Include the following
information in your QSL or report: STS-74, date, time in UTC,
frequency and mode (FM voice). In addition, you must also include a
SASE using a large, business-sized envelope if you wish to receive a
card. The Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club in Norwalk, CT has
generously volunteered to manage the cards for this mission.
SHUTTLE TRACKING: Current Keplerian elements to track the shuttle are
available from the following sources:
NASA Spacelink computer information system
BBS: (205) 895-0028 VT-100, 8-N-1
Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61
NASA SAREX WWW Home Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarexmainpage.html
ARRL
W1AW news bulletins (frequencies and times listed under
''FOR FURTHER INFORMATION'')
BBS: (860) 594-0306
World Wide Web: http://www.arrl.org
AMSAT
World Wide Web: http://www.amsat.org
Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club
BBS: (713) 244-5625
Goddard Amateur Radio Club
BBS: (301) 286-4137
World Wide Web: http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-home-
page.html
Packet: WA3NAN on 145.090 MHz in DC area
CONFIGURATION: During STS-74, the SAREX hardware will be flown in
configuration M. Configuration M uses the shuttle/Mir VHF radio for
FM voice radio contacts.
During final approaches to the Mir Space Station, a VHF radio is
used by the shuttle Commander to radio the Mir crew by ship-to-ship
communications, providing shuttle status and keeping them informed
of major events from that point on, including confirmation of
contact, capture and conclusion of damping. This same VHF radio is
used by the crew for SAREX activities during shuttle/Mir docking
missions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Contact the American Radio Relay League
Educational Activities Department
225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111-1494 USA
Telephone (860) 594-0301, FAX (860) 594-0259, ARRL BBS (860) 594-0306
Internet sarexarrl.org
World Wide Web http://www.arrl.org/
CompuServe 70007,3373
Prodigy PTYS02A
America Online HQARRL1
ARRL's (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW)
transmits news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at
1.855, 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and in the Connecticut
area on VHF at 147.555 MHz. W1AW bulletins are also forwarded on
packet.
Members of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD)
re-transmit live, shuttle air-to-ground audio over the amateur
frequencies from their club station, WA3NAN. To listen-in, tune to
Amateur Radio high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 14.295,
21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and in the Maryland/DC area on a
very high frequency (VHF) band at 147.45 MHz.
The ''SAREX Bulletin'' contains additional general information on
SAREX. This document may be obtained electronically from many of the
popular on-line electronic services.
The American Radio Relay League
Newington, CT
USA
NNNN
/EX
ARLP010: Propagation de KT7H
SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP010
ARLP010 Propagation de KT7H
ZCZC AP10
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 10 ARLP010
From Tad Cook, KT7H
Seattle, WA March 7, 1997
To all radio amateurs
SB PROP ARL ARLP010
ARLP010 Propagation de KT7H
There was no change in solar flux or sunspot activity last week, as
we continue to experience the bottom of the solar cycle. There were
some geomagnetic disturbances though, with the worst conditions on
the last day of February when the Planetary A Index reached 32 and
the highest Planetary K index was 6.
Over the next few weeks the geomagnetic field should stay
predominantly quiet, except that a recurrent coronal hole with high
speed solar wind could rotate into view around March 26 and 27.
Solar flux should stay in the low to mid seventies, with the Sun
mostly spotless.
Last week this bulletin reported that the solar flux on February 26
was 74. A closer approximation is 73.8 for that date. This does
not change the average flux for the week.
Sunspot Numbers for February 27 through March 5 were 0 each day with
a mean of 0. 10.7 cm flux was 73.8, 72.8, 73.5, 72.3, 74, 74 and
74.6, with a mean of 73.6. Estimated planetary A indices for the
same period were 20, 32, 10, 12, 5, 4, and 7, with a mean of 12.9.
NNNN
/EX
Page last modified: 02:04 PM, 31 Dec 1998 ET
Page author:
w1aw@arrl.org
An Automatic Noise-Figure
Meter
Here is a project that will automatically measure the noise
figure of your preamplifier projects. It has an operating range
from 3 MHz to over 400 MHz.
Jim Koehler, VE5FP
Introduction
Anyone interested in building low-noise
pre-amplifiers will want to measure the noise
figure of the device. Commercial noise-figure
meters, often called Precision Automatic
Noise Figure Indicators (PANFI), exist, but
they are expensive even on the surplus or
used market because of the demand for them.
There have been a few published construction
articles in the ham literature, but they are
either overly complex or don’t compare to
commercial test instruments.1 This article describes
the construction of a simple version,
suitable for home construction, but which
has many features of the best commercial
instruments. See Photo A.
Theory
A good background to noise-figure measurement
is given in a Hewlett-Packard (now
Agilent Technologies) Application Note: AN
57-1. This note is available on the Agilent
Web site, and is worth reading.2 Noise figure,
in an amplifier, is a measure of how much
excess noise an amplifier adds to any incoming
signal. The lower the noise figure, the less
noise it adds. Noise figure can be expressed
in a number of ways, but I prefer to think of
it in terms of temperature. Every passive resistive
electronic component generates some
noise because of the random motion of charge
carriers in it. The greater the temperature,
the greater the motion of the charges, and
therefore, the greater the random noise power
generated by the component. The noise power
generated by any component depends only on
its temperature and the bandwidth that you are
considering; it is given by the equation:
P = kTB [Eq 1]
where k is Boltzmann’s constant, which is
equal to 1.38×10–23 joules / kelvin, B is the
bandwidth in Hz and T is the temperature in
kelvins. A perfect amplifier would add no
noise to incoming signals, but real ones do.
We can specify this excess noise in terms
of the temperature of a resistor at the temperature
that would give that same amount
of noise. This temperature, called the excess
noise temperature, Te, is a measure of how
good the amplifier is; the lower the excess
noise temperature, the better the amplifier.
The amplifier may also be characterized by
a noise figure, which is the ratio of the excess
noise temperature (plus room temperature) to
room temperature.
NF=
T+TTerr()
[Eq 2]
where Tr is the room temperature. This ratio
is often expressed in dB. An ideal amplifier
would have a Te of zero and therefore a noise
figure of 1.00, or 0.0 dB.
Modern noise-figure meters measure the
noise figure of an amplifier by connecting a
noise source, which can be turned off and on,
to the amplifier input. A noise source is just
that; a device with an output that is broadband
noise of a known level, corresponding to a
resistor at some temperature. Noise sources
are characterized by their effective noise
ratio, ENR, which is given by:
ENR=
TTThrr−()
[Eq 3]
where Th is the hot temperature that a resistor
would have to produce the same noise power
as the noise source when it is switched on.
When the noise source is switched off, it produces
only the amount of noise that a resistor
at room temperature, Tr, would produce.
Now, imagine an amplifier with a noise
source at its input and a power meter at its
output to measure the power coming out of
the amplifier. When the noise source is turned
off, the power going into the amplifier will
consist of the power from the noise source at
room temperature plus the amplifier’s excess
noise power. The output power will be this
sum multiplied by the amplifier’s amplification
factor. When the noise source is turned
on, the input power to the amplifier will be
the noise power of the noise source when it
is on, plus, again, the excess noise power due
to the amplifier alone; the output will be this
new sum again multiplied by the amplification
factor of the amplifier. The ratio of the
on-power to the off-power at the output of
the amplifier is the Y-factor:
Y=
T+TT+There()
()
[Eq 4]
Noise-figure meters determine Te by measuring
the Y-factor and by knowing the value
of Th and Tr . Tr is normally assumed to be
290 K, so, rearranging Equation 4, we get;
T=
TYYeh−()
−()
290
1
[Eq 5]
A PANFI is therefore just an instrument
that has a power detector to accurately measure
the output noise power of an amplifier
and a means of turning the noise source on
and off. It must then do the mathematics to
display the excess noise temperature either
as a temperature or as a noise figure. Noise
sources are mostly solid state devices and
most are designed to be turned on when
they are supplied with +28.0 V dc. A more
detailed discussion of how a PANFI works
is given in the Appendix.
Before leaving this topic, let me make
a few remarks about the precision of the
measurement. What is being measured is
the power due to wide-band noise. Noise is
random and so there is some uncertainty in
measuring its power level; the level will fluctuate
over time. It is a well-known fact that
the accuracy with which noise power may be
measured depends on two things: the amount
of time over which the power is averaged, τ,
and the bandwidth of the noise, B, itself; the
measurement error is proportional to
1Bτ
.
The fact that the accuracy depends on
the bandwidth may seem a bit strange but
if you think of it statistically, the wider the
bandwidth, the more “samples” of the noise
you are taking, and hence the more accurate
the average. So, to increase the accuracy, the
noise power must be averaged over longer
times and/or the bandwidth of the measuring
instrument must be increased. Commercial
PANFIs may average over periods of a few
seconds and typically have measurement
bandwidths of a few MHz.
Older PANFIs usually operated at a fixed
frequency, often 30 MHz. To use them at any
other frequency, it was necessary to convert
the signal to this specific frequency. Many
modern instruments have a much wider
frequency range. The instrument described
here operates over a frequency range from
about 3 MHz to over 400 MHz.
Block Diagram
A block diagram of the instrument is shown
in Figure 1. There is a wide-band amplifier
with separate inputs and outputs that may be
added to the outputs of the device being tested
to increase the signal level. The detector is
based on the Analog Devices AD8307 loga
rithmic detector.
3
This wonderful little device
has a frequency response extending up to
500 MHz, and is linear (in logarithmic power)
over 8 decades of power. The microprocessor
board controls all aspects of the device opera
tion. In the measurement mode, it turns on the
external noise source by supplying +28 V dc to
it and, using its internal A/D converter, mea
sures the signal level detected by the AD8307.
It stores this value and then turns off the noise
source and again measures the level detected
by the AD8307. This measurement is repeated
50 times over a period of about 1 second. Then
the noise figure of the device is calculated
and displayed on a 2-line, 16-character liquid
crystal display (LCD). The A/D converter has
a basic resolution of 1 part in 1024 (10 bits)
but each of the 50 measurements is an aver
age of 100 A/D conversions. Because of this,
in the absence of noise, the expected overall
resolution of each single power determination
would be about 1 part in 70,000. Ultimately,
the final calculated noise figure has an accu
racy that depends mostly on the accuracy of
the logarithmic response of the AD8307, and
the fact that since the signal being measured
is random noise, it has a limiting accuracy that
depends on the bandwidth and the averaging
time (in this case, about 1 second).
Detailed Circuit Description
The Broadband Amplifier
The circuit of the broadband amplifier is
shown in Figure 2. It uses three MiniCircuits
MAR-3SM monolithic amplifiers.4 The overall
gain is about 37 dB and the circuit, if laid
out properly using strip lines of the correct
width, has a bandwidth from about 3 MHz
to close to 2 GHz. Using dead-bug type of
construction, the bandwidth will probably be
reduced, but since the AD8307’s response
starts to fall off at 500 MHz, this won’t
matter. The MAR-3 amplifier is specified to
have a noise figure of about 6 dB in the range
from a few MHz to 2 GHz. Each stage draws
about 35 mA and the total power dissipated
in each stage’s bias resistance of 200 Ω is
about 1⁄4 W. I laid out my amplifier using strip
lines and surface mount components. The
0805 size resistors I used were only rated at
0.1 W; therefore I used four 51-Ω resistors
to make up this resistance. Using dead-bug
construction, you would probably want to
use a 200 Ω, ½ W resistor or two 100 Ω,
¼ W resistors.
The Detector Circuit
The circuit for the detector is shown in
Figure 3. The AD8307 requires a supply voltage
of 5 V but with a current drain of only
a few mA, so a low power 78L05 regulator
was used. The 51-Ω resistor at the input of
the AD8307 should be connected between
pins 1 and 8 with as close to zero length
leads as you can manage. I used a surface
mount version of the AD8307 and a surface
mount 0805 size resistor located just 1 or
2 mm from these leads.
The detector is very sensitive and so the
circuit should be well shielded. I put both
the detector and the wide-band amplifier in
a small box made of double-sided circuit-
board material and soldered the lid on. See
Photo B. The detector and amplifier are in
separate compartments in this box. The coaxial
inputs to and from the amplifier and to
the detector have the shield braid soldered to
the sides of the box. The dc supply voltage to
the circuit and the detector output are fed into
the box by feed-through capacitors.
The Microprocessor Module
The microprocessor used was an Atmel
AVR-series ATMega32.5 This microprocessor
has eight channels of A/D and 24 other pins
of I/O. I like the AVR-series of microprocessors
because of their low price, their good
performance and the fact that there are some
very good development tools available for
them. The source code for this project was all
written for the Gnu C compiler, GCC. There
is a version of this compiler that produces
code for the AVR series of microprocessors.
A complete package of the compiler and all
the needed utilities is available as a package
called WINAVR for installation on Windows
computers. It is a first-class professional tool
set and is completely free! I used a SIMM-100
circuit board, which is available from Dontronics
for about $11 Australian and is a bargain.6
Dontronics ships to the USA and the ordering
and subsequent shipping is painless. The board
should be assembled according to the accompanying
directions. See Photo C. The board
was originally designed for the AT90S8535
microprocessor but it is pin-compatible with
the ATMega32. Use the 16PI version of the
ATMega32, as it is rated for the industrial
temperature range and for clock frequencies
of up to 16 MHz. It costs just a few pennies
more than the commercial grade. Use a good
quality socket for the microprocessor.
The LCD requires seven I/O pins; there
are two A/D channels used (of eight avail
able) and there are two other digital I/O lines
used. There is an RS-232 interface circuit
built onto this board and it is used to provide
communication to an external computer or
terminal, which is needed for calibration of
the finished unit. I used a 14.7456 MHz crys
tal in the oscillator and, with this clock, the
serial RS-232 connection is at 19200 baud.
The Rest of the Circuit
The rest of the circuit is shown in
Figure 4. There are two front panel switches.
One of these is a spring-loaded toggle switch
that is used to set levels prior to a measurement.
A push-button switch could also
have been used here. The other switch is a
single-pole three position switch used to set
the mode of operation. Again I used a toggle
switch. Three-position toggle switches are not
common and you could as easily use a rotary
switch instead. There are a large number of
LCDs available. Since they all use the same
protocol, it doesn’t much matter which one
you choose. I built the instrument in a small
case that had once housed a piece of Tektronix
test gear. Photo D shows the circuit boards
and wiring inside that case. If I were doing it
over again, I’d put the instrument into a much
larger box and use an LCD with larger digits
because I’m getting old and my eyesight
isn’t what it used to be! The contrast trimmer
potentiometer for the LCD should be adjusted
to give the best contrast for the display. It
will be set so that the voltage at the wiper
is close to 0 V. The power supply provides
+12 V and +28 V dc. I happened to have an
old “wall wart” on hand, which provided 24 V
ac, center-tapped. Any 24 V ac center-tapped
transformer capable of supplying a total
power of a watt or two is good enough. The
trimmer potentiometer in the +28 V circuit is
used to set the output voltage to exactly 28 V.
Do this as accurately as you can.
Calibration and Operating
Calibration of the Power Detector
You need an external terminal or computer
to do the calibration of the power detector.
The RS-232 connector is designed to connect
to a PC and you may use some terminal program
to communicate with the instrument.
The internal instrumental calibration,
which converts from AD8307 output levels to
a dBm scale, is stored in the internal EPROM
of the microprocessor. The programmed microprocessor
has a default calibration based on
the values specified in the AD8307 data sheet.
These are fairly accurate for a broad range
of input frequencies and most users will not
want to bother trying to improve this accuracy.
I have made provision for a more accurate
calibration, however, for those who have good
quality signal generators and coaxial attenuators
and who wish to calibrate the instrument
precisely at some specific frequency.
If you do have these, then the calibration
procedure is as follows:
1. Connect a 50 Ω signal generator
operating at the desired frequency to the
SIGNAL INPUT connector on the instrument.
Set the output level to a fairly
high level — around 0 dBm.
2. Type the character “c” (upper or lower
case) on the terminal and the microprocessor
will respond with a line asking for the input
level. Type the level being produced by your
signal generator in dBm. Then, press the
SET
switch on the instrument.
3. The instrument will respond by asking
for the next data point.
4. Set the generator to a new level about
10 or 20 dB lower. The preferred way to do
this is just to leave the generator setting as it
was before but to add a known attenuation
into the line. Again, type the new signal level
and press the SET switch.
5. Repeat the step above three more times
for a total of five settings of the signal generator.
Choose the five signal levels so that they
are distributed fairly evenly (in dB) between
–70 dBm and 0 dBm.
The order in which you set the levels
doesn’t matter. Internally, the five values
are used to calculate the least-square best
fit of a straight line to the data and the two
parameters describing this line are stored
in the instrument in EEPROM. These two
parameters are subsequently used to translate
from AD8307 output to dBm.
While connected to the terminal, you must
also now tell the instrument the noise level of
your noise source. Type a single character “e”
(again, upper or lower case) and the instrument
will respond by asking you to type the ENR,
in dB, of your noise source. This value is also
stored internally in EEPROM so it is there
whenever the instrument is turned on again.
While connected to the terminal, you can
also change whether the noise figures are
displayed as temperatures or in dB. Type a
“b” to select dB or a “t” to select temperature.
The mode is also saved in EEPROM so it will
remain in whatever state you left it the next
time you turn it on. Finally, you may display
all the internal settings of the instrument by
typing the character “d”.
I have not discussed noise sources here
since they are a subject requiring a separate
article. Paul Wade has written an excellent
article about noise sources that tells you how
you may make your own.7 My own noise
source is a homebrew design based on information
from that article. See Photo E.
Operation
Before making any measurements, it is
advisable to check to make sure that the
detector and amplifier are shielded well
enough. With the ON-AUTO-OFF switch in
the ON position, make a note of the indicated
signal level when you have a termination on
the SIGNAL INPUT connector. Then switch it
to the OFF position and again note the signal
level. It should be the same to within 0.1 dB
or so. If it isn’t, you haven’t shielded the
detector or amplifier well enough and your
measurements will not be accurate.
Assuming all is well, you are ready to
make a measurement. First, connect the
noise source to the instrument as shown in
Figure 5A and press the SET switch. The
band-pass filter shown should be appropriate
to the device being measured. For example,
if the device is a down-converter with an
output at 144 MHz or a 144 MHz amplifier,
the filter should be tuned to 144 MHz. After
pressing the SET switch, the display will show
the measured levels with the noise source on
and off and also will show the excess noise
temperature of the broadband amplifier in the
instrument. This should be something in the
neighborhood of 900 K. MiniCircuits specifies
the MAR-3SM as having a noise figure of
6 dB, which corresponds to about that value.
Then, connect the device-under-test (DUT) to
the instrument as shown in Figure 5B. With the
ON-AUTO-OFF switch in the OFF position, note
the signal level measured by the instrument. It
should be greater than –70 dBm and no more
than about 0 dBm. If it is somewhere in this
range, you are ready to go. Just put the ON-
AUTO-OFF switch into the AUTO position and
it will give you a measure of the excess noise
temperature of the DUT. You may convert
this to dB, if you wish, using Equation 2. The
instrument will also show a value for the gain
of the DUT. The noise temperature displayed
has been corrected for the gain of the DUT and
the noise contribution of the following stage.
If the signal level is lower than –70 dBm
with the configuration shown in Figure 5B, you
will need to use an additional external amplifier
to get the levels up to where the measurement
can be made accurately. This amplifier should
be inserted at the output of the DUT and before
the input to the broadband amplifier. Connect
the circuit as shown in Figure 5C and now look
at the level when the
ON-AUTO-OFF
switch is in
the
OFF
position. If it is still too low, you will
need to add another external amplifier. If the
signal level is too high, don’t use the broadband
amplifier and/or just add some attenuation
before the
SIGNAL INPUT
connector.
If the DUT is a down-converter, the gain
shown will be correct if the noise source ENR
is the same for both the output frequency of the
DUT and the input frequency. That is because
in the SET measurement, the noise level was
measured at the output frequency of the DUT
whereas in the final noise measurement, the
noise source is connected to the input of the
DUT, which sees it at its input frequency.
If you want to measure the noise temperature
of a LNA ahead of a down-converter,
you must first SET the instrument with the
down-converter in the circuit, as shown in
Figure 6A. Then connect the LNA in front
of the down-converter as shown in Figure 6B
and set the switch to the AUTO position to read
the noise temperature and gain of the LNA. If
there is too much overall gain, you may want
to by-pass the broadband amplifier and connect
the output of the down-converter directly
to the SIGNAL INPUT of the instrument.
Other Considerations
You will need to have a range of band-
pass filters for the frequencies that you
normally use. I made up some fixed double-
tuned LC filters for 144 and 30 MHz and a
small fixed cavity filter for 432 MHz. I also
made a tunable cavity filter by modifying
a surplus HP5253B frequency converter.
Photo F shows the front panel of this filter.
These units plugged into some older HP
frequency counters and they have a very
well-made tunable silver-plated cavity. They
make very nice 50 MHz to 500 MHz tunable
band-pass filters. One often sees these units
for sale at hamfest flea markets for just a few
dollars and they are worth picking up.
One disadvantage of the commercial
PANFIs is that it is very difficult to tune
something where the output is given by
changing figures in a text display. Humans
are better at evaluating an output if there is
some analog value associated with it, such
as a voltage that can be displayed by a meter.
I added an analog output to the system with
a very simple circuit addition. A low-pass
filter consisting of a 5.6 kΩ resistor going to
a 0.1 μF capacitor to ground is connected to
pin 3, J5 on the SIMM100 board. This pin
corresponds to PD5 of the microprocessor. I
added software to pulse-width modulate this
output to produce an analog voltage that is
proportional to the measured value of Y. The
voltage varies from 0 to 5 V as Y changes from
N.00 to N.9999 volts, where N is an integer.
For example, if Y is 2.4, the voltage will be
0.4 × 5 = 2.0 V. If Y were to vary from 2.95
to 3.05, the voltage would start at 0.95 × 5 =
4.75 V, increase up to 5 V, jump down to zero
and then go up to 0.05 × 5 = 0.25 V. Just using
the non-integer portion of Y is an easy way to
make an expanded-scale voltmeter. To tune a
system for lowest overall noise temperature,
you just tune for maximum Y using a voltmeter
on this output. I added a pin jack onto the
front panel on my instrument for this output.
Conclusion
This instrument will make accurate noise-
figure measurements if you take just a little
care in the construction and operation. The
circuit is very simple and easily reproduced.
Analog Devices made it all possible with the
AD8307 logarithmic detector. That, and the
use of a microprocessor to massage the data,
results in a first-class laboratory instrument.
Both the Agilent Application Note and
the article by Paul Wade discuss some
considerations to be observed when making
noise-figure measurements and I recommend
that you read them if you’re serious about
interpreting the results you get.
The source code and the HEX object
code for the microprocessor are available on
the ARRL QEX Web site.8 The author will
program ATMega32 microprocessors for the
cost of return postage.9
Appendix: Measuring Noise Temperature
Consider the basic measuring system,
which consists of an amplifier and a detec
tor to measure output power as shown in
Figure A1. The system is designed to mea
sure the ratio of the two output powers when
the external noise source is turned on, to
the output power when the external noise
source is turned off. This ratio is called the
Y
-factor. The gain of the system amplifier is
G
s
and the system noise temperature is
T
s
.
The latter, the excess noise of the measuring
system, can be represented by a resistance at
temperature
T
s
at the input whose noise power
is summed with the external input. When the
external noise source is turned on, it acts as
a resistance at temperature
T
h
and when it
is turned off, it acts as a resistance at room
temperature,
T
c
.
When the external noise source is turned
on, the power output at the detector will be:
Poh = (Th + Ts)Gs [Eq A1]
When the noise source is turned off, the
power output at the detector will be:
Poc = (Tc + Ts)Gs [Eq A2]
Tc is commonly taken to be 290 K.
The ratio of these two powers, Poh / Poc, is
the Y-factor for the system; Ys.
This factor is thus:
Y=
PP=
T+TT+Tsohochscs
[Eq A3]
We can rearrange the terms of Equation
A3 to give the noise temperature of the system
in terms of the Y-factor and the external
noise temperature:
T=
TYTYshscs−
−1
[Eq A4]
Knowing Ts from Equation A4, we can
also determine the measuring system gain
by substituting it into Equation A1:
G=
PT+Tsohhs
[Eq A5]
Gs will be in units of W / K.
To measure the noise temperature of an
amplifier or a converter (or, the noise figure,
which may be derived from the measured noise
temperature), the noise temperature and gain
of the measuring system are first measured by
connecting the external noise source as shown
in Figure A1. This provides the initial calibration
of the measuring system. The amplifier or
converter whose noise figure is to be measured
is then inserted between the measuring system
and the external noise source as shown in
Figure A2. The Y-factor for the whole amplifier/
converter measuring system combination
is then measured. From this Y-factor, we
can determine both the overall system noise
temperature as well as the amplifier/converter
noise temperature alone. Let the overall Y-factor
be Y′. Then, the overall noise temperature
of the combined system, T′, is given by:
T’=
TY’TY’hc−
−1
[Eq A6]
The true noise temperature of the amplifier/
converter alone is given by:
T=T’TGs−
[Eq A7]
Therefore, to determine the true noise
temperature of the device, we must know the
device gain. This can be found by an equation
that uses the overall power output when
the external noise source is turned on, P′′oh,
and when it is turned off, P′oc, as well as the
system gain, Gs:
G=
P’P’GTTohocshc−
−()
[Eq A8]
Gs has been measured previously.
In summary, in order to determine the true
noise figure of an amplifier or a converter,
you must first measure the measuring system
noise temperature and gain using the set-up
shown in Figure A1, where the external noise
source is connected to the input of the measuring
system. This is the calibration phase of
the measurement. Then, you disconnect the
external noise source from the input and connect
the output of the amplifier or converter
to the input of the measuring system and put
the external noise source onto the input of the
amplifier or converter. Then, the instrument
will show the true noise temperature of the
amplifier or converter as well as its gain.
Notes
1Harke Smits, PAØHRK, “A Noise/Gain Analyzer,”
QEX, Nov/Dec 1999, pp 5-10. See also
references therein.
2The Agilent Technologies Web site is at
www.home.agilent.com, and the direct link
to the Application Note is http://cp.literature.
agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5952-8255E.pdf
3www.analog.com/en/prod/0,,759_847_
AD8307,00.html
4www.minicircuits.com
5www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_
card.asp?part_id=2014
6www.dontronics.com/simm100.html
7Paul Wade, N1BWT (now W1GHZ), “Noise Measurement
and Generation”, QEX, November,
1996, pp 3-12. Also, see references therein.
8The ATMega32 microprocessor source code
and the HEX object code are available on the
QEX Web site. Go to www.arrl.org/qexfiles
and look for the file 5x07_Koehler.zip.
9I can only handle the DIP version of the microprocessor.
Send it in a padded envelope,
along with an addressed return padded envelope,
to J. Koehler, 2258 June Rd, Courtenay,
BC, V9J-1X9, Canada. I cannot use US
stamps so please enclose enough IRC’s or
$2 US to cover the postage.
VE5FP
1Notes appear on page 46.
2258 June Rd
Courtenay, BC V9J-1X9
Canada
jark@shaw.ca
Photo A — The front panel of the VE5FP automatic noise-figure meter.
Figure 1 — This block diagram shows the sections of the automatic noise-figure meter.
Figure 2 — The schematic diagram of the broadband amplifier shows that it uses three
MiniCircuits MAR-3SM monolithic amplifiers.
VE5FP
Photo B — The broadband amplifier is built into a circuit board box mounted inside the
bottom of the project case.
Figure 3 — An Analog Devices AD8307 logarithmic detector is the heart of the detector
circuit.
VE5FP
Photo C —
This photo
shows the
assembled
SIMM100
circuit
board,
with the
ATMega32
Figure 4 — An ATMega32 microprocessor on a SIMM100 circuit board provides the brains for the noise-figure meter. This schematic
diagram also shows the power supply, display and control circuitry.
VE5FP
Photo D — This view shows the top of the project case, with the SIMM100 board, LCD
and various wiring of the noise-figure meter.
VE5FP
Photo E — This
photo shows my
homebrewed noise
sources.
Figure 5 — This drawing shows the steps involved in making a noise-figure
measurement. Part A shows the connections to measure the noise source. Part B shows
the device under test connected between the noise source and the noise-figure meter.
Part C shows that sometimes an additional amplifier will be needed if the device under
test does not produce a signal with high enough power output.
VE5FP
Figure 6 — This drawing shows the connections required if a down-converter is needed
to bring the output frequency of the device under test into the range of the noise-figure
meter. Part A shows that the noise source and down-converter are measured first, and
then the device under test is added, as shown at Part B.
Photo F — I built a tunable cavity filter into
an HP frequency counter box.
Figure A1 — A Precision Automatic Noise Figure Indicator (PANFI) switches the noise
source on and off, and measures the noise power.
Figure A2 — With the device under test placed between the noise source and PANFI, the
noise figure is measured.
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
Lab Notes
Prepared by the ARRL Laboratory Staff
(e-mail: tis@arrl.org)
By Mike Tracy, KC1SX
Technical Information Service Coordinator
Q:
I’m just getting started on VHF and UHF FM and I want to set up a station in my home. What kind of antennas should I use?
A:
That depends. There are many different things you need to consider when selecting a 6-meter, 2-meter, 222-MHz or 70-cm antenna for FM use. The types of
operating you want to do and your local terrain often set many of the performance requirements for your antenna. For example, the antennas used by FM repeaters
and FM stations in general are usually vertically polarized. If your antenna is horizontally polarized, the polarization mismatch will result in a considerable
loss in received signal strength. You probably wouldn’t notice this if you were working strong local stations, but you’d definitely hear the difference
on distant contacts.
Many FM operators prefer omnidirectional antennas. These antennas radiate signals in every directionmore
or less, depending on the design. They’re ideal when you need to talk to stations in widely varying locations.
Omnidirectional antennas generally don’t have as much gain as large beams, for example, but some of them can
give appreciable gain. This gain is accomplished by concentrating the signal at the horizon, toward the distant
repeater or station you want to work. Most VHF/UHF omnidirectional designs are vertically polarized.
Directional antennas such as quads and Yagis are often lumped together under the label “beams.” As the
name implies, they focus RF power in a particular direction. Beams are the antennas of choice when you need to
cover greater distances. The problem with beams is that you must have a means of turning them if you want to be
able to work distant stations in all directions. In home installations, this means an antenna rotator on the roof and a
control box beside your radio. Beams can be either horizontally or vertically polarized, depending on how they are
designed and/or installed.
There are a number of other factors you may need to consider when selecting an antenna. These include cost,
ease of construction, durability, portability and convenience of installation. Finally, you must decide whether you want
to purchase a commercial antenna, or try making your own.
Q:
I’ve never built my own antenna before. What options do I have for commercial antennas?
A:
Although a number of designs are found as both commercial and home-built antennas, there are a few that are uniquely commercial. For example, the “Isopole,”
manufactured by Advanced Electronic Applications, uses a pair of conical couplers that would be difficult to duplicate in a home workshop. The advantage
of this design is that it is very broadband, covering the entire 2-meter band with a low SWR. Another example is Cushcraft’s “Ringo Ranger” design. This
type of antenna uses a compact, easy-to-adjust matching system.
Another type usually only available in commercial form is the collinear antenna. By stacking several radiators in
the same vertical line, you achieve gain over a standard 1/4-wavelength ground plane. The trade-off here is a
narrower radiation pattern (picture a round ball squashed by a weight placed on top).
Hand-held transceivers have their share of options as well. Rubber-duckie style antennas are available in a
number of different sizes and electrical lengths, each designed to improve on the rig’s original antenna. Some hams
opt for a full-sized telescoping antenna for their H-T, trading-off compactness and convenience for improved
performance.
Q:
Well, I will probably start with something commercial, but what if I want to experiment with home-made antennas
Page 1 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
later on? What types of VHF FM antennas are easy to home brew?
A:
For the folks who like to scratch build, the options are also wide and varied, but there are a few designs that are not duplicated by commercial equivalents.
In addition, because you supply the design know-how and construction labor, you can build your own antennas at a reasonable cost.
Although dipoles are very common on HF bands, they are somewhat rare on VHF. They are a good choice for
a first antenna, however, and can be built in very little time and conveniently mounted to any nearby wall or tree.
Dipoles are especially good choices for 6-meter FM work.
The 1/4-wavelength ground plane, like the dipole, is a simple antenna that is physically small, easy to construct
and has a broad radiation pattern (see Figure 1). This is a good antenna to choose if you are not certain of the
locations of the other stations you wish to reach. A ground plane is easy to construct and you can use it from home
or portable to talk to nearby repeaters or packet stations and talk simplex to mobile stations traveling in the vicinity.
For a permanent installation, a J-pole constructed with copper pipe is a good choice for a general-purpose
home-station omnidirectional antenna. The J-pole will cover an entire VHF band and is fairly easy to construct. Plus,
all of the parts are available at your local plumbing supply store! A copper-pipe J-pole is described inThe ARRL
Antenna Compendium Volume 4. (See the ARRL Publications Catalog elsewhere in this issue.)
You can also build a portable J-pole using twin lead. This is handy to bring along on a trip. It can be rolled up
and packed into the suitcase right next to your socks. Once you reach your destination, it can be taped to a window
pane or hung from a curtain rod using string. Be sure to use a ferrite bead balun to help prevent detuning from
nearby metal objects. See “Build a Weatherproof PVC J-Pole Antenna” elsewhere in this issue for construction
details.
Another design is the coaxial collinear antenna, which is built using only coax for most of its length. This type of
antenna is very portable. It’s handy for backpacking or emergency use, and it still offers a fair amount of gain. The
performance of this antenna is similar to the commercial collinear ground plane designs.
Q:
Getting back to my home shack, I want to make something for my dual-band rig and my 222-MHz radio. Can I build one antenna that will cover all of these
bands?
A:
Certainly! Although it is a design that is used mostly for receiving, a discone antenna can be used to transmit on all of the VHF bands. Because it has
many elements, it takes a bit of work to build one.
If you want a broadband antenna with some directionality, a log-periodic dipole array may fit the bill. Although it
does not offer a large amount of forward gain, the log antenna will give you the ability to work many bands with one
antenna and reach stations that are out of range for an omnidirectional design.
Q:
There is a popular packet system in my area, but I can’t seem to stay con-nected to it. What sort of antenna will help?
A:
Two good alternatives are a Yagi and a quad. Either of these will give you the extra gain and directionality needed to easily reach a station on the edge
of your omni antenna’s range. For an excellent quad antenna that you can build yourself, see “A Five-Element Quad Antenna for 2 Meters” by Jim Reynante,
KD6GLF, in the January 1995 QST. If you want detailed information about all sorts of antenna designs, it’s hard to beat The ARRL Antenna Book (it even
comes with software!). Contact your favorite dealer, or see the ARRL Publications Catalog elsewhere in this issue.
Q:
My club is having a fox hunt next month, but I can’t seem to find a suitable antenna at my local store. Does this mean that I’m out of luck?
A:
Not at all. With very few exceptions, designs for fox hunting (also called radio direction finding, orRDF) are usually home built. To be competitive, RDF
enthusiasts need to optimize their antenna designs according to the hunting terrain and transmitter power. This presents a challenge that naturally leads
fox hunters to experiment with many different antenna designs, often resulting in some unique creations. You’ll find RDF antenna designs in The 1995 ARRL
Handbook and Transmitter Hunting: Radio Direction Finding Simplified. Both books are available from
Page 2 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
the ARRL. (See the Publication Catalog in this issue.)
Q:
My family is going on vacation soon. What can I do if I want to get on the air from my hotel room?
A:
Many of the antennas we just described are quite portable. Fortunately, VHF and UHF antennas are small and can be easily packed on a trip and set up in
a hotel room. A ground plane can be constructed to be easily assembled and disassembled, a vertical dipole can be easily taped to a window. A twin-lead
J-pole can go nearly anywhere.
Any indoor antenna will work better if it is near a window, or used outside on a balcony or from the hotel
garden. However, don’t let a poor location stop you! You can often work local repeaters from the worst of locations.
We welcome your suggestions for topics to be discussed in Lab Notes, but we are unable to answer individual
questions. Please send your comments or suggestions to Lab Notes, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Pete Budnik, KB1HY, checks out a VHF/UHF discone antenna. This design offers omnidirectional, multiband
performance.
Page 3 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
Jim Bryant, N5ZAV, uses this RDF antenna to get a bearing during a hidden transmitter hunt in Denton, Texas.
Page 4 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
This five-element quad beam provides a directional signal pattern, and all the gain that goes with it! Construction
details appeared in January 1995 QST.
Page 5 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
July 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 7
Figure 1A simple ground-plane antenna for the 144, 222 or 440-MHz bands.
Page 6 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
FCC Invites Comments on Six Morse Code-Related Petitions
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 29, 2003--Let the games begin! The FCC has invited public comments on six separate Morse code-related petitions for rule making, some
of which would altogether eliminate Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse test, from the Amateur Service rules (Part 97). World Radiocommunication Conference 2003
(WRC-03) made optional the requirement to prove the ability to send and receive Morse signals to operate below 30 MHz. Two other more recently filed petitions--one
from No Code International and another from two amateur licensees--are expected to be put on public notice in the near future.
Petitions Open for Comment (in Chronological Order)
A one-page
petition
dated July 15 from Peter M. Beauregard, KI1I, has been assigned RM-10781. It would give all Technician licensees current Novice/Tech Plus CW privileges
on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters and limited phone and image privileges on 80, 40 and 10 meters. Beauregard said the CW privileges would "encourage Technician
class licensees to upgrade to General" by giving them a "practice area." He has proposed new Tech phone/image privileges on 3850-3900 kHz and 7225-7300
kHz. Beauregard's petition would not eliminate Element 1 from the rules, however. "I think that Technician class licensees should still be encouraged to
upgrade their licenses, and thus I propose a limited privilege for them in the HF spectrum," he said.
A
petition
from Pete V. Coppola, KG4QDZ, and family--Tina Coppola, KG4YUM, and Pete A. Coppola, KG4QDY--asks the FCC to eliminate Element 1 from the rules. The Coppolas'
petition, received July 18 and designated RM-10782, would grant Tech Plus HF privileges to current Technician licensees but otherwise keep all testing
elements and licensing requirements the same. It also would retain the current CW-only subbands. The Coppolas asked the FCC to make the change effective
immediately on a provisional basis while the rule making process is under way.
Kiernan K. Holliday, WA6BJH, has asked the FCC simply to "remove all requirements for knowledge of Morse code" from the Amateur Service rules. "Fifty years
ago, the requirement was reasonable, but as Morse code use has declined in other services there is less reason to require it in the Amateur Service," Holliday
said in his three-page
petition,
received July 21 and designated RM-10783. Holliday also said the code requirement limits the ability of handicapped individuals to get ham tickets. "The
Commission's policy should be to encourage the use of Amateur Radio," Holliday said. He notes that he is "well-versed in the use of Morse code" and operated
CW exclusively for many years.
A brief
petition
from Dale Reich, K8AD, would delete Element 1 for General class applicants but keep it in place for Extra class applicants. "This would protect the needed
CW element for Amateur Radio licensing in the most advanced and highest class of ham license in the USA," he said. Under Reich's scheme, "no-code" Techs
wanting HF privileges would have to upgrade to General first. "If other governments are acting upon this, then it's only fair to allow changes here," Reich
asserted in his petition, dated July 28 and designated RM-10784.
Eric Ward, N0HHS, in his
petition
seeks immediate elimination of "proficiency in telegraphy using Morse code," saying it's no longer justified. The "immediate removal of the telegraphy requirement
from Amateur Radio licensing is appropriate and clearly in the public interest," Ward contends in his petition, dated July 30 and designated RM-10785.
"Including Morse code proficiency as a requirement for Amateur Radio licenses is independent of making a value judgment about the utility or desirability
of this mode of communication," he said, noting that the FCC does not require licensees to use Morse even though it requires applicants to pass a Morse
exam to gain HF access.
In a detailed, nine-page
petition,
the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) calls on the FCC to delete Element 1 and give "Tech Plus" privileges to current Technician
licensees. The NCVEC also asked the FCC to "take expedited action" to allow volunteer examiner coordinators (VECs) to discontinue administering Element
1 "as soon as possible."
The NCVEC petition says Morse testing unnecessarily burdens applicants, VECs, the FCC and the Amateur Service community. "The Amateur Service community
suffers from the loss to its ranks of a large number of potentially excellent operators who are turned away because of the CW requirement," the NCVEC petition
said. The organization, which is the umbrella group for the 14 VECs in the US, adds that elimination at WRC-03 of the international requirement to prove
Morse ability for HF access means there's "no longer any reasonable justification for requiring an applicant to demonstrate this antiquated skill," and
that most applicants never use Morse again after they pass the test. The NCVEC petition, dated August 1, is designated RM-10787.
The ARRL-VEC abstained from voting on the NCVEC's petition question when it came up during the NCVEC's July 25 meeting in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Interested parties may file comments on any or all of these petitions using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (
ECFS),
which also permits users to view all comments on file.
To file a comment, click on "Submit a Filing" under "ECFS Main Links." In the "Proceeding" field, type the full RM number, including the hyphen, and complete
the required fields. "RM" must be in capital letters, and you must include the hyphen between "RM" and the five-digit number. You may type your remarks
into a form or attach a file. ECFS also accepts comments in active proceedings via e-mail, per instructions on the ECFS page.
To view any comments already submitted for each petition, click on "Search for Filed Comments" under "ECFS Main Links" and type in the complete RM number,
including the hyphen, in the "Proceeding" field. "RM" must be in capital letters, and you must include the hyphen between "RM" and the five-digit number.
Elsewhere in the World . . .
While a Morse code exam element remains on the books in the US, Canada and elsewhere, several countries--including Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, Germany,
Norway and the Netherlands--already have moved to drop their Morse requirements. Austria and New Zealand are expected to do so soon.
According to an FCC staffer familiar with the rulemaking process, the Commission will not act on its own motion to immediately delete Element 1 in the US.
In its December 1999 Report and Order restructuring the Amateur Radio licensing system the FCC did minimize the role of radiotelegraphy as "just one of
numerous diverse modes of radiocommunication." The FCC stopped short, however, of revising the Amateur Service rules at that time to sunset the Morse examination
requirement automatically if WRC-03 deleted Morse proficiency from the international Radio Regulations.
IARU vs ARRL Stance
In 2001, the International Amateur Radio Union (
IARU)
announced that it was setting aside "any previous relevant decisions" and henceforth would "support the removal of Morse code testing as an ITU requirement
for an amateur license to operate on frequencies below 30 MHz."
That same year, the ARRL Board of Directors reiterated the League's policy that Morse "should be retained as a testing element in the US." That policy continues.
Following its January 2001 Board meeting, the League said Morse code was "deserving of continued support as an important operating mode including providing
for the protection and maintenance of sufficient spectrum in band planning."
At its July 19-20, 2003, meeting in Connecticut, the ARRL Board affirmed its interest in reviewing input from members on the Morse issue as well as other
possible revisions to Part 97 arising from actions at WRC-03.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Once the process of collecting comments on all Morse code-related petitions is completed, the FCC may determine that a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM)
is in order. The Commission at that point could incorporate all Morse-related rule making petitions into a single proceeding. The NPRM would get a docket
number, and the comment process would begin anew.
The FCC also may decide to incorporate other pending Amateur Radio-related issues into the same NPRM. That's how it's tended to handle amateur regulatory
matters in recent years.
At the end of the comment and reply comment periods, the FCC would issue a Report and Order (R&O) that includes its decision on the Morse code requirement
and the other issues it may have incorporated into the proceeding. The whole process could take a few years.
How to Comment
Interested parties may file comments on any or all of these petitions using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (
ECFS),
which also permits users to view all comments on file. There is a 30-day comment window.
FCC Turns Down Amateur's Petitions
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 29, 2003--The FCC has denied two petitions filed last fall by an Ohio ham. Dale Reich, K8AD, of Seville had asked the FCC to require
keeping records of "over-the-counter sales of any communications equipment." Required information would have included the buyer's name, address, telephone
number and "any future information when selling a radio that requires licensing under the current FCC rules." In a separate filing, Reich had asked the
FCC to require "ownership and license tagging" for gear operating under Parts 5, 15, 18, 74, 80, 90, 95 and 97, including call sign, owner's name and address
and any FCC file number. The FCC lumped both petitions into one, designated as RM-10641.
"We agree with the multitude of commenters that the rule changes proposed would be extremely burdensome and costly with little or no demonstrated benefits,"
the FCC said in an Order released August 27. The FCC said it agreed with the 45 parties who commented in opposition to the petitions that neither one elaborated
coherently on any problem that the petitions sought to address and that "neither petition states what the proposed rules are supposed to accomplish."
Information gathered under Reich's proposed record-keeping proposal would have remained private, available only to the FCC or to law enforcement. Under
his proposal, Reich said, any retail vendor would be able to ask local police to investigate if the retailer suspected that the radios were not going to
be used in compliance with the law.
Reich asserted that ownership and license tagging used to be an FCC requirement and that his proposed rule change was long overdue as a needed tool for
local law enforcement.
The FCC said those commenting on the petitions noted that requiring individualized labeling and retailer record keeping would "appear to extend to omnipresent
consumer devices" such as cordless telephones, garage door openers and baby monitors. Borrowing from the comments of REC Networks, the FCC said the paperwork
burden on retailers to comply with the record-keeping proposal would be "utterly unmanageable," not to mention costly. The FCC said the tagging petition
also would be unworkable, citing the example of Amateur Radio equipment that might be shared by several licensed family members. In addition, the FCC said
that Reich failed to address how the requirement would be enforced.
The Commission further noted that no law enforcement agency filed comments to support Reich's tagging petition. The lone comment in favor of the petitions
was based on what the FCC called "the unsubstantiated statement" that ham gear is commonly used by unlicensed individuals.
"We conclude that neither of the captioned petitions demonstrates that any changes to the Commission's rules are needed at this time," the FCC said in its
Order, drafted by D'wana Terry, chief of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division within the Wireless Telecommunication Bureau.
The
Order
is available on the FCC Web site.
Reich has at least one other petition, designated RM-10620, on file with the FCC. In it, Reich asks the Commission to upgrade Novice and Advanced license
holders to the "next" license class if the licensee has 20 or more years of operating experience. That petition attracted more than 150 comments from the
amateur community before the comment window closed last January.
A copy of that
petition
also is available on the FCC Web site.
BPL Places FCC at Regulatory Crossroad, AMRAD Suggests
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 28, 2003--Encouraging Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology puts the FCC at a regulatory crossroad, the Amateur Radio Research and
Development Corporation (
AMRAD)
has suggested. AMRAD's remarks came August 20 in reply comments filed in response to the FCC's BPL Notice of Inquiry (ET Docket 03-104). The Washington,
DC-based organization's comments also outlined its BPL testing and measurement efforts, which included laboratory and real-world conditions. AMRAD said
any departure from the "current baseline" of Part 15 rules that govern unlicensed services would invite "troublesome unintended consequences" that could
prove difficult to correct.
BPL would use low and medium-voltage lines like these to distribute broadband services.
"The FCC is facing some serious decisions on whether to continue with past rules and historical enforcement or to dispense with their historical role and
substitute rules which give the unlicensed Part 15 systems priority over the licensed systems such as the amateur radio service," AMRAD said. "Such changes
to Part 15 rules would tip the responsibility of compliance so as to favor the unlicensed users and leave the FCC facing a large number of harmful interference
complaints to resolve."
AMRAD recommended the FCC proceed "slowly and with caution" in advancing BPL as a viable and economical alternative to existing high-speed Internet technologies
such as cable modem and DSL. "The FCC must assess whether BPL will prove an unreliable, marginal system with expensive remedial and mitigation actions
while other technologies become the mainstream technologies."
The non-profit scientific and educational organization invited the FCC to participate in coordinated testing with the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) "to explore and understand the full impact of these proposed technologies." In its
comments,
NTIA indicated plans to go forward with an extensive measurement, testing and analysis initiative to determine BPL's potential to interfere with users of
the government spectrum it administers.
AMRAD also expressed concerns as to whether the FCC would be able to enforce Part 15 rules as written in the face of neighborhood Internet service interruptions
caused by "a single radio amateur or other FCC-licensed radio transmitter" of relatively low power and operating legally. It said its own testing, both
in the field and in the laboratory, demonstrated that an amateur transmitter running as little as 10 W in the vicinity of a BPL system could seriously
impair the system's throughput. A 100 W signal would cause it to collapse altogether.
The antenna was 40 feet high and 40 feet from the residence where a HomePlug-standard in-house BPL local network was operating between two levels of the
house. Operation was on the 20-meter band. Ironically, the HomePlug standard substantially notches out the amateur bands. The new 60-meter band is not
notched out, however.
AMRAD said its laboratory testing showed that systems based on the HomePlug standard--which is used by some access BPL systems--were vulnerable to RF and
will collapse with no data transfer when RF fields induce 1 V or more of RF into the power line. "The system is sensitive to interference over the range
of 4 to 21 MHz and does not exhibit less vulnerability in the radio amateur bands," AMRAD said.
AMRAD said its observations and tests demonstrate that broadband BPL signals that conform to Part 15 "are well above the ambient noise and will interfere
with many forms of reception." It said other non-HomePlug-standard systems that don't notch out ham bands "could cause more serious interference problems."
In the final analysis, AMRAD said, the FCC "must proceed with great care and take actions now to conduct testing to gather critical information" before
making regulatory assessments. "The FCC efforts should remain focused on providing broadband to the home and not focus on any specific technology," AMRAD
asserted.
AMRAD member Frank Gentges, K0BRA, recently assisted ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, in the League's efforts to assess the impact of BPL on HF. Gentges
gave Hare a guided tour of "hot neighborhoods" in Manassas, Virginia, where BPL is undergoing field trials.
Although the reply comment window closed August 20, the number of comments in response to the FCC's BPL NOI was 4535 as of August 27 and counting, with
more than 80 reply comments filed since the deadline. Many of the individual comments in the BPL proceeding have come from the Amateur Radio community.
AMRAD's
reply comments
are available on the FCC Web site.
Montana Hams in "Heads-Up" Mode in Wildfires Response
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 28, 2003--The long, blazing hot summer continues in Montana and other western states. As fires scorched an estimated 400,000 acres or
more in Montana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service teams in Montana have assisted as needed, primarily to supplement
communication for authorities and relief organizations. Right now, things are relatively quiet for the ARES/RACES teams.
MT-Fires-082403
A view of the Lincoln Fire in Lewis and Clark County northwest of Missoula, Montana. [Helena National Forest Photo]
"At this time all units in the state are reporting in a stand-by mode," said Montana Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Fuller, N7VMR. "We have been getting
some cooler weather and minor moisture in various parts of the state. This is helping slow the fire activity."
The most recent amateur support activity was in Lincoln, located in Lewis and Clark County some 60 miles northwest of the state capital of Helena. The Snow-Talon
Fire, part of the so-called Lincoln Fire Complex, caused the evacuation of dozens of residents. Lewis and Clark County ARES Emergency Coordinator Bob Solomon,
K7HLN, and ARES members Shawn Horne, KD7OQU, and Wes Rowe, K7WES, were among amateurs who volunteered to assist the American Red Cross and fire officials
in responding to the emergency. Working from the Capital City Amateur Radio Club (
W7TCK)
mobile communication unit, the amateurs linked the Red Cross evacuation center in Lincoln with Helena. The mobile unit is equipped with a 4 kW generator.
"Lincoln is an extremely difficult area for any kind of radio propagation," Solomon said. "We had a lot of trouble keeping links going and utilized VHF
and UHF repeaters as well as simplex." He said his team was able to his several areas in Helena using 2-meter simplex, "much to our surprise." The team
also maintained contact with Powell County ARES.
The Lincoln Complex fires in Helena National Forest cover nearly 35,000 acres and were considered 35 percent contained as of August 27, according to the
National Fire Information Center.
Solomon reports the group stood down August 24, but that Horne stayed on to assist law enforcement personnel with their communications back to Rescue Base
in Lincoln. Amateur Radio's efforts already have attracted attention from the
Helena Independent Record,
with two front-page stories in the past thee months. One recent
story
featured the activities of Jim Haslip, W7CK, of East Helena. The 70-year-old retired science teacher has been an aerial fire spotter for four decades. He
now works for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The
other
highlighted the ARES team's emergency activities.
Solomon said hams from the Lincoln area have been actively involved in firefighting activities as fire service communicators and in other roles. Others
have been forced to leave.
"Many of the hams in the Lincoln area have had to evacuate their homes," Solomon said. "Some of them have been permitted back in on a be-prepared-to-go-again
basis." Others still out of their homes include Tish and Tommy Cockerham, KC7WBM and KD7IPT, who operate a guest ranch on Alice Creek northwest of Lincoln.
MT-Fires-082403-Lincoln3
Bewildered deer attempt in vain to forage in a burned over section of forest in Lewis and Clark County. [Helena National Forest Photo]
"They had to evacuate in the middle of the night, which is distressing enough," Solomon said. "The real challenge for them was the 25 horses and 100 sled
dogs that had to be evacuated, as well." The Cockerhams are understandably eager to return home, he added.
Solomon said his team in Lewis and Clark County was maintaining a "heads-up" stance for possible evacuation. "We are also replacing supplies, making minor
repairs and adjustments and preparing for the next request for assistance," he said.
Earlier this month, the Red Cross requested ARES members in Missoula County to provide radio operators at a shelter for evacuees and at the Red Cross office
"just in case," said Missoula County EC Mike McCrackin, K7DER. Missoula County authorities ordered mandatory evacuations August 16 from areas west of town
due to the Black Mountain Fire. McCrackin said authorities and the Red Cross worried that fires surrounding Missoula might cause power outages. Six ARES
members from Missoula County also were deployed as radio operators for the Wildland Fire Service. Hams were supporting Red Cross operations in Flathead
County as well.
Yellowstone County ARES was activated August 20 to provide support for the Hobble Fire, now considered contained. Fuller reported that seven amateurs supplied
communication needed to supplement or replace normal systems. The Hobble Fire consumed some 40,000 acres.
On August 27, the NFIC said 21 fires continued to burn in Montana.
A Taste of Baghdad in the Summer
By Robert Mauro, KZ2G
August 27, 2003
An inconvenience for most, the Blackout of 2003 raised a serious set of concerns for people requiring electricity to breathe.
Mauro operates his Omni 6 Plus from his bedroom. Sitting on top of it is a MFJ-941C Versa Tuner II. His cat's bed is on the right and the green box on the
left is his respirator, "similar to Christopher Reeve's," Mauro notes. [Bob Mauro, KZ2G, Photo]
It was Thursday, August 14, 2003. I was watching CNN and using my respirator to breathe. Suddenly, the electric power went off. The next thing I heard was
the alarm on my respirator, which I need to stay alive. One of the hottest days in the year and no electricity! It was 4:12 PM and just the beginning of
a long ordeal for me and 50 million other Americans, 10 million with disabilities: we were about to experience a taste of Baghdad in summer.
As a result of childhood polio, I require a respirator to breathe. I do not like power failures, especially in hot weather. I had thought all summer about
those folks in Baghdad with no electricity and suffering 120-degree temperatures. Now we'd get an inkling of what they were going through. I use a motorized
wheelchair to get around and for years I've been saving my chair's old batteries. I use them to run my respirator during power failures and to run my Ten-Tec
Omni 6 Plus at 5 W during Field Day. We only have one Field Day a year, but we have several blackouts a year, usually lasting several hours.
As during previous blackouts, I called Long Island Power Authority's emergency life support number for information on what caused the power failure and
how long it might last. I was shocked and unnerved when LIPA said the whole Eastern United States was out. I knew this would to be a long outage. Would
my four old wheelchair batteries last long enough to power my respirator?
I called a local hospital's emergency room. They had emergency power and the nurse I spoke to said to come right over if I needed to plug in. But like most
folks, I preferred to stay home. I turned on my portable radio, hoping to hear that the power would be on shortly. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
calmed me down by saying electric would be back in hours, not days. Meanwhile, the temperature rose rapidly in my room.
Mauro operates Morse with a Vibroplex Code Warrior Jr paddle set from the back seat of his van. He also has a mobile HF station built into his wheelchair.
[Bob Mauro, KZ2G, Photo]
As the sun went down, my ventilator was still running on my first backup battery. Would it last through the night? The answer was "no." It died precisely
at 11:59 PM. I quickly hooked up my second backup battery; the first one had lasted nearly eight hours. Then at 12:02 AM, the lights flickered. Then died.
Then, at around 2 AM, they flickered on...and off again.
Friday morning I called LIPA for an update. My second backup battery was already at eight hours. The LIPA spokesperson said the electric should be on by
that afternoon, maybe. The weatherman was predicting another 90-degree day and I don't do well in heat and humidity.
Hoping to keep cool, I stayed in bed. Finally at about 12:20 PM, the lights came on. Would they stay on? I left my air conditioner off, but turned on my
TV. Governor George Pataki said people should only use their air conditioners for health reasons. I quickly turned mine on and breathed a sigh of relief.
I now had power and air conditioning. My taste of Baghdad in summer was over!
Bob Mauro, KZ2G, has been a ham since 1965, when he was first licensed as WN2UHY, and soon thereafter, as WB2UHY. From his
Web site: "
The seeds of amateur radio were planted in me back in the Fifties. As a kid, I watched Captain Midnight on TV. I always wanted to make a communicator like
he did out of a piece of wire, a spoon and some tape." In 1960, at age 13, he bought a National NC-60 communication receiver to tune in on the world. After
a bout of childhood polio and two spinal fusions in 1961, he got involved with CB radio and later Amateur Radio. In the early 1970s, he helped start the
Hofstra University disability advocacy group, People United in Support of the Handicapped. Mauro is an author and painter living in Levittown, New York.
He can be reached at
kz2g@optonline.net.
Big Project Curriculum, Lab Handbook Now On-Line
TBP-Franklin-school
A group of excited young hams at Franklin Elementary School in Kirkland, Washington, show off their new call signs. The exposure to RF electronics that
the ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program curriculum offers children can open up new vistas for learning in many fields, not just electronics.
[Dave Condon, KI7YP, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 27, 2003--The ARRL Education and Technology Program--also known as "The Big Project"--has posted an updated version of its Basic Curriculum
and Radio Lab Handbook to the
ARRL Web site.
The revised materials became available for downloading on August 27.
"This curriculum is a living document and requires active participation to make it better," said ARRL Education and Technology Program Coordinator Mark
Spencer, WA8SME. "Therefore, user input is very important, not only to the quality of this curriculum, but to the project as a whole."
In an effort to expedite delivery and reduce costs, the documents only went through a cursory editing process rather than a more formal and rigorous exercise,
and Spencer noted that some typographical and other errors may remain. "User assistance here would also be greatly appreciated," he added.
The curriculum documents may be downloaded in a number of ways, depending on your patience with your Internet connection. The curriculum is divided into
two sections, the Basic Curriculum and the Radio Lab Handbook, all in packed ZIP files for the fastest possible download. The materials also are available
as individual files in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format (PDF files require Adobe Reader software to view).
The Basic Curriculum ZIP file is 1.5 MB in size, while the Radio Lab Handbook, which contains many figures and diagrams, is 5 MB. The individual sections
of the curriculum will download much faster and will be a handy option for those using dial-up Internet connections, Spencer noted.
Spencer asked those unable to download the curriculum via the Internet to
contact him
directly, and he'll send the material on a CD-ROM. He asked those downloading any portion of the document to notify him via e-mail to indicate they are
using the material.
"We want to be able to keep users informed of updates," he said. "The major point is that the document needs active participation to keep it alive, well
and ever-improving."
Spencer invited comments, critiques, additions and recommendations via telephone, 860-594-0396, or e-mail at
mspencer@arrl.org.
KH6BB and "Mighty Mo," the Battleship Missouri
Story by E. Art Galbraith, K7GV (SK)
August 27, 2003
Hams are preserving history on one of the most famous and longest-serving battleships in US history.
A
The KH6BB operating position is located on the port side of Radio Central. To the right of the operating table is a rack of electronics with several HF
receivers (including a mint-condition R-390) donated to the ship by Mike Taylor, AL1N. The URT-23 2.5 KW HF power amplifier on the bottom is an exact replacement
for the amplifiers removed from the ship when she was decomissioned, and the club is in the process of refurbishing it and putting it on the air.
B
The starboard side of Radio Central shows components of the Missouri's automated message handling system, as restored by KH6BB club members. When the ship
was delivered to BMARC, all of the racks were empty.
Seven racks of Teletype Model 40 equipment are in Radio Central, along the forward bulkhead. This was a secondary messaging system, used primarily for ship-to-ship
traffic. [Bruce Murray, KG6JIJ, Photo]
A close-up view of the Model 40. The system used cassette tapes for message storage. [Bruce Murray, KG6JIJ, Photo]
A rack of R-1051G HF receivers stands in Facilities Control No. 1, just aft of Radio Central. The ship has 16 of these rigs, plus three Watkins-Johnson
URR-74 HF receivers. All were rendered inoperable when the ship was decommissioned. [Bruce Murray, KG6JIJ, Photo]
The 19 HF receivers all had independent sidebands. These three racks of switches in Facilities Control 1 were used to route the 38 audio outputs to various
destinations. A similar bank of switches was used to route inputs to the 11 HF transmitters. [Bruce Murray, KG6JIJ, Photo]
There was a secure, encrypted telephone system on board, and this rack in Facilities Control 1 is the main switchboard, also known as the "Coke machine."
In general, red colors on equipment indicate use for secure communications. [Bruce Murray, KG6JIJ, Photo]
During the summer of 2002, I returned for a fourth visit to the USS Missouri, now open as a museum in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Having never served on the battleship
during her years of active service, my visits to the Missouri were "volunteer tours." I do, however, identify with her in as much as our seagoing careers
began and ended around the same time.
I initially boarded the vessel at her final berth, approximately 400 yards off and bow-to-bow with the hulk of the USS Arizona. The ships are like bookends
framing the World War II Memorials in Pearl Harbor, depicting the beginning and ending of that conflict.
On my first visit, I met Ned Conklin, KH7JJ, president of the Battleship Missouri Amateur Radio Club. Ned introduced me to Radio Central, the ship's administrative
and message processing center, and to a couple of members of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Director of Volunteers Sam Lowe and Director of Collections
Mike Wiedenbach. Their expertise and assistance proved invaluable in the ongoing restoration of Radio Central.
During World War II and the Korean Conflict, the universal language of Morse code was the dominant mode of radio communication aboard ship. A few black
and white photos from those times still exist, showing a radio watch wearing "cans" while operating a "mill" and "bug." On September 2, 1945, a Missouri
radioman sent the surrender message from Tokyo Bay, announcing to the world the end of the war. Interestingly, Ned believes he has located the actual Vibroplex
key used to send this message in a museum in California.
After the Korean Conflict, "Mighty Mo" was decommissioned and Radio Central fell silent and dark for 30 years. But during a 1986 refitting, Radio Central
entered the world of satellite communication, radioteletype and infrared waves. Mechanical Teletype, with its noisy clickity-clack and odors of oil and
hot circuitry, went the way of signal flags and lamps, as did the prolific use in the 1940s and 1950s of Morse code. Although items from her earlier voyages
and engagements are scarce, the Battleship Missouri Amateur Radio Club is slowly restoring Radio Central to the equipment and configurations of the 1980s.
Today's Operations from Mighty Mo
In addition to regular operation a few days a week, the Battleship Missouri Amateur Radio Club makes a special effort to put KH6BB on the air during Museum
Ships Weekend.
[
Full Story]
Thanks to some generous donations by local hams, including the late Norman (Tommie) Thompson, AH6E, and expert restoration by club member Pete Wokoun, KH6GRT,
the amateur station has an operating Collins S-line (32S3/75S3), as well as other ham radio equipment, donated by the Nay League, formerly used for MARS
phone patches in the days before the Internet.
In keeping with the Missouri's museum status, KH6BB uses the original US Navy antennas installed during the 1986 refit. The best performer for 30 through
10 meters is the big discone antenna on the bow. Two 35-foot whips over the bridge serve 40 through 10 meters, and the club has future plans for 80 meter
operation using the wire fan antennas strung fore and aft between the stacks.
The Last Battleship
The fourth US warship to carry the name, the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) was the last battleship completed by the US Navy.
[
Full Story]
The club uses frequencies ending in 63 to commemorate the vessel's naval designation, BB-63. I have had the opportunity to engage in many worldwide contacts
and ragchews with hams who served on the ship, students hungry for information about "Mighty Mo's" history and "sparks" from seagoing vessels. Making contacts
using the same antennas employed during the ship's active service have been some of my most memorable moments in ham radio.
On my second visit to the Missouri, I contacted the Pearl Harbor Survivors Net, a group that has been meeting on the air for the past 50 years. We set up
a schedule and swapped war stories many times. Upon returning to the mainland, I could not get the ham station on "Mighty Mo" out of my mind and only looked
forward to my next tour.
In addition to working the station during my third visit to Pearl Harbor, I volunteered to help set up for the September 2, 2002 ceremony commemorating
the signing of the surrender documents ending World War II. This ceremony, on the Missouri's fantail, began at 7:45 AM with an invocation from a navy chaplain.
Following this were speeches and comments by military and diplomatic dignitaries. After an informative recital of the history of the Missouri and her special
role at the surrender, a moment of silence honoring the dead was observed, setting a mood of reverence and remembrance. Buglers aboard performed Echo Taps,
lending a reflective mood to the conclusion of the ceremony. For a moment, as the last notes faded, I experienced exhilaration like I felt back in August
1945, on a troop ship headed for Manila, when I first heard that hostilities had ceased between the US and the Japanese Empire.
A Tribute to Art
With his merchant marine background and his extensive maritime mobile operating, Art Galbraith loved working on the Missouri.
[
Full Story]
On my fourth visit, I found many more improvements at Radio Central. During my absence, club members had been busy acquiring and restoring equipment. New
to the station was a rack of HF receivers. Mike Taylor, AL1N, donated a Collins 651S1, a Rockwell-Collins HF-8054A and a Motorola R-390, all in perfect
condition.
The plank owners--the first crew of a ship's maiden voyage--will have a reunion aboard September 2, 2003. Perhaps those operating KH6BB will be able to
help some old sailors rekindle friendships from the past through third party traffic. Perhaps other hams will join us in helping to make the continuation
of this monument possible so future generations can experience this very significant piece of history.
Editor's Note: E. Art Galbraith, K7GV, spent a half a century in the maritime industry, working as an electrician, assistant engineer and radio electronics
officer. He first became interested in Amateur Radio in 1940, but failed his first attempt at the code test at the FCC office in Salt Lake City in June
1941. He didn't get to take the exam in December of that year, but the acquired knowledge of Morse allowed him to earn two commercial telegraphy licenses.
Galbraith became a ham in 1975 with the call WB0OGV and fondly recalled the phone patches he was able to run for shipmates in the 1970s and '80s. He retired
to Gresham, Oregon and became a silent key at the age of 75 in July 2003 after a sudden collapse while training for a scuba diving certification.
FCC to Get Tough on Offending Power Companies
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 26, 2002--The FCC plans to get tougher on electric utilities that fail to fix problems causing interference with Amateur Radio and other
licensed communications. Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth met recently at ARRL Headquarters with Ed Hare, W1RFI, and John Phillips,
K2QAI, of the ARRL Lab staff to discuss various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues. As a result of that session, changes will be made in the way
ARRL and FCC cooperate on power-line cases.
(L-R) ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL EMC Specialist John Phillips, K2QAI, and FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth met July 18 at ARRL Headquarters
to discuss EMC issues, including power-line interference cases.
(L-R) ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL EMC Specialist John Phillips, K2QAI, and FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth met July 18 at ARRL Headquarters
to discuss EMC issues, including power-line interference cases.
"What we've done is to review all cases that the League has worked on where we had no cooperation," Hollingsworth said this week. "In at least three instances,
the power company in question hasn't cooperated as it should have." Hollingsworth said these cases will "go to the next step," which likely will entail
involving the appropriate FCC field office for additional investigation and appropriate enforcement. In the future, initial letters from the ARRL and the
FCC will impose a shorter compliance window and will be more firmly worded. In addition, a follow-up letter from the FCC will be sent to utilities that
fail to respond appropriately to the initial inquiry.
The routine FCC letter to a power company cites the requirement to rectify problems with their equipment "if the interference is caused by faulty power
utility equipment." FCC Part 15 rules classify most power-line and related equipment as "incidental radiators." This means the utility equipment does not
intentionally generate any radio-frequency energy but may create it as an incidental part of its intended operation. The FCC urges a utility to locate
sources of any interference caused by its equipment and make necessary corrections "within a reasonable time."
FCC Part 15 rules require that utilities and other operators of "incidental radiators," such as power lines, cause no harmful interference to licensed operations.
Typical was a recent letter from the FCC's Consumer Information and Governmental Affairs Bureau to Commonwealth Edison of Chicago citing radio frequency
interference complaints from five Illinois amateurs. According to the FCC, the amateurs had attempted without success to work through the utility's complaint
resolution channels.
Utilities that appear unwilling to abide by Part 15 rules regulating unintentional radiation are in the minority, Hollingsworth said. By and large, utilities
contacted by ARRL as a result of power-line noise complaints from amateurs have been extremely cooperative, and he had high praise for the League's role
in resolving complaints in the early going. Only a handful of cases--perhaps a dozen in all--have ended up being forwarded by the ARRL to the FCC for action.
"The League's record is outstanding here," Hollingsworth said. "The ARRL has resolved the vast number of these cases." Cases necessitating FCC follow-up
action have been minimal, he said, and most of those stem from the utility's failure to understand its obligations under Part 15.
Over the past year, the League has worked with amateurs on behalf of the FCC to handle 72 complaints of suspected power-line interference. Hare, the ARRL
Lab supervisor, says that the effort has had its successes, some cases may require more than an advisory letter from the FCC. "Having the FCC field offices
investigate those cases where a power company is not willing or able to assume its responsibilities is a good next step," he said. "The League and the
FCC both hope that continued cooperation will bring these cases to a satisfactory end without having to resort to drastic enforcement measures."
UK to Authorize 5-MHz Experimental Operation
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 26, 2002--Amateur Radio experimental operation on 5 MHz in the United Kingdom could begin as soon as early August. The Radio Society
of Great Britain has announced that the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) and the UK's Ministry of Defence have granted permission to allocate five frequencies
in the range 5250 kHz to 5450 kHz. The announcement opens up the possibility of the first Amateur Radio transatlantic contacts on 60 meters.
Earlier this year, the FCC, responding to an ARRL petition, proposed allocating 5250 to 5400 kHz to US amateurs on a secondary basis. An ARRL-sponsored
experimental authorization under the call sign WA2XSY remains valid, and some operation continues. The FCC said ARRL's WA2XSY experimental operation "appears
to support its contention" that the band could supplement 80 and 40 meters at certain times.
The WA2XSY tests, begun in 1999, attracted the RSGB's attention. RSGB Spectrum Director Gordon Adams, G3LEQ--who's directing the experiment--says the RSGB
HF Committee subsequently made its case to the UK regulatory authorities to gain limited access for amateurs to some spot frequencies in the band.
The RSGB said the purpose of what it's calling "The Fivemegs Experiment" is to carry out propagation and antenna investigations aimed at improving the understanding
of near zenithal radiation or near-vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) propagation. Frequencies to become available are 5260, 5280, 5290, 5400 and 5405 kHz.
"These will be made available in the form of 3-kHz bandwidth channels by way of a Notice of Variation (NoV) to individual Amateur Radio licence holders,"
the RSGB announcement said. Applications will be accepted starting July 29.
According to the RSGB, NoVs will only be issued to Full Class-A licence holders. "It is hoped to relax this ruling as the experiment progresses," the RSGB
said. Because the program is being considered a "controlled experiment" in the UK, amateurs authorized to operate on 5 MHz will be required to report their
findings and results to the RSGB. The RSGB has taken on the job of forwarding reports to the Radiocommunications Agency and the Ministry of Defence as
the experiment progresses.
In the UK, the Department of Defence--as the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum--has agreed to the amateur experimental use of the spot frequencies. Stations
operating on them will be known as "Foxtrot" stations. The experiment will include operation on voice and CW/data modes, depending on the channel. Class
A Full licence holders may run up to 200 W PEP.
The Radiocommunications Agency is expected to issue the first NoVs on or around August 1, with experimental operation getting under way a day or two later.
The RSGB anticipates that the experiment will run for up to four years, terminating around August 2006.
An application form for UK amateurs and further details are available via the
RSGB
Web site or via e-mail
ar.dept@rsgb.org.uk.
An amateur allocation in the vicinity of 5 MHz has long been an objective of the International Amateur Radio Union. "Particularly in the higher latitudes,
there are many times when the MUF is below 7 MHz but is too far above the next lowest amateur frequency band (3.8 or 4.0 MHz, depending upon the Region)
for communication to be supported in that band using typical amateur antennas and power levels," an
IARU spectrum planning document
states. The IARU's Administrative Council has approved a long-term goal of "a narrow allocation, even on a shared basis in the vicinity of 5 MHz."
The Amateur Amateur: The HF Chronicles--Part Deux--or--So Many Knobs, So Many Buttons
By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
Contributing Editor
July 25, 2002
My last column described installing an HF antenna. The antenna sat on the roof of my house, not connected to anything. Once I worked up the courage (and
money) to purchase an HF transceiver, I looked through catalogs and perused Web pages. I did this for a long, long time. The array of options available
on HF transceivers was truly bewildering. I didn't even know what most of the features were.
After a great deal of careful thought, I bought what was on sale.
My new Yaesu FT-847 transceiver: Compact, but mystifying.
My new Yaesu FT-847 transceiver: Compact, but mystifying.
Knobs and Gibberish
When my new HF transceiver arrived, I gleefully opened the box, then simply stared at it. The transceiver itself was smaller than I had anticipated, but
it had what seemed like dozens, no, hundreds, maybe thousands of knobs and buttons on it. What was all this stuff?
None of it seemed to be labeled in English. The labels said things like "AF," "VFO," "AGC," "NB," "MOX" and other letters that sounded like gibberish. But
you know how it is. I wanted to at least turn on the transceiver and listen to it for a while. I could always read the Operating Manual later.
Not so fast. Amateur radios are not typical consumer goods. First of all, one cannot simply plug them in and turn them on. There is no plug! Being a clever,
albeit amateur Amateur Radio operator, I had already anticipated this and had ordered a power supply along with the transceiver. I won't bore you with
the details. (Translation: nothing went wrong). Second, transceivers need antennas. Ha! I had anticipated this part as well. Not only were the antenna
and the feed line ready, I had also ordered and received a mysterious box called an antenna tuner. Everything went together smoothly. (I told you I was
clever.)
Right. Everything was connected. It was time to turn on the transceiver, which I did. Fans hummed, lights lit, dials illuminated, and . . . nothing. I had
expected at least static or hiss (remember: this was not an FM radio). There was no sound!
I tried to turn up the volume. Yes. I tried to turn up the volume. I couldn't find the volume control! Nowhere among the masses of knobs, dials, lights,
bells, whistles, and shaving cream dispensers was there anything labeled "volume" or even "vol." I am embarrassed to tell you how long I looked.
Time Out!
If this had been a football game it would have been the time to drop back and punt. In Amateur Radio ventures it was the time to read the Operating Manual.
So I did.
The Operating Manual: Always start here.
The Operating Manual: Always start here.
I found that the volume control knob was marked "AF" for reasons that still elude me. I turned up the AF knob and, lo and behold . . . nothing! There was
still no sound. Now I was really mystified.
I studied the transceiver's display carefully, hoping that among the hieroglyphics I would find a clue--something like "please fasten seat belt" or "push
button Z for sound." There was nothing but a lot of cryptic nonsense, a message that said "TX," and the incessant whine of the fan. Ah well. I shut off
the radio, got my reading glasses, a can of soda, and sat down in my easy chair to read the manual.
I hadn't read for very long before three alarming facts came to light. First, the TX indicator meant that the radio was transmitting! Nah, it couldn't have
been. Second, the fan only ran when the radio was transmitting!! Third, the speaker was disabled when the radio was transmitting!!!
The evidence was mounting. I must have been transmitting the moment I turned on the transceiver! But how? I had not touched the microphone. The "talk" button
was not depressed. Did I have a faulty microphone? Or transceiver? Rather than face those horrible prospects I continued reading.
Oh, wait. Now there was an interesting feature. Just below the POWER switch was a button labeled "MOX." Apparently, depressing the MOX button had the same
effect as pressing the microphone push-to-talk button and holding it on.
The infamous MOX button.
The infamous MOX button.
I checked the transceiver. Sure enough, the MOX switch was depressed. I released it and voila! The TX indicator went off, the fan turned off, and blessed
static roared from the speaker!
Well, that was embarrassing! My very first act on the HF bands was to jam the airwaves with an open microphone, violating countless rules, and no doubt
angering whoever might have been listening. Not a very good beginning.
Many Miles Before I Sleep
There was clearly a lot to learn before I even tried to listen with my new transceiver. I shut it off and disconnected the power supply. I left my shack
and went to the kitchen and got another soda. I then headed for my study and plopped down in my easy chair. Sighing, I hefted the transceiver's manual.
I had a lot more reading to do.
(Note to self: Delete references to being "clever" before submitting to the editor.)
Editor's note: ARRL member Gary Hoffman, KB0H, lives in Florissant, Missouri. He's been a ham since 1995. Hoffman says his column's name-- "The Amateur
Amateur"--suggests the explorations of a rank amateur, not those of an experienced or knowledgeable ham. His wife, Nancy, is N0NJ. Hoffman has a
ham-related Web page.
Readers are invited to contact the author via e-mail,
grh@heartbeat.wustl.edu.
KB3GWY is 2002 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham Of The Year
Josh Abramowicz, KB3GWY, at Scout camp.
Josh Abramowicz, KB3GWY, at Scout camp.
LOS ANGELES, CA, Jul 24, 2002--Josh Abramowicz, KB3GWY, of Reading, Pennsylvania, has been named the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY)
for 2002. The YHOTY Award is presented annually to a radio amateur age 18 or younger who has provided outstanding national or community service or improved
the state of the art in communications through Amateur Radio. An Eagle Scout, Abramowicz, 17, was honored for promoting Amateur Radio to young people through
his activities in the
Boy Scouts of America.
"Amateur Radio and scouting have always had a close relationship, with many of today's most successful scientists, engineers and professionals beginning
their careers as both Scouts and radio amateurs," said Award Administrator Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, who edits and produces
Newsline,
a weekly Amateur Radio news program. Nominating Abramowicz for the YHOTY award was ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, who's very
active in the scouting program. Wolfgang became acquainted with Abramowicz at the National Scout Jamboree last summer.
Pasternak said the judging committee selected Abramowicz based on his work in promoting Amateur Radio to youth through the Boy Scouts. A General licensee
and an ARRL member, Abramowicz is a rising senior at Central Catholic High School in Reading. He credits both the Boy Scouts and his parents--he's part
of a ham radio family--with getting him interested in ham radio. His father, Mark, NT3V, is a news reporter/anchorman at KYW radio in Philadelphia. His
mother, Suzanna, NZ3G, is a retired teacher. His 15-year-old sister Amy is studying for her ticket.
Although he'd been exposed to Amateur Radio for many years through his parents' involvement, it was not until was invited to serve on the K2BSA staff at
the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, that his ham radio spark was ignited. He quickly earned his Technician ticket early last year,
then buzzed through the Morse code and theory for his General license, which arrived only days before his departure for the Jamboree.
As a member of the K2BSA staff, Abramowicz helped demonstrate ham radio to many of the 35,000 Scouts attending the event. He also helped to train some 400
Scouts who earned Radio Merit Badges at the gathering. As a result of his demonstrated ability to connect with other scouts, he was selected to assist
K2BSA in a scheduled contact with the International Space Station. Abramowicz said the successful space QSO was a highlight of his Jamboree experience.
Abramowicz was invited by Frankford Radio Club member Steve Dobbs, NE3F, to be part of a multi-single contest operation in the 2001 CQ World Wide DX Contest.
After seeing Abramowicz's comfort level with the radio, antennas and logging program he turned Abramowicz loose to operate by himself. Dobbs later invited
Abramowicz back to operate under his own call sign during the ARRL November Sweepstakes.
Abramowicz subsequently convinced the FRC to sponsor a Venture Crew--a scouting program for older youth, where each crew has a specific goal or mission.
He then convinced the BSA Hawk Mountain Council leadership to use space in its new science center for a permanent Amateur Radio station, soon to become
available to campers.
Abramowicz frequently shares his enthusiasm for Amateur Radio with his fellow Scouts. In May, he continued a Venture Crew recruiting drive at the Appalachian
District BSA Camporee in Kempton, Pennsylvania, with an Amateur Radio demonstration that included getting other Scouts on the air.
The Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award will be presented to Abramowicz August 17 at the Huntsville Hamfest. Corporate underwriters for the
award include Vertex Standard USA (Yaesu) and CQ Magazine. As Young Ham of the Year, Abramowicz will receive an expense-paid trip to Huntsville plus a
gift of Yaesu ham radio equipment, courtesy of Vertex Standard USA. CQ will treat Abramowicz to a week in SpaceCamp Huntsville as well as with a variety
of CQ products. Amateur Radio Newsline will provide Abramowicz with a commemorative plaque, underwritten by Dave Bell, W6AQ.
The award committee also named two runners-up. They are Evan Anderson, KC0CWP, of Ashland, Nebraska, and Thomas Tenaglia, K3TAT, of W Chester, Pennsylvania.
Both will receive certificates of appreciation from the award sponsors.
Unit 2
Radio Phenomena
Lesson 2.3
Prepared By Robert Lah, Kd5HAW
Michael Riley, N9LTT
Lesson Title Radio Wave Propagation
Curriculum Area Science
Grades 6 – 8
Duration 2 class periods
Content Standard SC-2
Benchmarks SC-2.1
SC-2.2
SC-2.3
Goal
Develop the student’s understanding of the fundamentals of radio wave propagation and how it is utilized in today’s technological world.
Objectives
Demonstrate how radio waves travel through space.
Demonstrate Line-of-Sight Propagation.
Demonstrate Tropospheric Bending & Ducting.
Resource Materials
Now You’re Talking
Radio Wave Propagation, pages.3.1-3.9
ARRL Operating Manual, page 4.4
ARRL Instructors Manual, pages 5.5 – 5.6
Instructional Content
How Radio Signals Travel
Line-of-Sight Propagation
Troposphereic Bending & Ducting
Suggested Activities
Activity Sheet 2.3
Activity Sheet 2.4
Activity Sheet #2.3
Line-Of-Sight Propagation
Robert Lah, KD5HAW
Introduction:
Unless obstructed (blocked), VHF and UHF radio waves travel in straight lines. This sometimes limits the distance these radio waves can travel. To demonstrate line-of-sight propagation we will use a flashlight.
Materials: Flashlight
Procedure:
Turn on the flashlight and shine it across the room to a small moveable object. This represents the signal from one VHF radio to another. Would these radio operators be able to talk to each other? Why?
Move the object behind a door, desk or bookshelf.
Without changing the position of the flashlight, shine the flashlight in the direction of the object. Does the light hit the object? Why not? What can you say about ling-of-sight propagation? Would the two radio operators be able to talk to each other?
Activity Sheet #2.4
Tropospheric Ducting
Jerry Hill, KH6HU
Introduction:
When a cold air mass moves under a warm air mass a weather phenomena called an “inversion” is formed. VHF radio waves can be “caught” between the two layers formed in the inversion (see Figure 2.5 in unit 2). As a result, the area between the two layers can act like a tube or “duct” and VHF radio waves can “bounce” between the two layers for many miles, thus extending the range of the normal VHF signal. This is referred to as “torpospheric” ducting.
Materials:
Two mirrors
Flashlight
Procedure:
Place one mirror face up on a table.
Place the other mirror face down over the first mirror.
Elevate the top mirror about 4 inches above the bottom mirror.
Shine the flashlight down at about a 30 degree angle at the bottom mirror, between the two mirrors.
Notice how the beam of light extends along the two mirrors.
If you would like to be creative, make a Jell-O mold using opaque Jell-O on the bottom, a clear Jell-O in the middle and an opaque Jell-O on top. Discuss how the radio waves travel through the clear layer, bouncing off the opaque layers. When you have finished, the students can eat the Jell-O!
Wireless Phenomena
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
To understand how radio signals travel
through space, we must first understand the nature
of electromagnetic waves.
In nature there are two kinds of energy
waves: compression and transverse. Sound
waves are an example of compression waves.
They transfer their energy through things such aair and water. Electromagnetic waves, which
include radio waves, are examples of transverse
waves. Transverse, radio waves do not need a
material to transfer their energy through. That is, they can transfer their energy through
vacuum, like space. They do this by creating electric and magnetic fields that cycle back
and forth very fast – hundreds, thousands, millions, billions and even trillions of times
each second. The number of cycles the wave goes through each second is called its
frequency. We’ll discuss this in more de
Figure 2.1 shows what is called “The Electromagnetic Spectrum.” The
electromagnetic spectrum shows electromagnetic waves varying in frequency from waves
of a few hertz (or cycles) all the way through gamma rays. We use these waves to do
everything from transmitting radio and television signals to cooking our food. Yes, we
can use electromagnetic waves to cook our food. Do you have a microwave oven at
home? Notice on the electromagnetic spectrum chart, microwaves are just above TV &
FM broadcast frequencies. These electromagnetic waves can be described by their
wavelength, frequency or the amount of energy they contain. We use different units to
describe the three. Radio waves are usually described by their frequency, measured in
Hertz (Hz), thousands of Hertz (kHz) or millions of Hertz (MHz); light waves are usually
described by their wavelength measured in meters (m); and X-rays in terms of energy
measured in Electron-volts (eV).
Looking at the electromagnetic spectrum chart, what kind of electromagnetic
radiation has the shortest wavelength? Which one has the longest?
THE NATURE OF RADIO WAVES
What do all these frequencies mean to us? In Amateur Radio we work with a wide range
of frequencies starting as low as 1800 kHz to up above 300 GHz. Yes, that’s Giga Hertz.
Much of the operation, however, takes place in the lower frequencies, from 1800 kHz to
450 MHz. There is a direct relationship between the frequency of a radio wave and its
wavelength. To best understand this relationship, let’s look at the typical “ac” wave – the
kind that brings power to your house or school. Even though it travels through wires, an
“ac” (ac means alternating current) wave is a radio wave, too.
Text Box:
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.1
The power company uses a large machine
called an alternator to produce power at its
generating stations. The ac supplied to your home
goes through 60 complete cycles (shifting from a
positive voltage to negative and back to positive
again) each second. So, the electricity from the
power company has a frequency of 60 Hz. See Figure
2.2.
This 60-hertz ac electricity builds slowly to a
peak current or voltage in one direction, then
decreases to zero and reverses to build to a peak in
the opposite direction. If you plot these changes ongraph, you get a gentle up-and-down curve. We call
this curve a sine wave. Figure 2.2A shows two
cycles of a sine-wave ac signal.
What you need to remember is that alternating
currents can change direction at almost any rate.
Some signals have low frequencies, like the 60-hertz
ac electricity the power company supplies to your
house. Other signals have high frequencies like, radio
signals that can alternate at more than several million
hertz. (Activity Sheet #2.1)
Wavelength is another unit that can be used to describe an ac signal. As its name
implies, wavelength refers to the distance the wave will travel through space in one single
cycle. See Figure 2.2B. All such signals travel through space at the speed of light,
300,000,000 meters per second. The Greek letter lambda (ë) is used to represent
wavelength.
Here’s another thing to remember. The faster a signal alternates, the less distance
the signal will be able to travel during one cycle. There is an equation that relates the
frequency and the wavelength of a signal to the speed of the wave. If you know either
the frequency or the wavelength, you can determine the missing one.
c = f * ë (Equation 2.1)
Where:
c is the speed of light, 3.00 x 10 (8) meters per second
f is the frequency of the wave in meters
ë is the wavelength of the wave in meters
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.2
We can solve this equation for either frequency or wavelength, depending on which
quantity we want to find.
f = c / ë (Equation 2.2)
And
ë = c / f (Equation 2.3)
From these equations you can see that as the frequency increases the wavelength
gets shorter. Figure 2.3 shows a simple diagram that will help you remember the
frequency and wavelength relationships. You can practice using these equations on
Student Worksheet #2.2
HOW RADIO WAVES TRAVEL
Have you ever wondered how the radio signal travels from your favorite AM or
FM radio station to your radio? When you did the AM Dxing activity in unit one, did
you notice how during the day you could only hear local radio stations, but at night, you
could hear stations from far away? To understand this “phenomena” we need to
understand how radio waves travel. The study of how radio waves travel from one point
to another is called “Propagation.” Radio waves travel to their destination in four ways.
First, radio waves can travel directly from one point to another. This is called line-of-
sight propagation. The second way radio waves travel is along the ground, bending
slightly to follow the curvature of the Earth for some distance. This is called ground-
wave propagation. Third, radio waves can be refracted or bent back to Earth by the
ionosphere. This is known as sky-wave propagation. The ionosphere is a layer of
charged particles called ions in the Earth’s outer atmosphere. These ionized gases make
long distance radio communications possible. Lastly, radio waves can be trapped in a
layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, traveling a longer distance than normal before coming
back to the Earth’s surface. This is known as tropospheric ducting. We will now take a
look at each of these four types of propagation.
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.3
1165
Line-Of-Sight Propagation
Line-of-sight propagation occurs when signals travel in a straight-line form the
transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna. These signals, also know as direct waves,
are used mostly in very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF) and
microwave ranges. The signals you receive from your local television stations and FM
radio stations are examples of direct waves. Cable television is not considered an
example of direct waves, however, because the signal travels through a cable instead of
being transmitted through the air. Two-way radios, like police and fire departments and
Amateur Radio operators use, is another good example of
line-of-sight propagation. When transmitting on a local
repeater frequency, direct waves generally travel in a
straight line to the repeater. The repeater then retransmitsthe signal in a straight line to othe
2
Tall buildings, mountains and hills, and even
airplanes affect line-of-sight propagation. These things
can get in the way of radio signals and cause d
o
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.3
Treferred to as tropospheric bending. Tropospheric bending is used in the
VHF/UHF frequency ranges. See Figure 2.4.
Tropospheric Ducting
1372
is
in
th
is referred to as troposph
a cold air mass moves in under a warm air mass, called a
temperature inversion, it can act like a tube, or duct, and
cause radio-waves to travel along the duct for many miles
before returning to Earth. (Activity Sheet #2.4)
Text Box:
Text Box:
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.4
Besides bending a radio signal back towards Earth, it
possible for a VHF or UHF radio signal to become trapped
the troposphere causing them to travel longer distances
an normal before coming back to the Earth’s surface. This
eric ducting. See Figure 2.5. When
G
In ground wave propag
over hills. They follow the curvature of the earth for some distance. Signals from AM
broadcast stations travel by ground wave propagation during the daytime. As you driveaway from the station the signal begins to fade until you can’t hear
them anymore.
Ground waves work best at lower frequencies. Another example of ground wave
propagation is when a ham radio operator makes an HF daylight contact with a stajust a few miles away. The signal travels along the ground to the other
station.
Ground wave propagation on the ham bands means relatively short-range
communications, usually 50 miles or less. But contacts of several hundred miles apossible under the right conditions. Stations near the high frequency end
of the AM
broadcast band (1600-kHz) generally carry less than a hundred miles during the day.
Stations near the low frequency end of the AM broadcast band (540-kHz) can be heardup to a distance of 100 miles or more. Amateur Radio frequencies are
higher than the
AM broadcast band, so the ground-wave range is usually shorter.
S
When Marconi sent the fi
fully understand the science of radio wave propagation. The distance was too great for
ground waves to travel. The frequencies were too low for tropospheric bending or
ducting to take place. So there had to be another reason the radio waves traveled soThe answer was sky-wave propagation.
We have since found that surround
These ions have a negative charge, just like radio waves. When the negatively charged
radio wave is transmitted up near the ionosphere, they are refracted back towards the
Earth. See Figure 2.6. We are able to “bounce” radio signals off the ionosphere backEarth. We call the distance from the transmitting station to the receiving
station the skip
distance. The area between the two stations is called the skip zone. Two-way radio
contacts of up to 2500 miles are possible with one skip off the ionosphere. Worldwicommunications using several skips (or hops) can take place if conditions
are right. This
is the way long-distance (DX) radio signals travel.
Figure 2.6
Two factors determine sky-wave propagation:
list of 2 items
• Frequency of the radio wave
• Level of ionization
list end
What causes the ions? The sun, or
energy from the sun. Energy from the sun
bombards the gasses in the ionosphere
causing ions to form. We will be discussing
how this happens in just a moment.
There is one more important piece of
information you should know. The higher
the frequency of the radio wave, the less it is
bent by the ionosphere. The highest
frequency at which the ionosphere bends
radio waves back to Earth is called the
maximum usable frequency (MUF).
Now, lets look at the ionosphere and see
how it works.
THE IONOSPHERE
1938
The Earth’s upper atmosphere (25 to
200 miles above the Earth) is made up of
mainly oxygen and nitrogen, with traces of
hydrogen, helium and several other gases.
These gases are bombarded by ultraviolet
radiation (energy) from the sun. This
radiation knocks electrons out of the atoms
of the gas forming negatively charged
particles. The remaining portions of the gas
atoms form positively charged particles.
The positive and negative particles are
called ions. The process by which ions are
formed is called ionization. The area where
ionization takes place is called the
ionosphere.
The ionosphere is actually made up
of several regions of charged particles.
These regions have been given letter
designations D through F, as shown in
Figure 2.7. Why start with the letter D?
Scientists started with D just in case there
were any undiscovered lower regions. None
have been found, so there is no A, B or C
region.
Text Box:
Text Box:
Text Box: Figure 2.7
As we mentioned, energy from the sun causes
the ionization so the sun affects the way radio waves
travel. The sun rotates through an eleven-year cycle of
increasing, then decreasing sunspot activity; this is
referred to as the sunspot cycle. During periods of
increased sunspot activity, the ionosphere can become
disturbed and disrupt radio communications worldwide.
Now lets look at the different layers (or regions)
making up the ionosphere.
The D – Region
The D region is the lowest region of the ionosphere affecting propagation. This
region is located about 35 to 60 miles above the Earth’s surface. It is very dense and
instead of refracting radio signals back to Earth, it absorbs them. So, when the D region
is most ionized, at noontime, radio communications can be affected. Ionization only lasts
while exposed to the suns rays. By sunset, the ionization has stopped and the D region
disappears.
The E – Region
The next highest region, the E-region, is located about 60 to 70 miles above the
Earth. Like the D-region, ionization lasts only while exposed to the sun’s rays. The
ionization level is lowest just before sunrise, local time. Ionization reaches its highest
level about midday and by early evening the ionization level is very low again.
Therefore, communication using the E-region is only possible during daylight hours.
The F – Region
The highest region of the ionosphere, and
most responsible for long-distance radio
communication, is the F-region. This region is very
large. It ranges from about 100 to 310 miles above
the Earth. The ionization in the F-region reaches its
highest shortly after noon local time. It then tapers
off very gradually toward sunset. At this altitude, the
ions and electrons recombine very slowly. The F-
region remains ionized during the night, reaching its
lowest just before sunrise. After sunrise, ionization
happens quickly for the first few hours, then it slows
to its noontime high.
During the day, the F-region splits into two parts, F1 and F2. The central part of
the F1 region forms about 140 miles above the Earth. For F2 region, the central region
forms at about 200 miles above the Earth. At night, these two regions recombine to form
a single F-region. The F1 region does not have much to do with long-distance
communications. Its effects are similar to those caused by the E-region. The F2 region is
responsible for almost all long-distance communication on frequencies from 1.8 to 30
MHz. Using the F2 region, two-way radio contacts can be made up to 2500 miles in one
skip.
Text Box:
Text Box:
The Scatter Modes
As we mentioned before, the area between where the ground wave ends and the
point where the first signals return from the ionosphere is called the skip zone. Some
radio signals that are refracted (bent) by the ionosphere are sometimes returned at a
relatively wide angle. This can cause some signals to return to Earth within the skip
zone, making communications in this area possible. This is referred to as scatter
propagation. Under ideal conditions, scatter propagation is possible over 3000 miles or
more. Scatter signals, however, are generally weak and may be distorted because the
signal may arrive at the receiver from many different directions.
AMATEUR SATELLITE OPERATIONS
Satellites have been used for many years to relay signals from one point on the
Earth to another. Government, military and businesses all have satellites circling the
Earth providing such services as television, broadcast radio, telephone, and paging
systems. Although we use these services, ham radio operators do not have direct access
to these satellites for ham communication. So hams have built and launched their own
satellites.
Since 1961, Amateur Radio operators have launched many of their own satellites.
Amateurs use these Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio (OSCAR’s) to communicate with
other amateurs around the world. Most satellites use the VHF and UHF bands because
radio signals on those bands normally go right through the ionosphere. The satellites
retransmit signals to provide greater communications range than would be possible on
those bands. Satellites use line-of-sight propagation so both operators must be in sight of
the satellite. It is helpful, when working satellites, to have an antenna you can point
directly at the satellite. To do this, you also need a computer satellite-tracking program
to locate the satellite in space. Working satellites can be a challenging and rewarding
experience in Amateur Radio.
EARTH-MOON-EARTH (EME)
COMMUNICATIONS
For a real challenge, some Amateur Radio
operators participate in a unique form of
communications involving bouncing VHF and UHF
signals off the surface of the Moon. Like satellite
communications, it requires both stations to be in
light of the Moon. There is one drawback to this
communication method, however. Due to the
distance to the Moon and back, a rather elaborate
antenna array and an enormous amount of power is
required.
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Mid-USA to East Coast
Mid-USA to West Coast
Mid-USA to Western Europe Mid-USA to Eastern Europe Mid-USA to Japan
Mid-USA to Australia Mid-USA to South Pacific
Mid-USA to South America Mid-USA to Central Asia Mid-USA to Southern Africa
Mid-USA to Alaska
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When are the bands open? These charts, generated using CAPman, show probabilities for average HF propagation in the month of
March for the paths indicated. The horizontal axes show Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and the vertical axes frequency in MHz.
On 10% of the days of this period, the highest frequencies propagated will be at least as high as the upper curves (red) and on 50% of
the days they will be at least as high as the lower solid-line (green) curves. The broken lines (blue) show the lowest usable frequency
(LUF) for a 1500-W CW transmitter. For SSB or a lower transmitter power, the LUF will be somewhat higher than the curves indicate.
See Oct 1994 QST, pp 27-30, and Feb 1995 QST, pp 34-36, for more details. The predictions assume an observed 2800-MHz solar
flux value of 145. This is a Very High level of solar activity. See the detailed propagation tables on The ARRL Antenna Book CD-ROM.
When are the bands open? These charts, generated using CAPman, show probabilities for average HF propagation in the month of February
for the paths indicated. The horizontal axes show Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and the vertical axes frequency in MHz. On 10% of the
days of this period, the highest frequencies propagated will be at least as high as the upper red curves (HPF, highest possible frequency) and
on 50% of the days they will be at least as high as the green curves (MUF, classical maximum usable frequency). The blue curves show the
lowest usable frequency (LUF) for a 1500-W CW transmitter. For SSB or a lower transmitter power, the LUF will be somewhat higher than the
blue curves indicate. See Oct 1994 QST, pp 27-30, and Feb 1995 QST, pp 34-36, for more details. The predictions assume an observed 2800-
MHz solar flux value of 150. This is a Very High level of solar activity. See the detailed propagation tables on The ARRL Antenna Book CD-ROM.
West Coast to East Coast
West Coast to Japan
West Coast to Southern Africa
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West Coast to Eastern Europe
West Coast to Central Asia
West Coast to Caribbean
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West Coast to South America
West Coast to South Pacific
West Coast to Alaska
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24 8 4 16 12 20 32 28 36
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West Coast to Hawaii
West Coast to Western Europe
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When are the bands open? These charts, generated using CAPman, show probabilities for average HF propagation in the month of June
for the paths indicated. The horizontal axes show Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and the vertical axes frequency in MHz. On 10 % of
the days of this period, the highest frequencies propagated will be at least as high as the upper red curves (HPF, highest possible
frequency) and on 50% of the days they will be at least as high as the green curves (MUF, classical maximum usable frequency). The blue
curves show the lowest usable frequency (LUF) for a 1500-W CW transmitter. For SSB or a lower transmitter power, the LUF will be
somewhat higher than the blue curves indicate. See Oct 1994 QST, pp 27-30, and Feb 1995 QST, pp 34-36, for more details. The
predictions assume an observed 2800-MHz solar flux value of 159. This is a Very High level of solar activity. See the detailed propagation
tables on The ARRL Antenna Book CD-ROM.
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Mid-USA to East Coast
Mid-USA to West Coast
Mid-USA to Western Europe Mid-USA to Eastern Europe Mid-USA to Japan
Mid-USA to Australia Mid-USA to South Pacific
Mid-USA to South America Mid-USA to Central Asia Mid-USA to Southern Africa
Mid-USA to Alaska
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When are the bands open? These charts, generated using CAPman, show probabilities for average HF propagation in the month of
May for the paths indicated. The horizontal axes show Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and the vertical axes frequency in MHz. On
10% of the days of this period, the highest frequencies propagated will be at least as high as the upper curves and on 50% of the days
they will be at least as high as the lower solid-line curves. The broken lines show the lowest usable frequency (LUF) for a 1500-W CW
transmitter. For SSB or a lower transmitter power, the LUF will be somewhat higher than the curves indicate. See Oct 1994 QST, pp
27-30, and Feb 1995 QST, pp 34-36, for more details. The predictions assume an observed 2800-MHz solar flux value of 153. This is
a Very High level of solar activity. See the detailed propagation tables on The ARRL Antenna Book CD-ROM.
Amateur Radio's Role Gets Favorable Mention in Post-Katrina Report
Failure-Frontis-250
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 17, 2006--The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) and the HF digital e-mail system
Winlink 2000
all got positive mentions in a post-Katrina report from the US House of Representatives. US Rep Tom Davis (R-VA) chaired the panel. References to ARES,
MARS and Winlink appear in "
A Failure of Initiative"--
the final report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to investigate the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina.
"Like all levels of government," the 364-page report notes, the National Communication System (
NCS), "
was not able to address all aspects of the damage to the communications infrastructure of the Gulf States."
Katrina-SATERN-Ed
K1DAV-013
ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK (right), speaks with two incoming Connecticut volunteers at the Montgomery, Alabama, Red Cross volunteer
marshaling center--Dave Hyatt, K1DAV (middle), of Torrington, and Dave Wilcox, K1DJW, of New Hartford. Sarratt spent more than a month processing Amateur
Radio volunteers for deployment to the Gulf Coast. [Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Photo]
MARS was cited for its role as part of the Shared Resources High Frequency Radio Program (SHARES), an emergency federal communication system put into play
when other resources are unavailable. The report says that "within days" of Katrina's landfall, NCS called upon more than 430 SHARES stations across the
US to, among other things, assist first responders conducting search-and-rescue missions by relaying information to government agencies, by relaying logistical
and operational information among FEMA EOCs in Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, and by handling health-and-welfare messages between volunteer agencies
in Georgia and the American Red Cross national headquarters.
"Additionally, the NCS coordinated the frequencies used by the nearly 1000 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers across the nation who served
in the Katrina stricken area providing communications for government agencies, the Red Cross and The Salvation Army," the report continued. "Emergency
communications were conducted not only by voice, but also by high-speed data transmissions using state-of-the art digital communications software known
as Winlink."
The report further noted, "In Mississippi, FEMA dispatched Amateur Radio operators to hospitals, evacuation centers, and county EOCs to send emergency messaging
24 hours per day. It further cited comments from Bay St Louis Mayor Edward A. "Eddie" Favre that Amateur Radio operators "were especially helpful in maintaining
situational awareness and relaying Red Cross messages to and from the Hancock County (Mississippi) EOC."
According to the report, radio amateurs at airports in Texas and Louisiana "tracked evacuees and notified families of their whereabouts," while the Red
Cross "deployed Amateur Radio volunteers at its 250 shelters and feeding stations, principally in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida."
The Salvation Army, the report pointed out, operates its own system of Amateur Radio volunteers known as
SATERN
(Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network). "During the Hurricane Katrina response and recovery effort, SATERN joined forces with the SHARES program
and received over 48,000 requests for emergency communications assistance utilizing federal frequencies made available via the SHARES program," the report
noted.
"The extent of destruction and damage to the communications infrastructure and services caused by Katrina exceeded that of any other natural disaster experienced
by the Gulf Coast states," the report concluded. "Simply put, Katrina's devastation overwhelmed government resources at all levels."
"A Failure of Initiative" asserted that the loss of power and the failure at various levels of government "to adequately prepare for the ensuing and inevitable
loss of communications" hindered the hurricane response "by compromising situational awareness and command and control operations."
"Despite the devastation left by Katrina, this needn't have been the case," the report stressed. "Catastrophic disasters may have some unpredictable consequences,
but losing power and the dependent communications systems after a hurricane should not be one of them."
"
The Cannons Have Fired"--Ham Radio Enables Coordinated Final Salute
Cannons-1
Mac Harper, W1FYM (right) keys the radio as Al Parley (left) and Master Chief Charley Williams look on.
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 17, 2006--When World War II veteran Rear Adm Barry K. Atkins was interred in Arlington National Cemetery January 30, Amateur Radio enabled
coordinated rifle salutes at the cemetery and in Hartford, Connecticut. Atkins was a longtime resident of Connecticut, and Alex Parley of Windsor--a member
of Atkins' US Navy crew during World War II--requested the special honor.
"Their destroyer, the USS Melvin, sank the Japanese battleship Fuso in the battle of Surigao Strait--the only destroyer known to have sunk a battleship,"
explains Mac Harper, W1FYM, of Glastonbury, Connecticut. Through a series of communications that began when Parley requested help from ARRL Headquarters,
Harper volunteered to handle the Connecticut end of the ham-radio coordinated salute.
Cannons-2
Marines and sailors from the Plainville, Connecticut, Reserve Center participated as an honor guard at Hartford, Connecticut's, Bushnell Park. The State
Capitol is visible in the background.
Parley contacted ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, who, in turn got in touch with Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC.
Doane passed the request along to Harper, and the Arlington Amateur Radio Club responded to his request for volunteers at the Virginia military cemetery.
APSC member Art Feller, W4ART, proposed using VHF from Arlington and communicating via IRLP to Connecticut. Jack Reed, WA4FXX, meanwhile, signed up club
volunteers, while Adam Hahn, KG4VNC, agreed to be the operator at the Arlington ceremony.
On the Connecticut end, W1FYM set up an HF-VHF station in Hartford's Bushnell Park. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, volunteered to get on the air
during his lunch hour to complete the HF link. On the appointed day and time, Harper, Carcia and Hahn established voice contact via IRLP using the W1HDA
repeater in Vernon, Connecticut.
Cannons-3
The Marine League renders the rifle salute in Hartford.
At 12:14 PM EST, KG4VNC passed the voice message, "The cannons have fired. The honor guard is beginning their salute." At that point, W1FYM informed members
of the Marine Corps League and Navy Reserve units from Plainville, who rendered the honors in Hartford, to begin the simultaneous rifle salute.
After the bugler played "Taps," Carcia at W1AW transmitted on 40 meter CW the message, "The rifle salute for Rear Admiral Barry K. Atkins was fired at Arlington
National Cemetery at 12:15 Local Time on Monday, January 30, 2006."
"The clarion tones of Morse Code were audible to all present, reminiscent of the Morse messages used during World War II," Harper observed. Master Chief
Charley Williams of the State Department of Veterans Affairs, read a proclamation from Connecticut Gov Jodi Rell and eulogized Atkins, who received the
Navy Cross for his actions in the Pacific. Lisa Perrona represented the office of US Rep John Larson.--Mac Harper, W1FYM
SuitSat-1 Battery Voltage May Be on Downward Slide
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 17, 2006--Now heading into its third week of operation,
SuitSat-1
continues to put out a faint signal on 145.990 MHz. While hearing the spacesuit-satellite's telemetry and voice messages can be difficult even for the best-equipped
stations, recent as-yet-unconfirmed reports suggest that SuitSat-1's battery voltage could be entering a death spiral. ARRL Member Richard Crow, N2SPI,
in New York, has been tracking the satellite's battery voltage, nominally 28 V. While it had been dropping incrementally, Crow has noticed a "noticeable
acceleration" in the past day or so. While conceding that he's "going out on a limb" because SuitSat-1's signal was noisy on its last pass over his QTH,
Crow believes he heard the voice telemetry announce 18.3 V, a precipitous drop from earlier orbits.
SuitSat-IEchart
A chart plotting SuitSat-1's current vs voltage. [Lou McFadin, W5DID, Graphic]
"If this is so, the battery voltage may have dropped another 6.9 volts in only 8 hours," he commented. "If so, the battery voltage is dropping like a rock."
ARRL member AJ Farmer, AJ3U, has posted the
reports
on his Web site and invites others. Crow says he won't add the still-questionable reading to his table until the battery voltage is verified or corroborated.
ARISS Issues Call for Telemetry Reports
Not taking any chances, however, SuitSat-1's sponsor--the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (
ARISS)
program--issued an urgent call for appropriately equipped Earth stations to make every effort to copy SuitSat-1's voice telemetry reports. ARISS US Hardware
Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, who was directly involved in the construction of the SuitSat-1 package, says he and others on his team have been following
the voltage reports with great interest.
"Your efforts to gather the telemetry data are very much appreciated and will contribute to further success should we get the opportunity to build a second
SuitSat," McFadin said today. "The power system is designed to squeeze every drop of power out of the batteries that is possible." Post telemetry reports
or recordings to
SuitSat@comcast.net.
Deployed from the International Space Station on February 3, SuitSat-1 already has outlasted its initially predicted one-week active life.
SuitSat-in-Space-1
Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon, SuitSat-1 begins its first orbit around Earth. The suit will enter the atmosphere and burn up
in a few weeks. [NASA Photo]
Plotting Current vs Voltage
McFadin explained (
see chart)
that SuitSat-1's battery current will rise as its battery voltage drops. "That is the power system's attempt to keep the transmitter voltage at 12 V," he
noted. "As the battery voltage nears 12 V, the regulator will no longer be able to maintain 12 V output. At a battery voltage below 9 V all transmissions
will cease."
He says that while SuitSat-1's computer will continue to operate down to 3 V, the transmitter will shut down and SuitSat-1 will appear dead. "I expect this
drop-off to occur very rapidly," McFadin added. "We really appreciate the dedication and true amateur spirit of all those who have helped us monitor this
unique and interesting experiment."
Extremely low transmitter output power has been one explanation for SuitSat-1's faint signal. AMSAT-NA calculations last weekend suggested that SuitSat-1's
transmitter is likely putting out between 1 and 10 mW instead of the 500 mW it was supposed to produce.
SuitSat-4
Prior to launch, ISS Expedition 12 Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev prepares SuitSat-1's Amateur Radio payload. Tokarev later released SuitSat-1 into space
during a February 3 space walk. [NASA Photo]
Educational Value
Its puny signal aside, the novel SuitSat-1 Amateur Radio transmit-only spacesuit turned satellite has been heard around the globe since its launch by the
International Space Station crew. ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, said last weekend brought reports from teachers who've integrated SuitSat-1
monitoring into their classroom lessons.
"Thank you to the SuitSat team for the opportunity to have students involved in such an exciting space project," teacher Neil Carleton, VE3NCE, at R. Tait
McKenzie Public School in Almonte, Ontario, said. "It's been a week of adventure, and I'm happy to report on the involvement of my class as part of our
grade 6 science studies of space. My students and I look forward to learning more about SuitSat in the weeks to come."
ARISS to Recognize Last Telemetry Report
SuitSat-1's transmission order is: DTMF tone, CW ID, SSTV image, 30 seconds of silence, voice identification, mission time, temperature and battery voltage.
The voice messages, telemetry and SSTV image are being sent on a nine-minute repeating cycle.
ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the SuitSat team plans to provide special recognition to the person who copies the last SuitSat telemetry,
and in particular the mission time and battery voltage.
AMSAT-NA has designated SuitSat-1 as AMSAT-OSCAR 54 (AO-54). By week's end, SuitSat-1 had completed more than 200 orbits of Earth.
More information on the SuitSat-1 project, including QSL information, is available on the
AMSAT
Web site and on the
SuitSat
Web site.
Regulation-by-Bandwidth Petition "a Reasonable Middle Ground," League Says
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 22, 2006--The ARRL says its Petition for Rule Making (
RM-11306)
to regulate the amateur bands by necessary bandwidth rather than by mode represents "a reasonable middle ground in a difficult regulatory area." In
reply comments
filed with the FCC February 21, the League said it was gratified to see more than 900 commenters responded to the admittedly "controversial" petition and
noted that many "show the investment of a good deal of thought about the proposal." ARRL said it would have been concerned if the amateur community had
not responded with a loud voice on all facets of the League's regulation-by-bandwidth proposal.
"ARRL continues to believe that its petition is a measured response to progress in digital telecommunications technology and successfully balances the interests
of all, regardless of which of the polarized opinions in this proceeding, if any, constitutes a 'majority' view," the League's reply comments said. "To
the extent that the success of this philosophy necessitates the participation and cooperation of all amateurs in the development of, and increased reliance
on, modernized voluntary band plans, ARRL is optimistic that such participation and cooperation will be available" as it has in past "transitional phases"
in Amateur Radio's history.
The ARRL is asking the FCC to replace the table at §97.305(c) with a new one that segments bands by necessary bandwidths ranging from 200 Hz to 100 kHz
(see table "Proposed Band Segments and Bandwidths"). Unaffected by the ARRL's recommendations, if they're adopted, would be 160 and 60 meters. Other bands
below 29 MHz would be segmented into subbands allowing maximum emission bandwidths of 200, 500 or 3.5 kHz, with an exception for AM phone.
List of 7 items
• 200 Hz would permit CW "at all speeds that human operators can decode" as well as PSK31.
• 500-Hz bandwidth would accommodate RTTY and data modes and possibly some new image modes.
• 2.8 kHz would remain the bandwidth for 60-meter operation on USB.
• 3.5 kHz would accommodate SSB and digital telephony, image, high-speed data and multimedia.
• 9 kHz is the ARRL's recommendation for double-sideband AM.
• 16 kHz is "a reasonable compromise bandwidth" to continue to permit analog FM voice, data, digital voice and multimedia at 29.0 to 29.7 MHz.
• 100 kHz, now permitted for RTTY and data in bands above 420 MHz, should be allowed starting at 50 MHz, with the exception of 50.0-50.3 MHz and 144.0-144.3
MHz to allow digital multimedia and high-speed meteor scatter work.
list end
The ARRL says the changes it's proposing to Part 97 constitute a balance "between the need to encourage wider bandwidth, faster digital communications and
the need to reasonably accommodate all users in crowded bands." It's further expressed confidence in the Amateur Radio community's ability to handle the
increased responsibility to establish the workable, accepted band plans the League's regulation-by-bandwidth regime would require.
The League's reply comments countered criticism that its petition represents "overregulation wrapped in a different cloak," that increased reliance--and
confidence--in the ability of voluntary band plans to substitute for subband regulation by emission mode is misplaced, or that the ARRL's proposal caters
to a small minority of digital enthusiasts and experimenters. Many of those who commented expressed a desire to leave things as they are, some because
they feel the advent of digital technology may threaten their favorite mode.
"They are comfortable with the status quo, because the current regulations are not encouraging toward digital modes and, therefore, the current regulatory
scheme, they feel, 'protects' them," the League said. "Their comfort level with the status quo is high for these licensees, and they have not hesitated
to tell the Commission so."
"All should be accommodated by the regulatory structure of amateur subbands, and technology changes demand regulatory changes in this instance," the League
emphasized. The ARRL said its plan "attempts to segment emission modes of similar bandwidths in a manner that accommodates the varied needs and interests
of all, while insuring compatibility by grouping like-bandwidth emissions together."
Citing repeated efforts to gather input from the Amateur Radio community at large and from its members since its regulation-by-bandwidth concept was first
aired in 2002, the League called the petition "the most thoroughly vetted regulatory proposal" it's ever developed.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, has discussed the subject of regulating by bandwidth in four "It Seems to Us . . ." QST editorials: "
Regulation by Bandwidth"
in September 2004, "
Narrowing the Bandwidth Issues"
in April 2005, "
Regulation or Band Plan?"
in June 2005 and "
Self Regulation"
in October 2005.
"The ARRL petition does not favor one mode at the expense of another," the League reiterated in concluding its reply comments. "It merely allows expansion
of the repertoire of options that amateurs may pursue compatibly."
A list of "Frequently Asked Questions" (
FAQ)
about the ARRL's petition is available on the ARRL Web site.
Table with 2 columns and 59 rows
Proposed Band Segments and Bandwidths
(The plan incorporates the ARRL's recommended exception of a maximum bandwidth of 9 kHz for double-sideband AM.)
160 Meters
Maximum Bandwidth
1.800-2.000 MHz
3.5 kHz
80/75 Meters
3.500-3.580 MHz
200 Hz
3.580-3.620 MHz
500 Hz
3.620-4.000 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
40 Meters
7.000-7.035 MHz
200 Hz
7.035-7.100 MHz
500 Hz
7.100-7.300 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
30 Meters
10.100-10.120 MHz
200 Hz
10.120-10.135 MHz
500 Hz
10.135-10.150 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
20 Meters
14.000-14.065 MHz
200 Hz
14.065-14.100 MHz
500 Hz
14.100-14.350 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
17 Meters
18.068-18.100 MHz
200 Hz
18.100-18.110 MHz
500 Hz
18.110-18.168 MHz
3.5 kHz
15 Meters
21.000-21.080 MHz
200 Hz
21.080-21.150 MHz
500 Hz
21.150-21.450 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
12 Meters
24.890-24.920 MHz
200 Hz
24.920-24.930 MHz
500 Hz
24.930-24.990 MHz
3.5 kHz
10 Meters
28.000-28.050 MHz
200 Hz
28.050-28.120 MHz
500 Hz
28.120-29.000 MHz
3.5 kHz
*
29.000-29.700 MHz
16 kHz
6 Meters
50.000-50.100 MHz
200 Hz
50.100-50.300 MHz
3.5 kHz
50.300-54.000 MHz
100 kHz
2 Meters
144.000-144.100
200 Hz
144.100-144.300
3.5 kHz
144.300-148.000
100 kHz
1.25 Meters
219.000-220.000 MHz
100 kHz
222.000-225.000 MHz
No specific bandwidth limit
Bands 70 cm and Above
No specific bandwidth limit
table end
* The ARRL has proposed to modify §97.221(b) to permit stations to use automatic control while transmitting a RTTY or data emission on the 6 meter or shorter
wavelength bands, and on the 28.120-28.189 MHz, 21.150-21.160 MHz, 14.100-14.112 MHz, 10.140-10.150 MHz, 7.100-7.105 MHz or 3.620-3.635 MHz segments.
SuitSat-1 Apparently SK; Nothing Heard for Several Days
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 22, 2006--The novel SuitSat-1 (AO-54) satellite--a Russian spacesuit carrying an Amateur Radio transmit-only payload put into orbit February
3--has gone silent, apparently for good. Among the latest reports was one from Bob King, VE6BLD, who reported "nothing heard" during a 67-degree pass over
his Alberta location February 18. Subsequent reports to the
SuitSat Web site
appear to back up his unofficial pronouncement that the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (
ARISS)
satellite experiment had stopped transmitting. ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, says a significant voltage drop Richard Crow, N2SPI,
noted in his final
telemetry report
apparently was the death knell for SuitSat-1.
"The ARISS team overcame a lot of issues in development and still was able to prove it could be done," said Ransom. "They learned a lot in the process and
learned even more from the experiment once it was deployed."
A message on the SuitSat Web site declares, "It has been days since a solid report of reception has come in; it is certain SuitSat's batteries have died.
Thanks to all who participated in this experiment!"
AJ Farmer, AJ3U, who collected and posted SuitSat-1 audio and SSTV recordings on his
Web site
expressed his appreciation to all who had contributed. "This has made SuitSat very enjoyable for those of us that were never able to hear SuitSat for ourselves
(me included)," he said. "Even though SuitSat did not transmit as intended, it still has had a very positive impact. Over the past two weeks, I have received
e-mails from at least a dozen people who have become interested in Amateur Radio because of SuitSat."
Farmer says he's now looking forward to SuitSat-2.
From the outset, hearing the spacesuit-satellite's telemetry and voice messages was difficult even for the best-equipped stations. With his impressive antenna
system, King had been copying SuitSat-1 better than most stations around the globe and posted several reports to the SuitSat and AJ3U Web sites.
As the end appeared near February 17, ARISS issued an urgent call for appropriately equipped Earth stations to make every effort to copy SuitSat-1's voice
telemetry reports. ARISS US Hardware Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, who was directly involved in the construction of the SuitSat-1 package, says he and others
on his team followed the voltage reports with great interest.
"Your efforts to gather the telemetry data are very much appreciated and will contribute to further success should we get the opportunity to build a second
SuitSat," McFadin said. Deployed from the International Space Station on February 3, SuitSat-1 outlasted its initially predicted one-week active life by
at least one week. McFadin said once the battery voltage dropped below 9 V, all transmissions would cease, although the suit's onboard computer would continue
to operate down to the 3 V level.
"We really appreciate the dedication and true amateur spirit of all those who have helped us monitor this unique and interesting experiment," McFadin said.
Extremely low transmitter output power has been one explanation for SuitSat-1's faint signal. AMSAT-NA calculations earlier this month suggested that SuitSat-1's
transmitter likely was putting out between 1 and 10 mW instead of the 500 mW it was supposed to produce.
More information on the SuitSat-1 project, including QSL information, is available on the
AMSAT
Web site and on the
SuitSat
Web site.
hender.pdf
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JOHN KAUFFMAN, W1FV
PRB-1 and CC&Rs —
What Should I Do Now?
Although states and towns have to “reasonably
accommodate” Amateur Radio communications,
how does PRB-1 actually apply to real-world
situations?
Dan Henderson, N1ND
icture the following scenarios:
Scenario 1: You have picked
out the site on your property for
the perfect tower and antenna. The
tower sections are on order, the rotator is in the
garage and the guy points have been identified.
You’re in the back yard, digging the hole for the
concrete pad, dreaming of busting the pileup
in the next big DXpedition or getting that message
through in an emergency.
There is a knock at the door. A town zoning
official says a neighbor has called and
reported that you are building a tower. He
tells you there are town ordinances or bylaws
that control the height and location of towers
and the towers require a building permit. You
aren’t sure what to do next.
Welcome to one of the most challenging
areas of Amateur Radio — antenna and tower
zoning and regulations.
Scenario 2: You and your spouse have
settled into your lovely “dream home,” picked
because of the extra large lot with space to put
up a tower so you can “work ’em all” in your
golden years. You have paid for the backhoe,
poured the concrete pad for the base and have
four of the eight sections of tower in the air.
The next morning you find a certified letter
in your mail from the development’s Home
Owners’ Association (HOA). It tells you your
tower work is prohibited by a restriction in
your property deed and demands that you
cease and desist immediately and remove
what you have already done.
Welcome to the world of CC&Rs —
Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions.
Towers and Antennas in the
21st Century
The ability to actively participate in our
hobby in the 21st Century is a far different
landscape than it was in the beginning.
Even with the Amateur Radio Service’s
well-deserved reputation as a valuable community
resource, we are constantly confronted
by neighbors and their approach
of “NIMBY” (not in my back yard) when
we wish to put up antennas to help us
communicate more effectively.
Each antenna restriction situation is different
and there is no single correct way to
approach the problems that may come up.
There is no way to convey in a brief article
everything you need to know in order to
“fight your fight.” But here are a few steps to
help get you started in the right direction.
First, determine if you are facing a PRB-1
issue or a CC&R issue. PRB-1 issues are those
arising out of governmental action (statutes
and ordinances established by state or local
governments). CC&R issues arise out of what
historically are private contracts between individuals
or groups relating to the use of a parcel
of land or an entire subdivision. To quote
Rudyard Kipling, “East is East and West is
West and never the twain shall meet...”
PRB-1
After much hard work, we have the FCC
limited preemption (known as PRB-1) to help
us handle land use restrictions. PRB-1 is the
FCC declaratory ruling requiring that local
zoning laws must reasonably accommodate
amateur antennas and support structures with
minimal regulation and without unreasonable
restrictions. Any regulations must constitute
the minimum practical regulation to accomplish
the state or local authority’s legitimate
purpose of protecting public safety.
PRB-1 isn’t a “magic bullet” allowing
amateurs to do whatever they want. States
may still regulate for legitimate public interests,
such as safety. What PRB-1 (and its
“sister” laws in 23 US states) says is that state
and local governments must work with the
amateur by providing the minimum amount
of local restriction but still allowing the amateur
to erect antenna support structures that
are reasonable to carry out the desired communications.
It isn’t “anything goes” for the
amateur, as some suggest. But neither does it
allow the municipal government to “balance”
its goals against the amateur’s interests. The
FCC did the balancing. It is now up to the
municipality to reasonably accommodate the
amateur’s communications needs.
If you are facing a PRB-1 issue, make sure
you don’t take shortcuts. Work with those
government officials to if possible agree upon
and implement reasonable standards. If you
omit a step, you weaken your case should
it have to go to litigation. The ARRL offers
what is right now the comprehensive resource
to assist amateurs facing zoning issues.
Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur by
Fred Hopengarten, K1VR,1 should be considered
a “must have” by any amateur facing
PRB-1 issues.
What should you do if you come across
what you consider to be an unreasonable
requirement that cannot be negotiated? First,
make sure you understand what land use
authority’s requirements really are. Once you
are certain of that, you are encouraged to
contact an ARRL Volunteer Counsel (VC) or
ARRL Volunteer Consulting Engineer (VCE).
These ARRL volunteers have agreed to do an
initial assessment of cases when approached
and offer advice to the amateur as to where
they stand in a given situation. VCs and VCEs
provide this initial consult for free as a service
to the amateur community (see sidebar). Bear
in mind that it may be in your best interest to
retain the services of an attorney if you are facing
an extended battle over a PRB-1 issue.
Unfortunately, the ARRL is not able to provide
individual legal assistance to amateurs
facing zoning fights; however, our Regulatory
Information Specialist can help you review the
situation you are facing and direct you to available
resources. Remember: It is not legal
advice, but an attempt to help you understand
current regulations. An extensive online
PRB-1 package is also available from the
ARRL. It provides a significant amount of
information that you may find useful in presenting
your case (see www.arrl.org/FandES/
field/regulations/PRB-1_Pkg/index.html)
You should also review the “How To” chart, as
it is a good guide to help keep you pointed
in the right direction (see www.arrl.org/
FandES/field/regulations/ant-how-to-
charts.html#local).
The bottom line in PRB-1 cases is that
there is almost always a way for an amateur
to succeed when they make a reasonable
antenna and support structure request. But it
takes hard work by an amateur well versed in
current information to be successful and help
educate the municipality gently.
CC&Rs
A different problem that requires a different
approach, CC&Rs are usually added
to the deed by the original non-government
restrictions of the property when it was initially
sold. CC&Rs remain on the deed even
when it is transferred to another party through
resale.
Before you purchase your property, you’ll
want to have your attorney research any
potential deed restrictions or conditions. If it
is restricted, you may need to keep looking,
because it can be difficult (and expensive) to
have restrictions declared invalid.
The FCC
has been very clear that
PRB-1 does not cover
CC&Rs
, as they are a private contract, not
public policy issues.
As of now, PRB-1 won’t
be of help to address CC&R issues.
Your best (and right now, the only realistic)
approach if facing a CC&R issue is
to approach the HOA board or its equivalent
with a modest, reasonable plan. Read
the excellent article by ARRL General
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, “But I Never
Agreed to That” from the November 1995
issue QST. This can be found online at
www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/
local/ccr.html. This article will help you
more fully understand CC&Rs and the various
approaches you might consider.
The practical bottom line when dealing
with CC&R cases is that the amateur is
often in a weak negotiating position. Short
of getting the HOA to change or waive the
restriction, you probably are going to have to
rely on alternatives to pursue Amateur Radio
from your home in a CC&R situation.
Renters
There is actually a third scenario (and the
one that I personally fall into). What are your
options if you are a renter in an apartment
complex? You can try and negotiate with the
complex
owner for an acceptable antenna, but
the answer is that you are bound by the terms
of your lease and can only do what your landlord will permit. PRB-1 doesn’t apply to this
situation. Remember: If your lease says no
antennas or radio transmitting from your rental
property, you run the risk of having your lease
terminated and being evicted for breaking the
lease. Proceed at your own peril.
How Is the ARRL Addressing
These Issues?
The ARRL takes any antenna restrictions
seriously. After all, the effectiveness of our
communications (both in routine operations
and in emergencies) depends on efficient and
adequate antennas. That is why the ARRL
Board of Directors has adopted a legislative
goal of expanding PRB-1 protection to all
forms of land use regulation as its Number
One objective with the 110th Congress (see
“ARRL Legislative Positions for the 110th
Congress” found online at www.arrl.org/
govrelations/). If you have questions on any
of these areas, contact the ARRL Regulatory
Information Branch (reginfo@arrl.org or by
phone at 860-594-0236). We will be happy
to help get you pointed in the right direction
with information and contacts as appropriate
for the situation you face.
So as you dream of your ultimate station,
keep in mind that there are some outside forces
you will have to be mindful of in your planning.
By doing your homework you should be able
to develop plans for a station that will let you
continue to enjoy this wonderful hobby
Dan Henderson, N1ND, is ARRL Regulatory
Information Branch Manager. He can be
reached at n1nd@arrl.org.
P
Looking up a 160 meter single vertical, now
integrated into 3-element inline array, one
of the many towers at the home of Matt
Strelow, KC1XX, of Mason, New Hampshire.
S. KHRYSTYNE KEANE, K1SFA
Two of the six towers at the Peru,
Massachusetts home of Dave Robbins,
K1TTT. The 60 foot tower (foreground) has
both 6 and 10 meter beams, while the 150
foot tower boasts 4-element 20 meter beams.
Copyright 2007 by The American Radio Relay League, Inc.
Dan Henderson, N1ND
Invariably, when an amateur wants to erect a tower and more efficient antennas,
there will be questions about zoning and building ordinances. Some questions
are simple, while others may lead to a long battle with town officials. Rule
number one in any of these cases: Make sure you know the legal landscape you
are facing before you start any project.
A Tool in the Amateur Radio Toolbox
There are many tools to assist amateurs in navigating the perils of zoning and
restrictions. Among the most important resources are fellow amateurs who have
stepped forward to serve as either an ARRL Volunteer Counsel (VC) or an ARRL
Volunteer Consulting Engineer (VCE).
ARRL VCs are fellow amateurs who are attorneys. They have agreed to provide
you with a free initial consultation when you are facing town zoning issues related
to your erection of Amateur Radio towers and antennas. ARRL VCEs are registered
Professional Engineers (PEs) who likewise agree to give you an initial consultation
when facing antenna support installation issues required by the town.
Note that VCs and VCEs provide their initial consult for free; however, if you
need to retain them further to help you navigate through the “red tape,” you need
to be prepared to pay them for their professional services (many VCs and VCEs do
provide discounted rates if they assist long term).
The Role of the VC and VCE
Primarily the role of the VCs and VCEs is to assist amateurs in antenna and
zoning issues, though some do provide advice on other topics. These might include
a VC helping a club through the process of incorporating, or a VCE serving as
an “expert witness” before a town zoning meeting. When facing an antenna fight,
remember VCs, VCEs and other resources are there to assist you, but their role
is secondary to yours. The amateur seeking to erect the tower has to take the
lead, making sure that all required information from the town is provided promptly
and as required. This includes bearing any costs associated with the permitting
process or legal fees. If you follow the steps required by the city or town, and you
don’t take any shortcuts and are reasonable in your approach, you should end up
prevailing in the end.
Take the First Step
The ARRL is looking for qualified and interested attorneys and registered
Professional Engineers to step forward to serve as VCs and VCEs. There is no
better time to consider serving in these important but unsung volunteer positions
than now. Right now, the ARRL has VCs in only 44 states and VCEs are registered
in just 33.
If you would be willing to step forward and volunteer your services as a VCE,
you may submit an application online at www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/
local/vceapp.html. To apply as a VC, submit your application www.arrl.org/
FandES/field/regulations/local/vcapp.html. For more information on how you
can assist as a VC or VCE, send an e-mail to n1nd@arrl.org or call 860-594-0236.
If you need the services of a VC or VCE to help with your zoning problem,
contact the ARRL Regulatory Information desk at reginfo@arrl.org or call 860-
594-0236. We are happy to help you sort through the first steps or try to hook you
up with a nearby VC or VCE. The ARRL VC/VCE programs are here to serve you,
but we need your help.
1Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, Antenna Zoning
for the Radio Amateur. Available from your
ARRL dealer or the ARRL Bookstore, ARRL
order no. 8217. Telephone 860-594-0355, or
toll-free in the US 888-277-5289; www.arrl.
org/shop/; pubsales@arrl.org.
JASON LAPOINTE, KB1IGK
Advice from the Front Lines
S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, QST Assistant Editor
Are you looking for a VC or VCE to help you with your situation? You never
know just when you will need good advice. Read what these current VCs and
VCEs have to say about challenges many ham operators face when trying to
install towers.
VCs
Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, of Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a VC and author of
Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur. He says he became a VC to help people
help themselves. “I am lucky to be a ham and an attorney, so I can help others
in a field I actually know something about.” He said a primary challenge in advocating
on behalf of hams wishing to put up a tower is encouraging the applicant
to do enough homework in advance of putting in the application and the hearings
that will follow. He encourages those hams wishing to construct towers on
their property to research the process before they purchase the property. “Pick
out your property with the view of the Amateur Radio potential in mind. Don’t
expect to be able to put up three towers on a half-acre lot.”
Phil Kane, K2ASP, of Beaverton, Oregon, is both a VC and a VCE. Now
retired from a 30 year career with the FCC’s Field Enforcement Branch, Phil
knows both sides of the issue when it comes to putting up towers. “I was very
involved on the regulatory end of Amateur Radio — now I’m on the other side
helping my fellow hams.” He says that municipalities do not fully understand reasonable
accommodation. “My job, in advocating on behalf of hams, is to make
sure planning and zoning commissions clearly understand just what reasonable
accommodation is.” He offers this advice: “Have a VC read over any home buying
contract before you purchase your property. This will save you a bunch of
headaches in the long run.”
VCEs
Dick Weber, K5IU, of Prosper, Texas, said that he thought he could help other
hams as a VCE. “As a Mechanical and Structural Engineer, I see that a lot of
hams put up structures that are dangerous and unsafe.” He says that hams have
to realize they are not engineers. “They might have a solid background in radio
theory, but many have no idea how to design a structure with the correct integrity.
They just have a lack of understanding on how structural stuff works.” He said
that by following manufacturers’ directions “to the letter” and making no deviations,
you should be in good shape. “If you do deviate from these instructions,
please get a Structural Engineer to help you.”
John Corini, KE1IH, of Barkhamsted, Connecticut, is also a Structural
Engineer, as well as an Aerospace Engineer. He cites Fred Hopengarten as
his impetus for joining the VCE ranks. “I saw hams with dangerous tower and
antenna installations, and I want to make changes for safer structures.” He says
that “hams are ‘cheap.’ They will spend thousands of dollars on a radio, but won’t
spend $500 for a Structural Engineer to make sure they have a safe structure.”
(John, as a VCE, offers a free 2 hour initial consultation to hams.) “Hams have
no idea just what can go wrong if they don’t get the proper assistance with the
tower.” He says that planning the proper location and getting the right equipment
is vital. “Visit as many hams’ properties as you can. See what they have done;
see what works and what doesn’t,” he advises.
Brian Curtiss, AB1AI, of Wallingford,
Connecticut, has a 65 foot Rohn 25 tower
at his house. It supports a 4-element KLM
KT 34A triband antenna for 10, 15 and
20 meters.
Open parent document
ARRL Asks FCC to Investigate Long-Range Cordless Telephone Sales
NEWINGTON, CT, May 30, 2001--The ARRL has asked the FCC to investigate and "take appropriate action" against several companies it alleges have been marketing
so-called "long-range cordless telephones" via the Internet. The ARRL took the action in the wake of numerous complaints from the amateur community about
sales of the devices, some of which operate on VHF and UHF frequencies allocated to the Amateur Service.
"Because these devices operate on Amateur bands and are capable of causing severe interference to ongoing Amateur communications, and because these devices
likely will not meet MPE [Maximum Permissible Exposure] levels for RF exposure, the matter is considered urgent," said the May 29 letter from ARRL General
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD.
The letter was addressed to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David Solomon as well as to Raymond LaForge of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology's
Equipment Authorization Division and to FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth.
"ARRL has not been able to locate any FCC certification for these devices and, based on the advertised frequency bands and ranges, it is believed that none
of these devices could be certificated, or legally marketed or sold, under FCC rules," Imlay wrote.
Imlay said the ARRL also is looking into the marketing of products such as 434-MHz video surveillance equipment and other "apparently non-certificated devices"
that use amateur frequencies but are being marketed in the US to non-amateurs.
ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, said he's received several reports concerning long-range cordless telephone devices advertised for sale on the Internet
and via auction sites such as eBay. "One of the reports, from Bill Erhardt, K7MT, involved actual harmful interference to amateur communications," Hare
said. Erhardt tracked the telephone to a neighbor's home. The neighbor told him he'd bought it on eBay.
Hare said he was glad to see the issue put into the FCC's hands. "All intentional transmitting devices that are marketed in the US must be FCC certificated,
as described in the FCC rules," he said. "At the advertised power levels and frequencies, I do not believe that these phones could have been certificated."
Optima 8810
The Optima 8810, an apparently uncertificated telephone device being sold in the US. This unit uses a 2-meter frequency. [ARRL Photos]
DXcordless-6-sm
The ARRL was able to obtain one of the long-distance cordless telephones for testing. The device, manufactured in China, bears no FCC identification number
or label. The ARRL technical staff determined that the device--an Optima 8810--operates at an output power of greater than 3 W near 147 MHz. Other such
phones are advertised as having ranges of up to 100 km operating at power levels of up to 35 W on VHF and UHF. Some models use frequencies in the amateur
2-meter and 1.25-meter bands.
The ARRL offered to send the telephone device "and as much information as it can obtain about the eBay seller" to the FCC. In his letter Imlay noted that
the vendor has since disappeared from the auction site.
One of the companies selling the long-range cordless telephones had originally indicated that one such device operated on 147 and 230 MHz. Apparently after
it heard complaints from amateurs, the company altered its Web site listing to indicate that the phone operated at 249 and 375 MHz. The ARRL attached to
its letter a copy of the Web site of another seller that showed the same telephone as operating on 150 and 230 MHz. The League said some of the companies
also may be selling similar wireless products that may operate on amateur or restricted bands.
Hare said some long-range devices are legally certificated to operate on the 900 MHz or 2450 MHz Part 15 bands. "These legal devices are only an issue if
they cause actual harmful interference to the Amateur Service," he said.
Hare requested reports of unlicensed devices causing actual harmful interference to Amateur Radio operation. Reports may be sent to
rfi@arrl.org.
FCC Sets Aside License Grant, Issues Short-Term License
NEWINGTON, CT, May 30, 2001--The FCC has set aside a recent license grant to a Florida man and issued a short-term grant in the case of an Illinois amateur.
The two cases are among several recent FCC enforcement actions.
FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth said the Commission has set aside the Technician license of Joseph E. Mattern, KG4NGG,
of Orlando. A former Tech Plus licensee, Mattern was the subject of past FCC enforcement attention. He was relicensed on May 3.
"He was only back on the air for a few days before complaints started coming in, including one alleging use of a false call sign," Hollingsworth told ARRL.
"He also was asked by the control operator to stay off several repeaters in the Orlando area." The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau set aside his
latest Amateur Service grant on May 15.
Last August the FCC wrote Mattern--then WW4WJD--citing allegations that the licensee had been using repeaters in his area to solicit traffic reports for
his employer--a company that markets the reports. Hollingsworth said at the time that evidence before the FCC alleged that Mattern had been requested to
stop operating on certain repeaters but had refused to do so. The FCC also cited evidence alleging that Mattern may have used area repeaters to discuss
business dealings regarding computer equipment and that he may have indirectly threatened area Official Observers.
In his reply to the FCC, Mattern characterized his traffic-reporting activities as "a hobby" that earned him very little money. He also said he was not
in the computer business and agreed to abide by the wishes of repeater control operators.
In September the FCC required Mattern to retake the Technician Plus exam. Mattern appeared for retesting but failed both elements, and the FCC canceled
his license. Mattern subsequently retested for the Technician ticket and passed.
When the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau granted Mattern's application and issued him a new call sign, KC4NGG, Hollingsworth reminded him that he was
expected to comply with requests from repeater licensees or control operators to refrain from use of their repeaters and to avoid using ham radio for business
purposes. In a May 16 letter to Mattern, Hollingsworth said Mattern's Technician application now reverts to pending status. He said the latest complaints
have been referred to the Enforcement Bureau for evaluation.
"I'm looking at the complaints now," Hollingsworth told ARRL. He said he expected to address the matter within a few days. Hollingsworth has reminded Mattern
that he had no authority to operate radio transmitting equipment.
In an unrelated action, the FCC has issued a short-term license grant to General licensee Reyes Lugo, KB9YDM, of Chicago. Like Mattern, Lugo--who once held
an Extra class ticket, NP3N--has a track record with the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. Last summer, he was requested to retake the Extra exam but passed only
the Morse code element and his license was canceled.
Lugo subsequently retested for Technician and General and was granted KB9YDM. The FCC set aside those grants while it investigated complaints it had received
about Lugo's radio operations as NP3N and KB9YDM. The Commission said those allegations had "raised questions" about Lugo's qualifications to hold an amateur
license.
Among other things, the FCC wanted to know if Lugo had ever transmitted on 26.715 MHz. The Commission asked Lugo to comment on four pages of transcripts
of transmissions monitored on 26.715 and 21.310 MHz alleged to be made by Lugo. The FCC also asked Lugo to detail any complaints about his amateur operation
and what action he took, if any. The FCC also said it wanted to know if Lugo had ever served as a volunteer examiner and if he ever received any compensation
for his VE work.
In his reply to the FCC, Lugo denied making any of the transmissions cited and said he's never transmitted on 26.715 MHz. He also said he was not a VE and
that he had not received any complaints about the operation of his station on the ham bands or any other frequencies.
Hollingsworth informed Lugo on May 10 that the FCC was granting his General application for a one-year period. Violations of any sort on any frequency,
Hollingsworth said, could result in a fine and a revocation and suspension hearing. "If there are no such violations in the one-year period, you may routinely
renew your Amateur license," Hollingsworth concluded.
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Ed Lu Answers Questions from Students at his Alma Mater
ARRL Honors Amateur Radio Today Production Team
SWD-ARTAwards-grp1
(L-R) Dave Bell, W6AQ; Keith Glispie, WA6TFD; ARRL Southwestern Division Director Art Goddard, W6XD; Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and Alan Kaul, W6RCL. [Fried
Heyn, WA6WZO, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 11, 2003--The ARRL has honored the individuals responsible for bringing the Amateur Radio Today CD presentation from concept to reality.
The formal recognition came over the September 6-7 weekend during the ARRL Southwestern Division Convention in Long Beach, California.
Receiving ARRL Special Service awards for their contributions to the Amateur Radio public relations effort were director Dave Bell, W6AQ, scriptwriter Alan
Kaul, W6RCL, editor Keith Glispie, WA6TFD, and Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, who assisted in producing Amateur Radio Today along with Bell, Kaul and Bill Baker,
W1BKR. The video presentation been widely distributed--including to all 535 members of the US Congress. ARRL Southwestern Division Director Art Goddard,
W6XD, presented the plaques to the team members on hand at the convention.
Former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, narrated Amateur Radio Today, which runs approximately six minutes. Designed for presentation to nonhams
and civic clubs, Amateur Radio Today focuses on Amateur Radio's role in emergency communications, including Amateur Radio's role in the September 11, 2001,
response.
SWD-BellAwd-2
Dave Bell, W6AQ, with his ARRL Lifetime Achievement Award. [Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, Photo]
The League also honored Bell--a Hollywood TV producer and past chairman of the ARRL Public Relations Committee--with a Lifetime Achievement Award. At its
July meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors cited Bell's "many significant contributions" to the ARRL, his role as chairman of the Public Relations Committee
and his work in the production of films and videos promoting Amateur Radio. His film and video repertoire includes The Ham's Wide World, Moving Up to Amateur
Radio, This is Ham Radio, The New World of Amateur Radio and Ham Radio Olympics.
SWD-BellPrez
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD (left), presents Dave Bell, W6AQ, with a framed Lifetime Achievement Award certificate. [Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, Photo]
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said the idea for the Amateur Radio Today video stemmed in part from his desire to "leave behind more than my business
card" when talking with members of Congress, their staff members and others who are not licensees but who "stand to influence or affect the future of Amateur
Radio in some way." Haynie said he and Bell discussed the project, and Bell agreed to take it on, donating a lot of his own time and effort in completing
the project.
Individuals may order a copy of the
Amateur Radio Today
CD-ROM from the ARRL on-line catalog or download it for free. Amateur Radio Today also is available in VHS videotape format. A subtitled (open-captioned)
version also is available.
Ed Lu Answers Questions from Students at his Alma Mater
ARISS-Cornell-1
Cornell Amateur Radio Club President Chase Million, KB9YER (foreground), and postdoctoral researcher Wulf Hofbauer, KC2KCF, during a QSO between Cornell
students and NASA astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, a 1984 Cornell grad. Students in the background await their turns to ask questions. [Cornell University Photo
by Nicola Kountoupes]
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 11, 2003--NASA International Space Station Science Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, spoke September 4 with students at Cornell University in Ithaca,
New York. Lu is a Cornell Class of 1984 alumnus and holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Ivy League school. The contact, arranged
through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, marked the first time students at the university had spoken to an astronaut
in space.
Among other topics, the Cornell students were interested in hearing about NASA's options to replace its aging--and currently grounded--shuttle fleet. At
the controls of NA1SS aboard the ISS, Lu replied that NASA is looking closely at a "much smaller, much simpler vehicle"--the Orbital Space Plane--to transport
ISS crews in the future.
"It would launch on an expendable rocket, and the idea is to make the thing much less maintenance-intensive than the shuttle is," Lu said. "And I hope we
can get such a thing operational in the next six or seven years." He said design of the OSP has not yet been finalized at this point.
Lu also said he "absolutely" would be interested in being part of the first human spaceflight to Mars. "I wish such an invitation were forthcoming tomorrow,
but I don't think it's going to happen that soon, but you never know," Lu said. "I'm hoping that before my career is up at NASA that I do get a chance
to do something like that." Lu told the students that the Red Planet "is quite beautiful from here." Describing how he'd just seen just seen Mars minutes
earlier from the dark side of the Earth, Lu called it "a very neat sight."
Expedition7-LuEating
Astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, eats a meal in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station. [NASA Photo]
The Cornell Amateur Radio Club QSL.
Lu said one of the "cool tools" he gets to use is a special electrical drill and tool driver that's programmable by computer and that can count turns and
be set to a particular torque.
Cornell Amateur Radio Club (W2CXM) President Chase Million, KB9YER--a Cornell junior from Indiana--says he's planning on a career in the space industry
upon graduation. "This is really exciting, this is great and it all worked," the physics major said after the QSO. "Today was more than just a hands-on
experience. We actually got to talk to a guy who is on the space station!"
Audio clips
of Ed Lu's replies to students' questions are available via the Cornell Amateur Radio Club Web site.
Lu and Expedition 7 Crew Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, have been aboard the ISS since April. They're expected to return to Earth in late October.
Mike Hammer, N2VR, the director of data management at Cornell's College of Engineering and the radio club's faculty adviser, set up the Earth station for
the direct 2-meter contact.
College of Engineering Dean Kent Fuchs greeted Lu on behalf of the university before students asked their questions.
Lu graduated from R.L. Thomas High School in Webster, New York, and while at Cornell, he was a Merrill Presidential Scholar and a member of the Big Red
wrestling team.
The
Cornell Amateur Radio Club--
an ARRL-affiliated club--dates back to 1915. Approximately 40 people were on hand for the successful ARISS contact, which took place from the university's
Barton Hall. Lu also spoke with students at his high school alma mater, Webster Thomas High School, on September 10.
ARISS
is an international effort with support from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.--Cornell University provided some information for this story
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FCC Asks Power Company to Try Harder to Resolve Noise Complaints
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 11, 2003--The FCC has asked American Electric Power Company of Columbus, Ohio, to revisit several power line noise complaints and try
harder to resolve them. The cases involve four Amateur Radio operators in Ohio, Indiana and Oklahoma.
pwrlines-10
FCC Part 15 rules classify most power lines and related equipment as "incidental radiators" and prohibit harmful interference to licensed services.
"While we certainly appreciate the considerable effort that AEP afforded this matter, we are puzzled by the lack of results," FCC Special Counsel Riley
Hollingsworth wrote August 26 in a letter to AEP Senior Vice President Marsha P. Ryan. "In most cases, a noise source can be located easily by trained
personnel using the proper equipment."
AEP responded February 10 to the FCC's initial correspondence regarding the four cases. Hollingsworth says, however, that follow-up reports from the complainants
suggest discrepancies exist between what AEP told the FCC and what the complainants report. Hollingsworth said evidence to date indicates that none of
the cases has been resolved successfully even though each "has been ongoing for a considerable period of time--in some cases for years."
In one case, AEP erroneously identified the amateur's own antenna as the source of the noise.
Jerry Daugherty, W9FS, of South Bend, Indiana, told the FCC that he's heard nothing from AEP and was not even aware that the utility was considering his
case closed. "As of June 20, 2003, the noise was present at VHF and coming from several different locations," Hollingsworth said, citing information from
Daugherty.
James Kiskis, W8PA, of Gallipolis, Ohio, reported to the Commission that, although interference identified as coming from two utility poles was fixed, it
has since returned from one of them. Kiskis told Hollingsworth that an AEP interference investigator showed up at his residence June 23 and--using a spectrum
analyzer hooked up to Kiskis' antenna--found strong noise present at 14 and 28 MHz. The investigator reportedly told Kiskis that he was turning his findings
over to a line crew to have the problems repaired.
PwrLineQRN-Gruber-1
Using special equipment, ARRL RFI Specialist Mike Gruber, W1MG, attempts to pin down the source of power line QRN that's been affecting Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW.
William Hannon, N8PW, of Canton, Ohio, confirmed to the FCC that AEP had repaired several suspect utility poles, "including one very significant noise source,"
Hollingsworth said. But, he added in his letter to Ryan, Hannon "continues to experience strong noise in dry weather conditions when his antenna is pointed
east."
Howard McCloud, KC5RGC, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, reported power line noise last April and identified its source for AEP as utility lines about a mile from his
station. "Mr. McCloud is not aware that AEP has attempted to correct it," Hollingsworth wrote. "AEP now apparently maintains that the source of the noise
is McCloud's antenna, even when it is disconnected and on the ground," a conclusion Hollingsworth labeled "patently defective." McCloud reports relatively
strong noise on HF that continues 24/7.
Hollingsworth asked AEP to "revisit each of these cases" and to update the FCC within 45 days of any progress in each case. He also referred the power company
to ARRL RFI Specialist Mike Gruber, W1MG, for technical assistance in resolving the cases.
FCC Part 15 rules classify most power lines and related equipment as "incidental radiators." Section 15.5 requires that intentional, unintentional or incidental
radiators cause no harmful interference.
President Haynie Addresses September 11 Anniversary Net
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 12, 2003--On the second anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, joined Amateur Radio
operators across the US and around the world in pausing to remember those who died that day. Haynie was among the more than 1400 amateurs checking into
the
911 Commemorative Net
organized by Len Signoretti, N2LEN. The net linked repeaters across the country--many via the Internet--and included opportunities to check in via EchoLink,
IRLP and eQSO nodes. Haynie opened by saying that he was honored to be a part of the second annual linkup and that his heart and his prayers go out to
the families of those who died. Haynie then shifted his focus to Amateur Radio's obligations in the aftermath of the terror attacks two years ago.
"One of the reasons we have a license and the privileges we have here in the United States is to provide a voluntary, noncommercial communication service
particularly with respect to providing emergency communications," Haynie said. "Since 9/11, our government at the federal, state and local levels have
a new respect for the ability of Amateur Radio operators to do just that: Provide communications when all others have failed."
Citing the late President John F. Kennedy's call, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," Haynie said hams can
do a lot for their country. "We can be vigilant, we can be trained and we can be ready!" he declared. "This is a task that we can do, and you can do it
well."
SATERN-9-11-03-1
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) volunteer Carlos Varon, K2LCV, and his wife Fran, pause Thursday to reflect on those who died September
11, 2001, in New York City. Varon was among the SATERN volunteers that day. [Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, Photo]
Haynie expressed his appreciation for those who volunteered in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and for those amateurs who continue
to assist in disasters and emergencies.
"Do what you do best. Help your community with your communications skills," Haynie urged. "Our recent agreement with Homeland Security places a new responsibility
on each of us, but it is a responsibility that you will perform, and you will do it well and with precision."
Haynie addressed a first-anniversary hookup last year to thank all amateurs who volunteered in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks.
This year's net provided an opportunity for amateurs across the country and elsewhere in the world to share their feelings about the events of two years
ago. Among other checkins was Kevin Custer, W3KKC, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Custer, who lives about a mile and a half from the United Airlines
Flight 93 crash site, received a Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service certificate of appreciation for helping to provide communications at the crash site
via several repeaters in the area. He listed the call signs of several individuals who assisted in the activation.
The Steve Jacobson Memorial Amateur Radio Association in New York City N2SJ was another participant. That call sign once belonged to Steve Jacobson, who
died at the World Trade Center.
During this week's memorial activities, The Salvation Army set up canteen operations at three New York City locations to serve those attending. The Salvation
Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) supported necessary communication on Amateur Radio VHF simplex. "Our SATERN operation was small but worked well,"
said SATERN volunteer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO. He said Carlos Varon, K2LCV--who was at the primary canteen site--also used Family Radio Service gear to communicate
with other Salvation Army officers and volunteers. Schneller coordinated the SATERN response in New York City two years ago, and Varon was among the many
SATERN volunteers.
Amateurs in New York City also supported Red Cross volunteers who assisted in the September 11 memorial activities at the World Trade Center site.
Seven Amateur Radio operators died in the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters. They were:
Steven A. "Steve" Jacobson, N2SJ, 53, an ARRL member and a WPIX transmitter engineer from New York City.
Click here
to listen to President Jim Haynie's remarks to the second annual 911 Commemorative Net [3:35]
William V. "Bill" Steckman, WA2ACW, of West Hempstead, New York, a WNBC transmitter engineer.
Michael G. Jacobs, AA1GO, 54, an ARRL member from Danbury, Connecticut.
Robert D. "Bob" Cirri Sr, KA2OTD, 39, an ARRL member from Nutley, New Jersey, and ARRL Hudson County District Emergency Coordinator. A Port Authority Police
officer, Cirri was helping to evacuate occupants from the World Trade Center when it collapsed.
William R. "Bill" Ruth, W3HRD, 58, of Mt Airy, Maryland, an ARRL member, who died in Pentagon attack. He was a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran and worked in
the Pentagon.
Gerard J. "Rod" Coppola, KA2KET, 46, of New York City.
Winston A. Grant, KA2DRF, 59, of West Hempstead, New York.
IARU Administrative Council Looks to the Future
The IARU Administrative Council
The IARU Administrative Council: (L-R) Don Beattie, G3BJ, David Sumner, K1ZZ, Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, David Wardlaw, VK3ADW, Tim Ellam, VE6SH, Larry Price,
W4RA, Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ, Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG, K. C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV, Yoshiji Sekido, JJ1OEY, Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, and Rod Stafford,
W6ROD. [Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, Photo]
David Wardlaw, VK3ADW, Larry Price, W4RA, and Tim Ellam, VE6SH
IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, flanked by retiring Vice President David Wardlaw, VK3ADW (left), and nominee Tim Ellam, VE6SH.
Frank Van Dijk, PA7F and Larry Price, W4RA
VERON President Frank Van Dijk, PA7F (right), accepts a small gift of appreciation from IARU President Larry Price, W4RA. VERON--the Netherlands' IARU member-society--hosted
a dinner in honor of the Administrative Council during its Amsterdam meeting to thank the IARU for what was accomplished at WRC-03.
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 12, 2003--The focus was on the future when the
International Amateur Radio Union
Administrative Council met September 6-7 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The council reviewed in detail the results of World Radiocommunication Conference
2003 (WRC-03) as they affected the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services and congratulated and thanked all individuals and organizations contributing
to the "satisfactory outcome." A compromise to move broadcasting from 7100 to 7200 kHz by early 2009 was a major result of WRC-03. In Amsterdam, the council
began considering the prospect of further progress on the 40-meter issue during the next World Radiocommunication Conference, tentatively set for 2007.
"While considerable progress was made at WRC-03 toward fulfilling Amateur Service spectrum requirements at 7 MHz, the requirements were not fully satisfied
and there may be an opportunity to revisit the issue at WRC-07," the IARU said. The IARU's goal is for a 300 kHz worldwide allocation at 7 MHz.
Four hours of the meeting were devoted to a strategic planning session that scanned the horizon out to 2010. Among issues in the near term, the IARU plans
to participate in International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) study group sessions concerning the interference potential of
high data rate telecommunication systems using power lines--known in the US as Broadband over Power Line (BPL) or power line carrier (PLC) technology.
Looking further ahead, discussion dealt with Amateur Radio-related topics that could come up at WRC-07. The WRC-07 agenda includes two items of interest
to the Amateur Service--a review of allocations between 4 and 10 MHz and a possible secondary low-frequency amateur allocation in the vicinity of 136 kHz.
In the aftermath of WRC-03, the council urged IARU member-societies to call to the attention of their administrations "the desirability of adopting specific
changes in their domestic regulations for the amateur and amateur-satellite services, so that they will be consistent with the revised Article 25 of the
international Radio Regulations."
In that vein, the IARU governing body called for the removal of Morse code as an examination requirement to operate on HF. The council reiterated its stance
first taken in 2001 that Morse code proficiency "as a qualifying criterion for an HF amateur license is no longer relevant to the healthy future of amateur
Radio."
"IARU policy is to support the removal of Morse code testing as a requirement for an amateur license to operate on frequencies below 30 MHz," the IARU Administrative
Council resolved. At the same time, the council's resolution recognized Morse code as "an effective and efficient mode of communication used by many thousands
of radio amateurs." It also took into account ITU-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Recommendation M.1544, which sets down the minimum qualifications of
radio amateurs.
World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 left it up to individual countries to determine if they want amateur applicants desiring to operate below 30 MHz
to first demonstrate Morse proficiency.
The council also reviewed and updated a working document that describes the spectrum requirements for the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services, particularly
to reflect the results of WRC-03.
In other business, the council:
List of 3 items
• heard reports of volunteer IARU international coordinators and advisers. At the request of the IARU satellite adviser, the council clarified policies
concerning frequency coordination of satellites operating in the Amateur-Satellite Service. The council also created the new volunteer position of IARU
Disaster Communications Adviser in response to the increased emphasis on emergency and disaster relief communications in Article 25 of the international
Radio Regulations.
• endorsed nominations from the International Secretariat for 2004-2009 officeholders. Past ARRL President Larry Price, W4RA, was nominated for a second
term as IARU president. Timothy S. Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, was nominated as vice president. IARU member-societies must ratify the nominations. New terms of
office begin May 9, 2004. The council recognized retiring IARU Vice President David Wardlaw, VK3ADW, for his long and devoted service to the IARU.
• requested that the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee consider the merits of proposals for changes in the rules of the IARU HF World Championship. Among
other things, some operators have suggested including a low-power category. The ARRL administers the contest for the IARU.
list end
Attending the Amsterdam meeting were IARU President Larry Price, W4RA; Vice President David Wardlaw, VK3ADW; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; regional representatives
Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, Don Beattie, G3BJ, Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG, Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Tim Ellam, VE6SH, Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ,
K. C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV, and Yoshiji Sekido, JJ1OEY; and recording secretary Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.
Originally set to be held in Taipei, Taiwan, in conjunction with the IARU Region 3 Conference, the Administrative Council session was moved to Amsterdam
after concerns about SARS forced the postponement of the Region 3 gathering to next year.
The IARU Council is to meet next October in Trinidad & Tobago following the IARU Region 2 Conference.
what the hell kind of cutting and pasting job is that? Now I know where you get some of these from. "Cgheater"
well to be honest so do i for some of these
the league is an exxcellent sorce
Some Texas Amateurs to Stand Down in Columbia Debris Search
Columbia-debrisS&R-K5NAC
Jeff Clark, K5NAC, has been serving as a net control station for the debris recovery operation in Nacogdoches County, Texas, where substantial shuttle debris
has turned up. [AE5P Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 11, 2003--Ham radio support for the shuttle Columbia debris search and recovery effort in Nacogdoches County, Texas, will end Wednesday,
February 12. Hams scheduled to arrive on that date or later are being asked not to travel to Nacogdoches, although some hams already on site may be asked
to remain on for another day.
"To all who offered to assist and for those who were able to serve, thank you for being part of the solution!" said Jim Lawyer, AA5QX, a Dallas amateur
who's been helping to organize the Nacogdoches search-and-recovery support. With rainy weather in the forecast, conditions in the search area were predicted
to become muddy by mid-week.
Lawyer says as many as 400 US Forest Service personnel are scheduled to take over the support role hams had been filling in Nacogdoches. The federal personnel
also will occupy the staging area at the Nacogdoches Exposition Center that hams had been using.
Hams have been using GPS and off-the-shelf computer mapping software to pin down and report the locations of debris items as they're sighted.
Nacogdoches County ARES Emergency Coordinator Kenneth Hughes, KK5BE, expressed his gratitude to all members of the amateur community who participated. "Thank
you for all your help during our time in the national spotlight of this disaster of the shuttle," he said. "I am very proud of the local members who responded
to service. Twelve days of operation is hard to keep all things going well."
Amateur Radio support appears to still be needed for the search-and-recovery effort in San Augustine County. Amateurs wishing to assist in San Augustine
County were being asked to contact South Texas ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator
Bob Ehrhardt, W5ZX
or
Jerry Reimer, KK5CA.
Columbia-debris-1
A piece of shuttle debris--most likely a ceramic tile--was located near a school in East Texas. [James Smith, KD5OXM, Photo]
Kevin Anderson, KD5CCH
Kevin Anderson, KD5CCH, passes traffic on the shuttle Columbia search-and-recovery effort to net control. [Jason Reina, N5SFA, Photo]
Lawyer says state and local operations in Nacogdoches County were scheduled to wind down by Friday and possibly earlier. "Now that we know this, we have
elected to stand down our participation at sundown this Wednesday," he said. "This will insure that we do not have hams rolling in just as the local teams
are scaling way back in preparation of de-mobilizing."
According to Kevin Anderson, KD5CCH--a Nacogdoches amateur--the US Forest Service personnel "would be bringing in their own communications teams and mobile
support equipment and should have no problem providing their own communication throughout the search area." He said "a limited number of hams" are being
used in San Augustine County.
Anderson said amateurs assisting in the Nacogdoches area received thanks and appreciation from the incident commander for the communications support they
have provided. He said the Texas Department of Public Safety also was downsizing its presence but planned to keep on some personnel to assist as team leaders
for recovery operations. "Various other sate and federal agencies will also remain in the Nacogdoches vicinity in a support capacity," he said.
Anderson also said he was proud of the support East Texas amateurs were able to provide. "This has been a rather large team effort," he said. "Under the
extremely complicated and sensitive circumstances in which we have operated, we came together and pulled off a rather huge task based on the scope of the
operations which we were called upon to participate in and the type of services we were asked to provide."
"I feel this has been one of Amateur Radio's greatest moments," Anderson concluded. "It has been a truly remarkable experience to see the type of support
and resources which have come to help us, and we will be forever grateful for their dedication and assistance."
ISS Crew Comments Publicly on Columbia, Digs in for Possible Long Stay
Expedition6-3shot
Expedition 6 crew members Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, and Don Pettit, KD5MDT, answered questions from the media during two news conferences
this week. [NASA Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 12, 2003--The all-ham crew members of the International Space Station said this week that while they grieve the loss of the shuttle Columbia
crew, human space exploration must continue and they're ready to spend up to a year in space if necessary. The ISS crew made its first public comments
since the February 1 shuttle disaster in two news conferences this week.
"My first reaction was pure shock," Expedition 6 crew commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, told reporters February 11, when asked about how he felt when he heard
the news that Columbia and her crew were lost. "I was numb and could not believe that it was happening." During serial briefings today with CNN, ABC, CBS
and NBC, Bowersox and his crew reiterated their resolve to stay the course, remaining in space for up to a year if necessary. Bowersox--who had been aboard
Columbia on a prior spaceflight--said the loss "was very personal" and that he could imagine himself on the mission. "We were hoping against all odd that
we would have all seven of our friends survive."
Bowersox said that once it became unlikely that there were any survivors from the Columbia catastrophe, "we discussed all of the different options for how
it would affect us." He said he was confident that the crew would have a way to get home. "We've got a Soyuz vehicle parked right outside," he said.
Pettit--who had played chess via radio and e-mail with Columbia pilot Willie McCool during the Columbia STS-107 science mission--said he's hoped the crew
somehow had made it safely to the ground. He said the magnitude of the tragedy hit him when the ISS crew realized that there were no survivors. "I'm the
type that likes to grieve quietly and in private," he said today.
Expedition6-Bowersox-Progress
Expedition 6 Mission Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, moves bagged items from the Progress 9 supply rocket to the Zvezda Service Module on the International
Space Station. [NASA Photo]
Budarin said he's comfortable with staying in orbit as long as necessary, now that NASA has indefinitely grounded the shuttle fleet. The Russian cosmonaut
told a CBS reporter that he has experienced seven months in orbit before aboard Mir, and that he's hoping for a good landing back on Earth--whether via
the US space shuttle or the Russian Soyuz escape vehicle that's attached to the space station.
For his part, Bowersox said the crew was happy to stay aboard the ISS, although he's disappointed that the Columbia tragedy has caused "inevitable" turmoil
on Earth. "We like it aboard space station," he said. "We're going to enjoy however many months we have to stay on orbit." Bowersox said today the crew
did not feel isolated and had plenty of contact with family and friends and that, while not operating at peak efficiency, the crew members would continue
to move forward with the "serious tasks" ahead of them. "We'll be working through that grieving process for the rest of the time we're here, I think."
Pettit, the Expedition 6 science officer, said the crew's work schedule has suffered from the effects of the Columbia tragedy. "But now, it looks like we'll
have plenty of time to finish all that we have remaining on our task list." he added.
School's Special Event Gets Special Attention After Columbia Disaster
A special event at Challenger Junior High School in Mira Mesa, California, January 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the shuttle Challenger disaster
took on added dimension February 1 after the shuttle Columbia and crew were lost over Texas.
During the annual special event--which is in its 16th year--students ask the hams they contact to reminisce about the Challenger catastrophe. The school,
which enjoyed a SAREX (Space Amateur Radio EXperiment) direct ham radio contact in 1991, was named after the lost shuttle Challenger, which carried the
first schoolteacher, Christa McAuliffe. The ham radio advisor at the school is Science and Information Technology Teacher Frank Forrester, KI6YG. The event
is sponsored by the
Escondido Amateur Radio Society.
Challenger-spev-collage
Pictured in various scenes of this collage are John Musselman, WB6UHF, (gray polo shirt), Harry Hodges, W6YOO (glasses and blue suit), and Frank Forrester,
KI6YG. Musselman and Hodges are members of the sponsoring Escondido Amateur Radio Society. EARS volunteers acted as control operators for the special event
at Challenger JHS.
After the Columbia disaster, the Challenger JHS students wrote essays that were put in a time capsule to be opened in 2013 by the first of the school's
students to be born after the Columbia tragedy. "Its been very busy at Challenger since the Columbia tragedy with most of the local TV stations having
made pilgrimages to interview our students," Forrester said. "They wrote reflective essays, and tried to make meaning of this event." Forrester hopes the
process will help students to make better connections with historical events.
San Diego ARRL Section Manager Kent Tiburski, K6FQ, reports that a 10-minute television news feature was rebroadcast several times by KUSI in San Diego,
which covered the special event.
Forrester now hopes his students can one day enjoy a contact with the crew of the International Space Station. He believes the experience would rekindle
his students' interest in world events, space exploration, and science.
A CNN reporter asked Bowersox what he would advise NASA chief Sean O'Keefe if he were sitting beside him as O'Keefe was being quizzed this week by two congressional
committees. O'Keefe has committed to keeping the ISS occupied, even if it's only with two crew members. Science Officer Pettit said that cutting the crew
size would hurt scientific research because the crew would spend a lot more of its time just maintaining the ISS. But, he pointed out, research into how
humans cope physiologically in space would continue and would make the risk of human spaceflight worthwhile.
"This is a matter where you can decide as a society can decide to lead the way, step aside or follow," Pettit told NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw. Space
exploration is "an investment in your future, and, as such, you can't let a setback stop your exploration activities."
Bowersox agreed. "I think that being here is worth it, and we're going to gather lots of data, just from having the folks up here and bringing them back
and studying them before and after they fly," he said.
The Expedition 6 crew has been aboard the ISS since November and was scheduled to return to Earth aboard the shuttle Atlantis in March. Unmanned Progress
cargo rockets, including one that docked February 4, are providing fuel and supplies. On February 11, the crew used the Progress to boost the stations'
orbit by about six miles (the ISS is approximately 250 miles above Earth). The crew reportedly has sufficient provisions to last at least until June. A
Soyuz taxi crew is scheduled to visit the ISS in April to drop off a new Soyuz capsule and return the one now attached to the ISS.
"We'll be thinking about all of you," Bowersox said in concluding the news briefing February 12.
NASA says that after a light-duty weekend, Expedition 6 resumed its scientific and maintenance activities February 10. The Progress spacecraft has been
emptied, and the crew has continued stowing the newly arrived equipment and supplies. Pettit also spent time Monday discussing ongoing repairs to the microgravity
science glovebox with engineers on Earth. The glovebox has suffered from electrical problems.
In anticipation of an extended stay, NASA said, the crew is preparing an inventory of onboard supplies. The completed list will help flight control teams
in Houston and Moscow prepare a manifest for the next Progress flight, scheduled for June.
The crew has not used the NA1SS onboard ham stations since the last Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact in January.
The next scheduled ARISS contact is set for Friday, February 21, with students at Oregon State University.
Digging the Morse Code--Yeah, Baby!
By Mike Dinelli, N9BOR
February 13, 2003
The story of Grosse Point Lighthouse 2002, with apologies to Austin Powers, international man of mystery.
light
The Grosse Point Lighthouse
Yep, it's true: chicks dig Morse code. I must admit that it has been a challenge convincing my wife of this fact, but we proved it at Grosse Point Lighthouse!
The
Metro Amateur Radio Club
(MAC) is located in north suburban Chicago. Over time, as with many clubs, we found our membership numbers dwindling, so three years ago we decided to inject
some life back into the ol' gal. We prettied up and expanded our newsletter, developed a Web site, offered introductory ham radio classes, started a weekly
slow-speed code net and hosted a number of special event stations. Thanks to those initiatives, we have nearly doubled our membership.
We strive to make our operating events unique and appealing. This insures they are well attended by our membership and makes other hams want to work us.
Activating area lighthouses has proven to be one fun way to accomplish this. Since we locate in public places, we not only attract the amateurs in the
community, but the nonham population is exposed to what we do. We also seize the opportunity to train our newer members by having them assist with station
setup and operation.
August 17 and 18, 2002 was
International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend
(ILLW). Radio amateurs around the world activated more than 300 lighthouses for this event. It seems that hams just love to talk to other hams operating
from lighthouses. Imagine being on the receiving end of a pile-up and only having to drive a few miles to do it. For this event, we operated from the majestic
Grosse Point Lighthouse
(USA-359) located on the western shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois.
teamMAC
The MAC special event team.
On the day of the event, our setup contingent arrived at 11:30 AM and within an hour we were receiving incoming signals from Dave Sher's, W9LYA, workhorse
IC-735 transceiver. After checking the vertical antenna's resonance, we were ready for a test. Jim Quinn, K9JQ, answered our short CQ and said that we
were booming--it's always a pleasure working MAC members from our special events stations. After signing with Jim, another MAC member, Dick Sylvan, W9CBT,
called us.
We were located in the garden directly behind the lighthouse with a panoramic view of the lake. The setting is beautiful and combined with great weather
we were blessed with many visitors. We set up speakers to enable visitors to hear both sides of the conversations and, as I conversed with Dick, several
excited young ladies rode up on bicycles.
Steve, N9WAT, handles public relations with our visitors, and I noticed smiles on every side. I tried to concentrate on Dick's flawless CW, but I removed
the headphones to hear the conversation around me. "Are you really talking to someone with Morse code?" asked one of the young women. "Yes, we are," Steve
answered. Just then, I heard Dick send a question mark, but I had no idea what he was asking. Oops! I threw the cans back on my head.
k9pl2
Phil Lazar, K9PL, makes another contact.
It should surprise no one that an Internet and cell-phone-jaded public would find Morse code fascinating. Most nonhams do not realize thousands of radio
amateurs use Morse everyday. They cast a glare of skepticism when you tell them we're "talking" with someone in Paris, right now, using that little antenna
over there. Ham radio is cool, but many people do not know it (yet).
A little later, an 8-year-old boy named Alex rode up on his two-wheeler. He'd heard strange beeping sounds and was seeking their source. "What are you doing?"
he exclaimed with bright eyes.
Kids1UFO
Mike, N9BOR , teaches a curious boy how to send Morse. [W8UFO photo]
After a brief explanation, we invited him to learn to send his name in Morse code. Upon successful completion of his task, Alex was awarded with a MAC Certificate
of Achievement. His dad signed the visitor log and asked about our fall ham radio classes. Soon, there were five young boys huddled around Steve, N9WAT,
and a code practice oscillator he built into an Altoids tin. They all took turns sending their names with the straight key. Throughout the day, several
newly licensed hams stopped by and requested help in learning code. It was astounding to see licensed hams that had never witnessed telegraphy in action.
We had a difficult time convincing one visitor that the computer was only sending the code and not decoding it.
This year's Grosse Point Lighthouse event will be remembered not by the number of contacts we made, nor the DX we worked. The images left are of a sunny
day, a beautiful setting, the time spent with friends, and the bright eyes of visitors seeing ham radio for the first time.
A special thanks to our gracious host, the Evanston Lighthouse Park District, who invited us back for next year's International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend.
That offer is difficult to refuse!
Mike Dinelli, N9BOR, of Skokie, Illinois, has been a ham since 1980. He is currently serving as Secretary of
Metro Amateur Radio Club
(MAC). His interests include boatanchors, contesting, DXing and CW ragchewing. You can reach Mike at
n9bor@qsl.net.
The author would like to thank Philip Lazar, K9PL, for his assistance in editing this article.
Digital Electronics - Learning Unit 1
Introduction to Digital Electronics
Objective and Overview
You’ll be introduced to specialized terms and concepts and review basic instrumentation
and construction techniques. This lesson covers basic concepts key to working with
digital electronics, with references for review, and provides a short glossary of terms. A
selection of common conventions and construction methods are presented.
Student Preparation
None.
Using the Correct Terms
Digital electronics has a special language all its own. You already know that it deals with
“1s and 0s”, but that’s a vast oversimplification of the in and outs of “going digital.” It
will help us communicate better if we agree on what important terms mean, so let’s
discuss a few.
Logic Levels
Digital electronics operates on the premise that all signals have two distinct levels.
Depending on what types of devices are in use, the levels may be certain voltages or
voltage ranges near the power supply level and ground. The meaning of those signal
levels depends on the circuit design, so don’t mix the logical meaning with the physical
signal. Here are some common terms used in digital electronics:
• Logical–refers to a signal or device in terms of its
meaning, such as "TRUE" or "FALSE"
• Physical–refers to a signal in terms of voltage or current
or a device’s physical characteristics
• HIGH–the signal level with the greater voltage
• LOW–the signal level with the lower voltage
• TRUE or 1–the signal level that results from logic
conditions being met
• FALSE or 0–the signal level that results from logic
conditions not being met
Be careful not to mix TRUE & HIGH or FALSE & LOW because they are not always the
same! There are two types of digital electronics. Positive logic assigns ground to FALSE
or 0 and a positive voltage to TRUE or 1. Negative logic does the opposite.
• Active High–a HIGH signal indicates that a logical
condition is occurring
• Active Low–a LOW signal indicates that a logical
condition is occurring
• Truth Table–a table showing the logical operation of a
device’s outputs based on the device’s inputs, such as the
following table for an OR gate described in Lesson 2.
table with 3 columns and 6 rows
Inputs
Output
Input A
Input B
X
FALSE
FALSE
FALSE
TRUE
FALSE
TRUE
FALSE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
table end
• State–a stable combination of signals or of a set of inputs
and outputs, can refer to a device, a circuit, or a set of
signals
Logic Families
The two most common logic families are the 74HC and CD4000-series of devices. A
logic family is a set of devices that all use the same internal technology, so their logic
levels are all compatible. You will find the same logical functions, such as gates,
counters, and registers, in all logic families, but their voltage and switching
characteristics vary to satisfy different needs.
Both of these logic families utilize CMOS technology, which stands for “Complementary
Metal Oxide Semiconductor”, describing the types of transistors and the way they are
connected to form logic gates. This course will rely on the CD4000 logic family of
devices because they use positive logic (easier for beginners to understand) are
inexpensive, draw little power, and are widely available. The 74HC family is a negative
logic series. Both are widely used and have many devices with identical logic functions.
We’ll visit logic families in more detail in Lesson 13.
Number Systems
Digital logic may work with “1s and 0s”, but it combines them into several different
groupings that form different number systems. You’re familiar with the decimal system,
of course. That’s a base-10 system in which each digit represents a power of ten. In the
field of logic you’ll also encounter…
list of 5 items
• Binary–base two (each bit represents a power of two), digits are 0 and 1, numbers are denoted with a ‘B’ or ‘b’ at the end, such as 01001101B (77 in the
decimal system)
• Hexadecimal or ‘Hex’–base 16 (each digit represents a power of 16), digits are 0 through 9 plus A-B-C-D-E-F representing 10-15, numbers are denoted with
‘0x’ at the beginning or ‘h’ at the end, such as 0x5A or 5Ah (90 in the decimal system) and require four binary bits each. A dollar sign preceding the
number ($01BE) is sometimes used, as well.
• Binary-coded decimal or BCD–a four-bit number similar to hexadecimal, except that the decimal value of the number is limited to 0-9.
• Decimal–the usual number system. When used in combination with other numbering systems, decimal numbers are denoted with ‘d’ at the end, such as 23d.
• Octal–base eight (each digit represents a power of 8), digits are 0-7, and each requires three bits. Rarely used in modern designs.
list end
As examples, 0x2A, 00101010B, and 42d all have the same value of 42.
Hexadecimal is useful because it is a compact way of dealing with binary numbers that
have a multiple of four bits. Each hexadecimal digit can be represented by four binary
bits. 0 is 0x0 in hexadecimal and 0000B in binary. 15 is 0xF in hexadecimal and 1111B
in binary. Since most computers and microprocessors use 8, 16 or 32-bit words,
hexadecimal notation is very common.
This course will deal with binary, decimal, and hexadecimal numbers.
As long as we’re on the subject of numbers, there are some prefixes to review, as well.
You are probably familiar with the metric prefixes k (kilo), M (Mega), and G (Giga) and
their use to represent (loosely) some powers of two in the computer world. Because the
binary numbers they’re used to represent aren’t equal to the exact values, they are
gradually being replaced with IEC binary prefixes: The new prefixes are Ki = 2
10
= 1024,
Mi = 2
20
= 1,048,576, and Gi = 2
30
= 1,073,741,820. “bits” will be used to mean bits and
“B” will be used to mean bytes. These are by no means common at present, so for this
course we’ll stick with the familiar (but slightly incorrect) k, M, and G. Be prepared to
see them more frequently as the old prefixes are gradually phased out. More information
on binary prefixes is available at
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html.
Bit Ordering and Counting
Without some kind of agreement, it’s easy to get into trouble when labeling bits and
signals. In digital logic there are four different sizes or widths of numbers (see Figure 1-
1).
• Bit–a single binary signal taking on the value 0 or 1, and
representing a power of two in a binary number.
• Nibble–a group of four bits, containing a single
hexadecimal number, such as 0x8
• Byte–a group of eight bits, containing two hexadecimal
numbers, such as 0x3F
• Word–a group of bits larger than a byte, usually 16 bits,
and almost always multiples of four bits
For the groups that have more than one bit, it is important to know “which way” to start
reading the number. Fortunately, like for the decimal system, the least significant
positions (meaning the lowest powers) are on the right as shown in Figure 1-1. The bit
representing the smallest power of two (usually the zero-th power or 1) is called the
“Least Significant Bit” or LSB. On the other end of the binary number is the bit
representing the highest power of two, called the “Most Significant Bit” or MSB.
Figure 1-1 — Bit positions and names in the binary system
One of the more unexpected things about the binary system is that counting begins at
zero, not one. The first of anything is labeled with a ‘0’, such as bit 0 or register 0, so a
byte has bits 0 through 7. Designers also refer to “left” and “right”, meaning “towards the
MSB” and “towards the LSB.” When you are just starting, it can be mighty confusing, so
take your time to be sure you have it right. Even veterans sometimes make mistakes,
particularly when two different groups are trying to design a complex device together.
Packaging
Logic devices are manufactured in standard sizes and organizations called packages.
Package can refer to both the physical size and shape of the device or it can refer to the
organization of logic elements within the physical device. The most common type of
physical package is the DIP or Dual In-line Package, sporting two rows of pins along
opposite rows of a rectangular body, 0.3” apart or more, with the pins spaced by 0.1”.
These are also referred to as through-hole parts because to assemble them on a circuit
board requires holes to be drilled through the board for the pins. Most products today use
surface-mount technology (SMT) parts, whose pins lie flat against the circuit board and
don’t require any holes. When ordering parts, be sure to get the right version, since there
is great disparity in size. This course will use through-hole parts exclusively.
A logical package description usually refers to the number of individual logic devices
grouped into a single physical device. Examples include quad gates, dual flip-flops, hex
inverters, and octal drivers that include 4, 2, 6, and 8 individual logic circuits inside,
respectively.
Digital Construction Techniques
Building digital circuits is somewhat easier than for analog circuits–there are fewer
components and the devices tend to be in similarly sized packages. Connections are less
susceptible to noise. The tradeoff is that there can be many connections, so it is easy to
make a mistake and harder to find them. Due to the uniform packages, there are fewer
visual clues. Here are some guidelines to help you make your first circuits.
Prototyping Boards
You’ll be putting together some temporary circuits, or prototypes, as part of the exercises
at the conclusion of each lesson using a common workbench accessory known as a
prototyping board. A typical board is shown in Figure 1-2 with a DIP packaged IC
plugged into the board across the center gap. The board consists of sets of sockets in rows
that are connected together so that component leads can be plugged in and connected
without soldering. The long rows of sockets on the outside edges of the board are also
connected together and these are generally used for power supply and ground connections
that are common to many components.
Figure 1-2 — Using a prototyping board
Try to be very systematic in assembling your wiring layout on the prototype board, laying
out the components approximately as shown on the schematic diagram. Here are a few
suggestions that will improve your chances of having a correct hookup on the first
attempt:
list of 5 items
• Positive and negative power supply voltages appearing at the top/bottom of the schematic should be on the top/bottom of your prototype board.
• Use wire jumpers that are about the right length to be about 1/2 ~ 3/4” above the board when they are installed. Jumpers that are too short tend to pull
out of the sockets and if too long, snag on fingers and test probes and obscure the circuit.
• Remember that power supply grounds, function generator grounds, and all circuit grounds must be physically connected to be electrically identical.
• For complex circuits, use different colored wires for different functions and use masking tape or paper labels to label major signal paths or power leads.
• Finally, take your time and be careful. Make a paper copy of the circuit and use it as a guide as you build the circuit and for making notes. Use a highlighter
to color each connection as it’s made or component as it’s installed.
list end
Reading Pin Connections
IC pins are almost always arranged so that pin 1 is in a corner or by an identifying mark
on the IC body and the sequence increases in a counter-clockwise sequence looking down
on the IC or “chip” as shown in Figure 1-2. For most DIP packages, the identifying mark
is a semi-circular depression in the middle of one end of the package or a round pit or dot
in the corner marking pin 1. Both are shown in the figure, but only one is likely to be
used on any given IC. When in doubt, the manufacturer of an IC will have a drawing on
the data sheet and those can usually be found by entering “[part number] data sheet” into
an Internet search engine.
Powering Digital Logic
Where analog electronics is usually somewhat flexible in its power requirements and
tolerant of variations in power supply voltage, digital logic is not nearly so carefree.
Whatever logic family you choose, you will need to regulate the power supply voltages to
at least ±5 percent, with adequate filter capacitors to filter out sharp sags or spikes.
Logic devices depend on stable power supply voltages to provide references to the
internal electronics that sense the high or low voltages and act on them as logic signals. If
the power supply voltage is not well regulated or if the device’s ground voltage is not
kept close to 0 V, then the device can become confused and misinterpret the inputs,
causing unexpected or temporary changes in signals known as glitches. These can be very
hard to troubleshoot, so insuring that the power supply is clean is well worth the effort. A
good technique is to connect a 10 ~ 100 ìF electrolytic or tantalum capacitor and a 0.1 ìF
ceramic capacitor in parallel across the power supply connections on your prototyping
board.
Review:
Logical–refers to a signal or device in terms of logical conditions
Physical–refers to a signal in terms of voltage or current or a device’s physical
characteristics
HIGH–the signal level with the greater voltage
LOW–the signal level with the lower voltage
TRUE or 1–the signal level that results from logic conditions being met
FALSE or 0–the signal level that results from logic conditions not being met
Active High–a HIGH signal indicates that a logical condition is occurring
Active Low–a LOW signal indicates that a logical condition is occurring
Truth Table–a table showing the logical operation of a device’s outputs based on the
device’s inputs
State–a stable combination of signals or of a set of inputs and outputs, can refer to a
device, a circuit, or a set of signals
A logic family is a set of devices that all use the same internal technology, so their logic
levels are all compatible.
Binary–base two (each bit represents a power of two), digits are 0 and 1, numbers are
denoted with a ‘B’ or ‘b’ at the end, such as 01001101B (77 in the decimal system).
Hexadecimal or ‘Hex’–base 16 (each digit represents a power of 16), digits are 0 through
9 plus A-B-C-D-E-F representing 10-15, numbers are denoted with ‘0x’ at the beginning
or ‘h’ at the end, such as 0x5A or 5Ah (90 in the decimal system) and require four binary
bits each. A dollar sign preceding the number ($01BE) is sometimes used, as well.
Binary-coded decimal or BCD–a four-bit number similar to hexadecimal, except that the
decimal value of the number is limited to 0-9.
Bit–a single binary signal taking on the value 0 or 1, and representing a power of two in a
binary number.
Nibble–a group of four bits, containing a single hexadecimal number, such as 0x8
Byte–a group of eight bits, containing two hexadecimal numbers, such as 0x3F
Word–a group of bits larger than a byte, usually in multiples of four bits
Counting in the binary system begins at zero, not one.
Now click on the Activities button and proceed with the Student Activities, which are
required before moving to the Questions (click on the Questions button). Upon
completion of these Questions, go to the next Learning Unit.
ARLB038: Hurricane Watch Net activates for Erin
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB038
ARLB038 Hurricane Watch Net activates for Erin
ZCZC AG38
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 38 ARLB038
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 10, 2001
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB038
ARLB038 Hurricane Watch Net activates for Erin
The Hurricane Watch Net and operators at W4EHW at the National
Hurricane Center in Miami activated for 11 hours over the weekend to
keep an eye on Hurricane Erin. The storm, now considered a major
hurricane, continues to move away from Bermuda, which had been
threatened this weekend.
The Hurricane Watch Net and W4EHW activated September 9 at 1100 UTC
and terminated operations at 2200 UTC after the storm had passed
east of Bermuda with no significant impact.
W4EHW Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4JR
reports that W4EHW received many live surface reports from Bermuda.
W4EHW operated on the Hurricane Watch Net frequency of 14.325 MHz as
well as on the Bermuda Emergency Net frequency 14.275 MHz. Ripoll
and the Hurricane Watch Net's Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, reported that up
to a half dozen Bermuda hams provided storm data, including measured
weather surface reports and visual observations of the surf.
As of this morning, the storm--with maximum sustained winds of 120
MPH--was in the Atlantic--some 585 miles south of Yarmouth, Nova
Scotia, and moving north-northwest at around 10 MPH. Forecasters say
the storm poses only a small risk to land and give it a less than 10
percent chance of coming within 65 miles of the Eastern US Seaboard
or Maritime Canada. A gradual turn to the north was expected.
Tropical storm-force winds extend some 175 miles from the storm's
center.
The Hurricane Watch Net
http://www.hwn.org
activates 14.325 MHz
whenever a hurricane is within 300 miles of projected landfall or
becomes a serious threat to a populated area.
NNNN
/EX
ARLX029: Record set at 3456 MHz
SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX029
ARLX029 Record set at 3456 MHz
ZCZC AX98
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 29 ARLX029
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT July 13, 1995
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX029
ARLX029 Record set at 3456 MHz
Extraordinary conditions for tropospheric propagation in the US
Midwest have resulted in a new overland record on the amateur 3456
MHz band.
At 1224 UTC on July 12, Al Ward, WB5LUA, in Allen, Texas, worked
Gary Morhlant, WA0BWE, in Maplewood, Minnesota, a distance of 841
miles. The previous record of 736 miles was set on May 1, 1992,
between WB5LUA and W9ZIH, in Malta, Illinois.
As is often the case, this record-breaking activity began lower in
frequency, with an initial contact between WB5LUA and WA0BWE on 432
MHz, with signals ''59'' both ways, according to Ward. An equipment
problem forced them to skip 1296 MHz (where the overland record is
1287 miles).
2304 MHz came next, and the first Texas-Minnesota 2304 MHz QSO
(where the record is 940 miles). Contact was then ''easily
established'' on 3456 MHz. WA0BWE was running about 5 watts; WB5LUA
was running 100 watts to a 5-ft dish at 65 feet.
On July 13, excellent tropospheric propagation continued in the
midwest, with perhaps more distance records to come as a result.
Thanks to WB5LUA for prompt reporting of these developments.
NNNN
/EX
Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Youth, Youth Everywhere . . .
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
November 10, 2006
Find out about all the places ham radio's youth have been lately. Several young radio amateurs have received awards, some attended a hamfest and others
participated in the 2006 Jamboree on the Air!
Last time, I asked to hear from any students who read this column. Many thanks to those who responded. For those I've not heard from yet, send me an e-mail
to let me know you're reading this column and tell me a bit about your ham radio activities. Then, next time, I'll feature a number of readers, and you
will be the focus of this column!
Sectional Awards Recognize Outstanding Young Hams
Youth-11-B-sm
2006 Georgia Section Youth Award winner Matthew Ruberson, KI4JQS, receives his award from 2005 winner Connie Cote, N4CAC, and Georgia Assistant Section
Manager/Youth Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM.
Youth-11-C-sm
2006 Georgia Section Youth Award Honorable Mention recipient Christopher Evans, KI4FUJ, receives his award. [Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI, Photos]
Youth-11-D-sm
ARRL's Alabama Section recognizes Robert Lock IV, KG4PLK. [Photo courtesy of Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y]
A trend that began in ARRL's Georgia Section now has spread to the Alabama Section. This is recognizing deserving young hams on the local level, in addition
to the numerous national awards already in place. The ARRL Georgia Section honored Connie Cote, N4CAC, as its first Youth Award recipient in 2005. On November
4 this year's award went to ARRL member Matthew Ruberson, KI4JQS. Ruberson was honored for his emergency communications work, especially following Hurricane
Katrina. Ruberson also received a Kenwood 2-meter mobile, an antenna donated by Ham Radio Outlet, an MFJ atomic watch, $100 from the Alford Memorial Radio
Club and a name badge and Georgia Piglet t-shirt from NativeGeorgian.com. Christopher Evans, KI4FUJ, received honorable mention and an HRO gift certificate
in recognition of his promotion of ham radio to youth. The other three nominees -- Lisa Bianco, KG4UIB; Mike Olson, K4MBO; and Sean Morgan, K4ZF -- each
received HRO gift certificates. Thanks to these outstanding sponsors, all of the prizes were donated.
Alabama's version of the award, sponsored by the North Alabama DX Club and Icom America, went to ARRL member Robby Lock, KG4PLK. The first to receive this
award, he was honored at the Huntsville Hamfest on August 16 for his dedication to helping others, especially with respect to emergency communication and
Amateur Radio.
Lock's unfailing willingness to call weekly training nets is one reason he received the award. He has called the net mobile, from home and even from a high
school football game. Said Alabama Assistant Section Manager for Youth Activities, Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y: "This shows commitment and dedication to Amateur
Radio. Robby's dedication is an example for other amateurs--both newly licensed and old timers alike."
Congratulations to all of these deserving young radio amateurs!
Stone Mountain Hamfest Youth Activities 2006
Youth-11-E-sm
The crowd of youth gathers outside the Stone Mountain Hamfest Youth Forum for a group picture.
Youth-11-F-sm
ARRL Headquarters Staffer Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, answers a question during the Stone Mountain Hamfest Youth Forum roundtable discussion, while youth look on.
Youth-11-G-sm
Some of the Youth Lounge's younger visitors create glow-in-the-dark bracelets, which spell their names in Morse code.
Youth-11-H-sm
Also at the Stone Mountain Hamfest, the Blitch family prepares for the fox hunt: (L-R) Jenny Blitch; Alex Blitch, K4ALX; and dad Tim Blitch, N4EEE. [Scott
Hartlage, KF4PWI, Photos]
Once again, this year's Stone Mountain Hamfest & Computer Expo, November 4 and 5 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, was bustling with youth. This year, 45 young
people showed up to participate in the Youth Forum and Youth Lounge activities. The fun included fox hunts, scavenger hunts, geocaching, QSL card designing
and making Morse Code bracelets. Participants ranged in age from several months old(!) to 18 years old. During the forum, the second annual Georgia Section
Youth Award was presented. Four young people came out to the Youth Dinner on Saturday evening.
Have you ever been to a Youth Lounge? Do you see one at the hamfests you attend? If not, why not start one? For tips, ideas, suggestions or if you have
a question, contact
me,
and I'll be happy to help you get started.
JOTA 2006 A Success
Youth-11-I-sm
(L-R): Heather Brady; Caitlin Brady, W3CJB; and Girl Scout Erin Bailey participate in JOTA 2006. [Chris Brady, N3CB, Photo]
Held October 21-22, this year's
Jamboree on the Air
seems to have been a success. Chris Brady, N3CB, reported that he and his daughters participated in the JOTA operation at Epiphany of Our Lord School in
Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Some of the highlights were contacts with Australia, the Netherlands and the JOTA station on the USS Missouri at Pearl
Harbor -- all via the Internet Radio Linking Project (
IRLP).
Changes to the School Club Roundup Contest
Did you know that the School Club Roundup Contest now takes place twice a year? That's right! In addition to the normal February time frame, another SCR
now takes place in the fall (October 16-20 this year). If you participated, tell me about your experience (and don't forget the photos).
Studying for Your Amateur Radio License?
If you're a young person interested in getting your ham radio license but feel like you don't have enough resources, check out the
Radio Teacher Project
Web site. Paul Guido, N5IUT, editor of the Radio Teacher Project, says these study materials were designed to target youth in 7th and 8th grades. The site
contains everything from a study guide to videos, and it's all free. Check it out!
Fifth ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 Youth Forum in Hong Kong
You've heard of an Amateur Radio Youth Forum, but would you believe that the International Telecommunication Union (
ITU)
has its own youth forum, too? In fact, more than 250 young people from 150 countries are expected to attend the Youth Forum at ITU TELECOM WORLD in Hong
Kong, China, from December 3-8, 2006. In its fifth year, the Youth Forum brings together students with the vision and talent to take on key leadership
roles in the future within the global Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. College-aged students attend the six-day event and are encouraged
to form global youth networks and share knowledge. The selection of each participant is based on an essay submitted to the ITU Youth Forum Advisory Committee
on how to apply ICT to improve living conditions for people around the world.
The Youth Forum is a regular feature at TELECOM events, and over its five-year history it has attracted outstanding university students, many of whom now
work as professionals in the ICT sector. "The commitment and passion shown by the Youth Forum Fellows is inspirational," said ITU TELECOM Executive Manager
Fernando Lagraña. "The Youth Forum brings together forward-thinking, informed, compassionate young people from all over the world. The combination of their
experience, background and insight makes for thought-provoking conversation and debate. I look forward to witnessing this year's Forum discussions."
ITU's relationship with Youth Fellows does not stop at TELECOM events. ITU continues to nurture them through the Youth programs, helping facilitate scholarships
and internships as well as collaborating with industry partners to support community projects designed by Youth Forum alumni. The ITU Web site includes
some
success stories
reported by Youth Forum alumni.
Amateur Radio will be represented at this gathering, as well. ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL, will represent the ARRL. International
Amateur Radio Union (
IARU)
Vice-President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, also will attend.
Congratulations Corner
List of 1 items
• Hats off to nine-year-old Justin Pang, KI6FTP, and his six-year-old brother Isaac, KI6FXM, on receiving their Technician licenses. Justin also decided
to start a new youth net. See "Remember to" below for info.
list end
List of 1 items
• Congrats to 14-year-old Katie McWhirter, KI4SBY, who earned her Tech ticket at the Stone Mountain Hamfest November 5.
list end
Remember to . . .
List of 5 items
• Try the
ARRL Youth Sked Database
to set up on-air schedules with other young hams.
• Check out the newest youth net, which meets on Saturdays at 3:00 PM PST, on IRLP WALA LAX reflector 9350.
• Visit the North American Youth Net (
NAYN)
voice net on Fridays from 23:00 to 2330 UTC on 14.329 MHz and the NAYN PSK net on 14.075 MHz (near 1500 Hz) Sundays at 2300 UTC.
• Check into the World Wide Youth Net (
WWYN)
Saturdays, 1900 UTC, on 21.305 MHz.
• Try the Young Amateur Echolink Net (
YAEN)
by checking in with net control, Michael Braun, N3CA, on the WASH_DC Conference server, node 6154, on Fridays at 9:00 PM Eastern.
list end
New to Amateur (Ham) Radio?
List of 1 items
• Explore the
Web site
(this one!) of ARRL--the National Association for Amateur Radio.
list end
List of 1 items
• Take practice Amateur Radio tests on the
QRZ.com
or
eHam.net
Web sites.
list end
List of 1 items
• Read previous Youth@HamRadio.Fun columns.
list end
List of 1 items
• Find a
local radio club.
list end
List of 1 items
• Attend a local
hamfest
(Amateur Radio convention).
list end
But most of all, get involved. No excuses!
Final Comments
Thanks for your continued support of this column. As always, I invite any and all contributions. If you're reading this and are a student, be sure to e-mail.
Speaking of students, to all those out there--study hard (and do your homework)!
73 until next time!
Editor's Note: Seventeen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Grayson, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities
include public service, kit building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact
Andrea
via e-mail
with the subject line "Youth Column."
American Red Cross Clarifies Background Check Policy
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 10, 2006 -- The American Red Cross (ARC) has attempted to clarify its policy to require background checks of its employees and volunteers,
at least as far as the policy applies to possible credit checks. After the ARC announced the policy in July through regional and local chapters, Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members who support Red Cross disaster relief and recovery efforts began expressing concerns to ARRL. In some past incidents
-- most notably the 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina response -- ARES volunteers have had to badge in as Red Cross
volunteers. In a
statement
to the ARRL November 9, Laura Howe, the ARC's director of response communication and marketing, stressed that, while background check applicants must give
permission to conduct a credit check, the ARC has no intention of conducting them across the board.
Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and John McDivitt
Past ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP (left), and American Red Cross Disaster Services Executive Vice President John McDivitt shake hands in 2002 after
signing the updated SoU between the ARRL and the ARC.
Amateur Radio team
An Amateur Radio team in Montgomery, Alabama, headed by ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK (second from left), processed volunteers to aid
Red Cross relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina.
"The Red Cross realizes some volunteers may have concerns about authorizing a credit check. Those concerns are understandable," Howe said. "But please rest
assured that credit checks are only run in rare instances and are not a part of the routine minimum basic check the Red Cross performs on employees or
volunteers."
Howe told the League that the 2005 hurricane season exposed her organization's weakness in the area of background checks, "as evidenced by publicized examples
of fraud and waste." The "standard minimum check," she said, verifies the applicant's Social Security number and a search of the National Criminal File
for the past seven years.
"While the Red Cross will never run a credit check on the vast majority of its employees and volunteers," she asserted, "it is important that this standard
language is included in the consent form to protect our clients, volunteers and employees." Volunteers with questions about whether a chapter might need
to delve further into an applicant's background should check with the unit administrator, she said.
The ARC has contracted with MyBackgroundCheck.com LLC (MBC) in Anderson, California, to handle the on-line background checks. Prospective volunteers visit
a
secure Web site,
click on the ARC logo and submit name, address, Social Security number (or other acceptable government ID), telephone number, and date of birth. MBC notifies
the applicant's local Red Cross chapter whether or not the individual passed the background check, but it does not share any personal data.
In a
statement
October 24, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, urged ARES and other ham radio volunteers to tread cautiously and read very carefully what they are giving
MBC permission to collect on behalf of the Red Cross, especially given the wide net being cast. Howe acknowledged that by signing the consent form, applicants
do give MBC permission to "conduct a credit check or other investigation into an individual's background." ARES members are not obliged to submit to a
background check, however; the choice to do so is a personal one.
Several ARES leaders maintain that they and their volunteers represent ARES when supporting the ARC as a served agency. "Our issue is not the background
checking, but the fact ARC considers ARES members ARC volunteers," one ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator told ARRL Headquarters. An ARES District Emergency
Coordinator suggested the ARC policy is too arbitrary. "The unfortunate thing is that if a member decides not to submit to this check, then that will hamper
our ability to serve the Red Cross in an emergency," he said.
ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N -- whose department supports and oversees the ARRL Field Organization -- believes the Red
Cross stands to lose a fair number of volunteers because of the requirement -- and not necessarily just ARES volunteers. One national Red Cross official
who asked not to be identified said the organization fears it's seeing "the beginning of a hemorrhage of hams" from supporting ARC operations.
The Statement of Understanding (
SoU)
between the ARC and the ARRL does not address the issue of background checks. It also is ambiguous on the subject of whether ARES volunteers automatically
become ARC volunteers when supporting Red Cross operations and subject to a background check. The bottom line: The requirement extends to whomever the
Red Cross says it does. While some Red Cross chapters will allow ARES member participation without requiring that they register as Red Cross volunteers,
others will not. One West Coast Red Cross chapter official said the ARC considers ARES members as "non-registered volunteers" and, as such, they were not
required to submit to background checks. In other locales, the same volunteers staff ARES and Red Cross organizations. The ARRL-ARC SoU is up for review
in 2007.
The ARC's new policy "is a positive action," Howe told ARRL, and aimed at raising public confidence and trust in the organization's volunteers and workers.
"The Red Cross certainly values its employees and volunteers, and our background check process is not intended to be a burden to those who play a vital
role in our relief efforts," she said. "We believe that in order to maintain the trust of the American people and provide them with the best quality service,
all Red Cross employees and volunteers must undergo background checks according to standards being implemented across the entire organization."
Plenipotentiary Delegates Elect Amateur Radio-Friendly ITU Secretary-General
Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and Hamadoun Touré
IARU Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH (right), congratulates newly elected ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré at the 2006 Plenipotentiary Conference in
Turkey.
Hans Zimmerman, HB9AQS/F5VK
IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmerman, HB9AQS/F5VKP.
Bob Jones, VE7RWJ
Bob Jones, VE7RWJ, is a candidate for one of the 12 seats on the part-time Radio Regulations Board. [ITU Photo]
Valery Timofeev
ITU Radiocommunication Bureau Director Valery Timofeev was unopposed for re-election. [ITU Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 10, 2006 -- Member states of the International Telecommunication Union (
ITU)
attending the 17th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, have elected
Hamadoun I. Touré
of Mali as Secretary-General of ITU for a four-year term. Touré topped a field of six candidates to succeed Japan's Yoshio Utsumi, who cannot run for another
term. International Amateur Radio Union (
IARU)
President Larry Price, W4RA, says the ITU member states chose wisely in their selection of Touré.
"Hamadoun Touré is someone with whom IARU has worked for the past eight years," Price said, "and he has a proven record of understanding the importance
of the Amateur Services, especially their importance in emergency and disaster communications."
IARU Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, who's attending the "Plenipot," congratulated Touré in person on behalf of IARU and its member-societies. Ellam says
Touré told him that it's important for IARU to "continue its good work in the ITU," adding that the IARU "has an important role to play in the future."
Addressing the conference after the vote, Touré told the 1500 delegates from around the world that he would work with transparency, objectivity and vigor
to realize the two main objectives that were central to his campaign: to eliminate the digital divide and to ensure that cyberspace would become more secure.
Touré has served two terms as director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.
Delegates elected
Houlin Zhao
of China as Deputy Secretary-General. He said that he would do his best to assist the Secretary-General elect and the three directors as well as the membership
to make ITU a more dynamic organization that would contribute to the emerging global Information Society. ITU-Radiocommunication Bureau Director Valery
Timofeev of the Russian Federation was unopposed for re-election.
The "Plenipot" concludes November 24. For only the second time IARU representatives will be among the Plenipot observers, with Ellam and International Coordinator
for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP, each present for half of the conference. Turkey's IARU member society, Telsiz ve Radyo Amatörleri
Cemiyeti (
TRAC),
has organized a demonstration station and exhibit of Amateur Radio emergency communications capabilities adjacent to the conference site.
The ultimate authority in the ITU, the Plenipot, held every four years, is the occasion for representatives of ITU member states to consider proposed changes
to the organization's constitution and convention, adopt strategic and financial plans and elect senior management.
Among candidates for the 12 seats on the part-time Radio Regulations Board is Robert W. Jones, VE7RWJ. Plenipot 2006 delegates also will consider changing
the name of the ITU. Several Arab States have submitted a Common Proposal to call it the "International Telecommunication and Information Technology Union."
-- ITU; IARU
Broadcasters Intervene to Support ARRL in BPL Court Appeal
The Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have filed a
joint motion for leave to intervene
in support of the ARRL in its court appeal of the Federal Communications Commission's Broadband over Power Line (BPL) rules.
The motion to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is dated November 9 and states: "MSTV and NAB believe that the regulations under
review are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, and will adversely impact their members by, among other things, permitting unlicensed users of radio
spectrum to interfere with licensed uses of the spectrum."
MSTV and NAB are entitled to intervene as a matter of right, so the Court is expected to grant the motion. As expected, some BPL proponents are seeking
to intervene on the side of the FCC.
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, welcomed the support of MSTV and NAB. "It is gratifying that these two prestigious broadcasting organizations
recognize the danger posed to all FCC licensees by the FCC's flawed BPL rules. It's good to have them on our side."
FCC "Omnibus" Amateur Radio R&O Published in Federal Register, Takes Effect December 15
NEWINGTON, CT (November 15, 2006) -- Just a little over a month after the Federal Communications Commission released the Report and Order (
R&O)
in the so-called "Omnibus" Amateur Radio proceeding, WT Docket 04-140 (FCC 06-149) to the public, a revised version appeared today in the
Federal Register.
The changes in the R&O will take effect Friday, December 15, at 12:01 AM EST, 30 days after its publication.
As expected, the Report & Order as published this morning clarified two items that had raised some concerns when it was first released last month: That
the 80/75 meter band split applies to all three IARU Regions, and that FCC licensees in Region 2, which includes North America, can continue to use RTTY/data
emissions in the 7.075-7.100 MHz band.
Some controversial aspects of the proceeding remain unchanged:
List of 3 items
• Expansion of the 75 meter phone band all the way down to 3600 kHz (thus reducing the privileges of General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class licensees,
who had RTTY/data privileges in the 80 meter band, and CW privileges of General and Advanced class licensees)
• The elimination of J2D emissions, data sent by modulating an SSB transmitter, of more than 500 Hz bandwidth. This will make PACTOR III at full capability
illegal. Other digital modes effectively rendered illegal below 30 MHz include Olivia and MT63 (when operated at bandwidths greater than 500 Hz), 1200-baud
packet, Q15X25 and Clover 2000. [Editor's Note: We are happy to report that the FCC is working on an erratum to correct the J2D error. While nothing is
certain until the erratum is actually released, it is fair to say that the FCC recognizes the problem and intends to fix it prior to the December 15 effective
date of the new rules. We will post further information on the erratum as it becomes available.]
• The elimination of access to the automatic control RTTY/data subband at 3620-3635 kHz.
list end
The ARRL Board is discussing the possibility of a petition to reconsider several items in the R&O.
ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, commented: "The release of the R&O in the Federal Register has started the countdown clock.
We are all looking forward to being able to use the refarmed frequencies starting on December 15. We are still anxiously awaiting the release of the Report
and Order for 05-235, the Morse Code Proceeding. We are hopeful that the Commission will be able to move on that petition and address the outstanding issues
in the Omnibus R&O soon."
For more information, see the
band chart
[917,715 bytes, PDF] and the
Frequently Asked Questions
on WT Docket No. 04-140. Both have been updated to reflect the R&O as it was published in the Federal Register.
New Vice Director Elected for Roanoke Division
Patricia Hensley, N4ROS
Patricia Hensley, N4ROS, has been elected as Vice Director of the Roanoke Division. Ballots were counted today at ARRL Headquarters. She defeated incumbent
Les Shattuck, K4NK, 2280 to 996. A total of 3281 ballots were received; five ballots were not able to be counted, being declared spoiled or invalid. The
three year term begins at noon EST, January 1, 2007.
Hensley, a retired school principal from Richburg, South Carolina, has served in ARRL volunteer positions for the past 15 years, serving as South Carolina
Section Manager from February 2000 to December 2002. She is a recipient of the ARRL Instructor of the Year award and is currently the South Carolina state
director for Air Force MARS.
Hensley ran on a platform wanting to make the term "Amateur Radio operator" a highly respected title. She said she feels, "…an Amateur Radio license no
longer fosters respect from community and national leaders. Even FEMA finds it 'more comfortable' to hire part-time individuals to provide emergency communications
because amateurs are 'volunteers.'"
She went on to acknowledge that ARRL membership is declining, and leadership positions are "…filled by default because few want to serve. More is required
than smiling faces behind a hamfest table to solve these problems." She said she sees restrictive covenants and interference to frequencies as major issues
affecting the Amateur Radio community.
Stepping forward to run for election to support what she calls "proactive change," she said the members of the Amateur Radio community "must be regarded
as individuals who are knowledgeable about our avocation and are willing and competent to serve our communities in time of need."
Shattuck became Vice Director in 2000 after serving as South Carolina Section Manager. He has been licensed for over 40 years. In the past, Shattuck has
served as president of QRP ARCI, and is a member of QCWA, the A-1 Operator Club, DXCC, VUCC, FISTS CW Club and ARES/RACES. He is currently serving as pastor
of Gilgal United Methodist Church. He lives in Anderson, South Carolina.
Eastern Massachusetts ARES and RACES Groups Monitoring Major Gas Explosion Incident in Danvers, Massachusetts
At approximately 2:45 AM today, a major gas explosion occurred in Danvers, Massachusetts at CAI Chemical; CAI makes solvents and inks. The explosion completely
destroyed the CAI building, as well as a neighboring bakery and pizza parlor. As many as 90 homes in the area experienced damage, with several homes knocked
from their foundations, their roofs collapsed and windows shattered.
As of 7 AM -- nearly four hours after the blast -- firefighters who conducted a door-to-door search had found no fatalities.
The North Shore Massachusetts ARES started an informal net at 3 AM on the 145.47
NSRA
Danvers Repeater and continues to monitor the gas explosion situation carefully. Jim Palmer, KB1KQW, North Shore ARES Emergency Coordinator, was awakened
from the blast; his home is approximately a mile from the explosion site.
"As soon as I heard the explosion, I followed our well-established ARES protocols by getting on my local SKYWARN/ARES frequency and starting an informal
net. I also monitored my scanner to hear information directly from the incident area," Palmer said.
Shortly before 3 AM, he notified North Shore ARES District Emergency Coordinator Eric Horwitz, KA1NCF, and Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency
Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY.
"I am quite proud that Jim followed our established ARES protocols in Eastern Massachusetts. It is very important to maintain a high state of readiness
and to react and start a net, but at the same time, we do not self-deploy to any serious incident," Macedo said.
More than 15 amateurs have checked into the informal net. Amateur Radio operators from as far north as Amesbury and Gloucester, to as far south as Saugus
heard the explosion.
Region 1 RACES Radio Officer Terry Stader, KA8SCP, checked in with Palmer on the Danvers Repeater, stating there have been no calls for RACES assistance
at Region 1 Headquarters.
Macedo has been in contact with Erin Sarris, Associate Director of Disaster Services of Massachusetts Bay Red Cross, and Lou Harris, N1UEC, who is involved
with the Massachusetts Bay Red Cross Communications team. "The Red Cross has one shelter open at Danvers High School, with 100-150 people present. They
have communications with the one shelter, and it's not clear if other communication needs will be required at this time. We already have amateurs ready
to volunteer if communications support for Red Cross or other agencies becomes necessary," Macedo said.
Danvers canceled school for the day and area roads remained closed. There is an Eastern Propane facility close to the CAI facility, but that was not the
cause of the explosion, said company spokesman Jeff Taylor. He said all the company's tanks are secure, although the property suffered some minor damage.
Danvers is located on the North Shore of Massachusetts, approximately 15 miles north of the city of Boston. -- Rob Macedo, KD1CY; some information provided
by
The Danvers Herald
Kevin J. Martin confirmed chairman, commissioner of FCC for another term
Kevin J. Martin
Kevin J. Martin
has received Senate confirmation to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (
FCC).
He said, "I am deeply honored to have been confirmed by the Senate for a second term as Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
I thank President Bush and the Congress for the privilege to continue to serve in his Administration and alongside my colleagues on the Commission. I look
forward to working with the Administration and Congress, as well as with my fellow Commissioners and the incredibly able staff at the FCC to ensure that
all Americans share in the benefits and opportunities offered by the best communications system in the world. I will continue to work to provide a regulatory
environment that promotes competition and drives investment and innovation while protecting consumers and promoting public safety."
Martin began serving as FCC Commissioner in April 2001. He was named Chairman by President Bush in March 2005, and re-nominated for a second term as Commissioner
and Chairman in April. His term will expire in 2011. There are five FCC Commissioners; each serves a five year term.
SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 2
The Eighth Annual
SKYWARN Recognition Day
(SRD) special event will take place Saturday, December 2, 2006. SKYWARN Recognition Day is an event co-sponsored by the National Weather Service (
NWS)
and the American Radio Relay League. It is the National Weather Service's way of saying "thank you" to Amateur Radio operators for their commitment to helping
keep their communities safe. During the 24 hour special event, Amateur Radio operators will visit their local NWS office, set up Amateur Radio stations
and work as a team to contact other hams across the world.
"Ham radio operators volunteering as storm spotters are an extremely valuable asset to National Weather Service operations, since they are cross-trained
in both communications and severe storm recognition", says Scott Mentzer, N0QE, organizer of the event and Meteorologist-In-Charge at the NWS office in
Goodland, Kansas.
In typical warning operations, it is the direct communication between mobile spotters and the local NWS office which provides vital ground truth information.
Spotter reports of hail size, wind damage and surface-based rotation in real time greatly assists the radar warning operator, since that information can
be correlated with Doppler radar displays. The result can range anywhere from a more strongly worded statement to convey a greater sense of urgency, or
the issuance of a tornado warning a few minutes earlier than would otherwise have been possible.
While NWS offices utilize the real-time reporting of severe weather events to assist in warning operations, hurricanes and tropical storms have shown us
that ham radio operators are equally important during the recovery phase of natural disasters.
There are countless stories where ham radio worked in tandem with more conventional technology to relay emergency traffic.
Details of the Event
SKYWARN Recognition Day will be held 0000-2400 UTC December 2, 2006. The object is for all radio amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many
NWS Stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meter bands, as well as the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via repeaters are permitted.
See the
NWS Web page
for an interactive map of participating stations.
The exchange should include call sign, signal report, location and a one or two word description of the weather occurring at your site, such as sunny, partly
cloudy and windy.
NWS stations will work various modes, including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append NWS to
their call sign (e.g., N1A/NWS).
The NWS will provide event information via the Internet. Event certificates may be requested from SKYWARN Recognition Day, 920 Armory Rd, Goodland, KS 67735.
Simply enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with a list of NWS stations worked. The certificate size is 8.5 × 11 inches.
Separate NWS stations will also issue individual QSL cards. See the
Web page
for a list and to learn more.
Mir, SK
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 23, 2001--Take off your steel hardhats and protective tinfoil beanies. The Russian Mir space station was brought down early today--apparently
safely and according to plan. The only thing that got pelted with space debris was the Pacific Ocean. Over its 15 years, Mir housed Amateur Radio gear
and hosted several Amateur Radio operators as crew members, who often used the R0MIR call sign.
Early today, mission controllers in Moscow fired engines on a Progress cargo ship attached to Mir to deorbit the spacecraft and send it hurtling through
Earth's atmosphere. While most of the aging spacecraft is believed to have burned up upon reentry, upwards of 30 tons of debris were expected to survive
the trip and end up in the Pacific between Chile and Australia.
The demise of Mir ended a long and proud chapter in the history of Russian space exploration. The initial module of the space station was launched February
20, 1986.
Right up until the end, some held out hope that Russia somehow would find a way to keep Mir in space. While it was still in orbit and inhabited, the increasingly
impoverished Russian space program even accepted money to have its cosmonauts film TV commercials aboard Mir. But last year, the Russian government decided
last year that it could no longer afford the $250 million a year cost. Russia has reaffirmed its intention to continue its cooperation with the US, Canada,
ESA, and Japan in the development of the International Space Station.
The Russian Space station also had long outlived its anticipated three to six-year life span, and crews sometimes found themselves spending less time on
research and more on repairing systems that broke down. Mir was plagued by a series of computer breakdowns that, at times, left the station running at
reduced power and drifting in space.
An Amateur Radio SSTV picture received by Farrell Winder, W8ZCF, in 1998. [W8ZCF Photo]
Countless earthbound hams, including many students as part of the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment, got the chance to speak directly with Mir's crew--which,
at times, has included US astronauts--or have accessed Mir's packet messaging system. Pictures transmitted via an SSTV experiment installed aboard Mir
a few years ago also delighted earthbound amateurs.
In all, more than 100 astronauts and cosmonauts did tours of duty aboard Mir, including the current International Space Station Expedition 2 crew commander
Yury Usachev, RW3FU.
While Mir's ham gear was installed in part to help boost crew morale, it became a vital communication link after a nearly disastrous fire broke out and
when--not long after--the space station's hull was pierced in a collision with a cargo rocket.
The cover of US astronaut Jerry Linenger's book on his Mir experience.
The February 24, 1997, fire broke out while ham-astronaut Jerry Linenger, KC5HBR, was aboard Mir. Linenger, a physician, later reported via Amateur Radio
that no injuries had occurred and all crew members were in good health in the wake of the fire in the Kvant 1 module. Linenger later wrote a book, Off
the Planet--Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir, that detailed his experiences.
US astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAD, was part of the Mir crew when, a few months after the fire on June 25, 1997, a Progress rocket collided with the Spektr
module. Foale used ham radio to update reports of efforts to stabilize the station during the near-decompression.
Foale never was able to recover his personal belongings, which were stranded in the Spektr module and literally went down with the ship today. Also left
aboard was a collection of paperback books brought aboard by US astronaut Shannon Lucid, who did a tour aboard Mir.
Last April, cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin and Alexander Kaleri, U8MIR, visited Mir to close down the station and switch the flight control systems away from
the onboard computer. The orbiter also was raised to an operational orbit of 375 to 390 km. Amateur Radio activity aboard the station was limited during
that last mission.
Russian space officials planned no attempts to recover any of the Mir debris. Perhaps they should have given the idea more thought. Postings on the eBay
auction site are selling what one listing says "appears to be a clamp off the Priroda wing of the Russian MIR Space Station" in addition to a circuit board
and other items. The person listing the purported debris claims to have been in the South Pacific on a fishing charter when Mir was brought down. Left
unclear is just how the individual recovered the items--said to be "authentic." The "clamp" had a bid of $20,000 by mid-day.
Skipper Critical after Pirate Shooting; Trinidad Ham Provides New Details
ViVi-Maj Miren talks about the pirate attack that left her husband hospitalized with a gunshot wound. [Photo by Trinidad Express Newspapers.]
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 26, 2001--The Swedish skipper of a sailboat, who was shot after pirates boarded his vessel March 20 off the coast of Venezuela, remains
hospitalized in Trinidad. The victim has been identified as Bo Altheden, SM7XBH, of Bjärred, Sweden. Hams on the Maritime Mobile Service Net assisted Altheden
and his wife, ViVi-Maj Miren, when Miren put out a call for help on 20 meters after her husband was shot once in the abdomen.
One of the hams who assisted in coordinating the rescue, Eric Mackie, 9Z4CP, of Trinidad, met late last week with Miren aboard the couple's vessel in Trinidad
and was able to learn additional details about what happened. According to what Miren told Mackie, the couple was en route to Trinidad and Tobago and having
lunch around 12:30 PM Atlantic Standard Time when their 44-foot-ketch Lorna was approached by six men in a fishing boat. "The vessel approached from behind,
pulled alongside and Bo went out on deck to see what they wanted," Mackie related. "They asked for cigarettes, and Bo said they did not smoke."
Sensing trouble, Altheden started back toward the helm with the intention of pulling away from the other vessel--which Mackie described as a "pirogue"--a
common fishing boat. But as he turned away, the intruders shot him in the right lower back.
Eric Mackie, 9Z4CP. [Photo by Trinidad Express Newspapers.]
Mackie says Miren told him that the bullet wound caused considerable internal damage and bleeding. Although Altheden made it to the helm on his own, Miren
had to help him into the vessel's salon, where he collapsed just inside. At that point, the pirates boarded the Lorna and helped themselves to what was
on board.
According to Mackie, the pirates' booty amounted to less than $20 in cash, Miren's watch, binoculars, a Walkman, snorkeling gear, some alcohol and a few
other items. Miren, in the meantime, was attending to her husband, who was conscious but not in good shape at that point. While the pirates destroyed the
two VHF radios onboard before they left, they missed the HF radio--an SGC SG-2020--which, Mackie said, was right in plain sight.
The pirates gone, Miren set off an EPIRB and unsuccessfully tried calling for help using a hand-held VHF. "When that didn't work, she went to the HF radio,"
Mackie said. She tried 2182 kHz without success too. Eventually, she landed on 20 meters and found the net on 14.300 MHz.
Mackie, who is a TV weather presenter in Trinidad, said he got involved while monitoring the Maritime Mobile Service Net. As he was preparing his evening
forecast, he heard a male voice call "break, break break" on frequency. "Propagation conditions at that time were absolutely terrible, and the net control
station did not hear the call," he said. Neither did anyone else, and some of those on frequency later said that they were worried Miren's call would be
overlooked.
Mackie said he broke the net to alert others to the call, which also was picked up by Dale Voss, KO4V, in the US Virgin Islands. The net control was having
trouble hearing Mackie and the distress call, however. This was at approximately 3:10 PM AST--nearly three hours after the shooting.
"I took control and asked Dale to relay what information he had, and while this was happening, the hams in the US started zeroing in on Trinidad," he said.
Mackie said he was able to learn in the meantime that the Lorna had been attacked by pirates, and he was able to contact the Trinidad and Tobago Coast
Guard and advise them of the situation. "I was able to give them most of the required information at that point, and they soon came up on the net frequency
and were able to speak with the S/Y Lorna directly," he said. "ViVi had also asked that I contact The Swedish Lion, some friends of theirs who were at
the Coral Cove Marina here, which I did and asked them to prepare to assist."
The Lorna at anchor in Europe. Mackie obtained this photograph from ViVi-Maj Miren, the wife of the wounded skipper.
Mackie said he had to bow out and head for work for a couple of hours and got Khaz Baksh, 9Z4AF, and Tony Lee Mack, 9Y4AL, to stand by on frequency while
he was away. By the time he got back, he said, word had spread fast and "every ham in Trinidad was tuned to 14.300!"
As it worked out, vessels from the Venezuelan Navy and the Trinidadian Coast Guard arrived on scene at approximately the same time. While a medical team
from Trinidad was able to board the Lorna to attend Altheden, it was decided to wait until the vessel was in calmer waters before attempting to transfer
him to the Coast Guard vessel.
Mackie says Bo Altheden now is in St Clair Medical Center, a private hospital set up to deal with trauma cases. According to Mackie, Altheden remains in
critical but stable condition.
"On a personal note, I found that the cooperation of the three countries and the amateur operators was instrumental in the successful conclusion of this
rescue," Mackie said, "This is not the first time that I have handled emergency situations, and there are few things that give me more of a sense of fulfillment
than to be able to help someone in need."
The shooting in the Caribbean Sea occurred some 3200 km to the east-southeast of a similar pirate attack nearly one year ago. In that incident, March 28,
2000, armed marauders shot young Willem van Tuijl from the Netherlands, who was sailing with his parents at the time.
Hollingsworth Heaps Praise on Official Observers
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 28, 2001--FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth this week offered high praise for the work of the volunteer
ARRL Amateur Auxiliary's corps of Official Observers. Long a strong supporter of the OOs, Hollingsworth's most recent burst of appreciation was inspired
by investigative footwork done by an OO team that's assisting the FCC in an enforcement inquiry.
"It makes me realize that if it weren't for the OOs over the past 10 years, Amateur Radio would probably have imploded long ago and disintegrated from its
own chaos," Hollingsworth said. "We really thank them very much for their work here."
The Amateur Auxiliary is composed of approximately 700 ARRL Official Observer volunteer appointees across the US. The program was developed as a result
of a formal agreement between the FCC and the ARRL.
OOs function as helpers and advisors, not enforcers. They monitor the bands and notify amateurs of technical and operating discrepancies as a service. In
cases involving serious rule violations such as malicious interference, however, they are trained and certified to gather and forward evidence that can
be used by the FCC in enforcement actions. All OOs must pass a comprehensive examination before they can be certified as members of the Amateur Auxiliary.
In recent months, Hollingsworth's office has been attempting to make greater use of the Amateur Auxiliary in tackling enforcement issues. He says the Official
Observer program offers a way for amateurs to solve their own problems internally, without bringing in the FCC, but he notes that OOs often can provide
valuable local perspective during enforcement inquiries.
"It's this type of devotion of personal time to Amateur Radio and to helping us that gives me enough adrenaline to last for months," Hollingsworth said.
The bottom line, according to Hollingsworth, is protecting the future of Amateur Radio for those who enjoy it. "Radio spectrum has extremely high visibility,
and every time an operator gets on and degrades the bands, that operator is not only making Amateur Radio less enjoyable but endangering it as well."
For more information on the Amateur Auxiliary program, visit the ARRL
Web site.
Drifting Off Thule
By Frank Wolfe, NM7R
March 28, 2001
Few hams who travel on business have a mobile platform anything like this one. For that matter, few hams travel in these "circles."
It's been a hectic workday. My office has, uncommonly, been the center of attention, and the day began before six. It's now after nine in the evening, and
things are finally beginning to calm down. With my desk cleared of work, I am ready to shut things down.
Dominating the small office is a Mackay MRU-35, High Frequency Single Sideband transmitter. It will run 1500 W PEP output on any HF frequency and is the
workhorse for communications from my tiny office. My hand hesitates on the power switch, and withdraws. Instead, I tune the receiver to 14.300 MHz and
listen for the Maritime Mobile Net. Sure enough, the net is in operation and coming in strong.
I tune up the MRU-35, keeping the throttle backed down to about 1300 W. When the net control asks for check-ins, I throw in "November Mike Seven Romeo."
He responds: "The Seven Romeo, fill in your call sign and call your traffic." Before I can even make a call, a familiar voice chimes in: "W2ABM copies
you. '303 and up, I'll call you, Frank." "Ok, Roy, 14.303 and up; I'll listen for your call. Thanks Net," I answer.
The ship anchored in Thule harbor after discharging her cargo. In the background are the storage tanks we came to fill, and to the right are buildings of
the Thule US Air Force Base.
The MRU-35 was not designed with sliding up and down the band in mind, and for a minute or so I am quite busy rolling digital frequency selector switches
up and down, listening for Roy's voice calling me. After finding him with the receiver, I have to move the transmitter to the same frequency. Most commercial
radio work is handled on split frequencies, so the equipment is designed with transmitter and receiver as separate units.
"Good evening, Roy. You're coming in loud and clear. How me?"
"I've found you with the beam, and you're doing fine here in Elmira, New York," he responds.
Roy knows I want a phone patch home, and I pass him the number. While he places the collect call, I muse over the scores of phone patches he has run for
me from all over the world. I hope he knows the warm regard in which those he has helped over the years hold him.
My reverie is broken by those wonderful words: "OK, Frank, your wife is on the line; go ahead."
A view from the ham shack--and fog. Ship safety depends upon radar to avoid icebergs in the sometimes dense fog. Note the ice "growler" to the left of the
ship.
We exchange the usual banter, catching up. Much of what we say is unnecessary, but it's so good just to hear her voice. Knowing that all is going well at
home is a relief for any traveler, and I've been away for three months. All too soon we terminate the patch. Like all good things in life, the gracious
assistance of a good natured fellow Amateur must be taken in moderation. Trying to hold our patches to three minutes is tough, but we usually manage five
or six.
Afterwards, Roy chats for minute, and then he's back off to the Net to help some other soul.
"Kay Five See Eye Zed, near San Francisco." A strong signal cutting through the warble and hiss is my introduction to Jim, in Fremont, California. Having
been born and raised in the Bay Area, I know where Fremont is and, as it turns out, Jim spent time near here in the 1950s. It's truly a small world.
At 73° North Latitude, I am well above the Arctic Circle, and it's daylight all the time. The North Magnetic Pole is actually to the west, causing interesting
radio effects, including warbling, hiss and an intermittent echo effect.
It's nice to meet Jim, and we both share our past experiences. His kilowatt and seven elements make the trip nicely.
View larger image
One of the two radar screens showing icebergs in Thule harbor. The large area of green at lower right is land. The peninsula directly to the right of the
ship is the Thule harbor area. All the little specks on the screen are large icebergs that must be avoided.
Clearing with Jim brings several calls, and I chat with K7VNW, Bob, in Richland, Washington. My home is now in Washington State, although a long way from
Richland. He asks about my day, and I fill in some of the details. Up before 6 AM to catch the first of several radio-facsimile broadcasts, I'd already
put in an hour and a half before going down to breakfast. These important charts, mapping weather and ice floe conditions, are spread out now on every
horizontal surface in the room. In the afternoon, I managed to catch a few ice charts directly from "Can-Ice Three", the Canadian ice patrol aircraft.
The charts are pieced together to form a mosaic. Captain Rick Beede, and Ice Pilot Ed Paeffle, have been in the office all day, poring over the latest
charts as they roll off the printer.
You see, my office is the radio shack of a 600-foot tanker ship, carrying ten million gallons of jet fuel to re-supply the US Air Force base in Thule, Greenland.
We are working our way north up Baffin Bay with an icebreaker escort that is helping to clear a path through the worst of the ice. The weather is a critical
factor on such a voyage, and the ice conditions even more so. With the ebb and flow of daily message traffic and staying in contact with various ships,
aircraft, and of course, Thule Air Base--on various HF SSB and teletype circuits--it's been a full day.
Juggling transmission times so as not to interfere with chart reception, while meeting schedules and monitoring four or five receivers all day, has worn
me out. The Merchant Marine; it's not an adventure, it's just a job.
Signals on 20 meters are beginning to fade as I sign with John, N3MSE, in Butler, Pennsylvania, but there is time for one more contact before closing down
and heading for the bunk. I go back to Les, KB2WZY, Long Island, New York. Les is running 100 W into a vertical, but his signal is the loudest on the frequency.
He says he's been a ham for only five months but admits to having been a Novice 25 years ago. Those were the days when you had a year to upgrade or lose
your license. Welcome back, Les, to the World's Greatest Hobby!
Sailing north up Baffin Bay along the Labrador coast, one finally reaches the edge of the ice. From here the 'bergs are a constant companion, becoming thicker
until the solid sea ice sheet--breaking up in summer--is encountered.
Twenty five years sounds like a long time, but I've been a ham for 20, and it seems like only yesterday. I've used my amateur privileges to communicate
with home and to meet lots of interesting people. My present career and many of my most cherished friendships have grown out of Amateur Radio. If there
is one thing I've learned about this hobby, it is this: Amateur Radio isn't about equipment or contest points or certificates or even rare DX. Amateur
Radio is about people.
Amazing, how chatting on the radio for a few minutes can relieve the exhaustion of a long day, isn't it? Another early morning is just around the corner.
Time to pull the big switch.
Editor's note: Frank Wolfe, NM7R, is a Merchant Marine Radio Officer/Electronics Technician and holds a Second Class Commercial Radiotelegraph (T2) certificate,
General Commercial Radiotelephone License, and a GMDSS Operator and Maintainer License. He has a BS from Oregon State University and worked for several
electronics companies in Silicon Valley during the 1970s. When not at sea, Wolfe lives in southwestern Washington, where he is active with the Sunset Empire
Amateur Radio Club. A ham since 1979, Wolfe teaches license classes, serves as a VE and provides technical support for the area repeaters. He's also a
private pilot and enjoys operating 2-meter FM while flying all over the Pacific Northwest in his Piper Cherokee.
Amateur Antenna Bill Fails in Arkansas
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 29, 2001--An effort to secure passage of an Amateur Radio antenna bill in the state of Arkansas has failed for the current legislative
session. House Bill 2314 was introduced in the Arkansas General Assembly earlier this month by Rep Dean Elliott and was referred to the Arkansas House
City, County and Local Affairs Committee. But Arkansas Section Manager-elect Bob Ideker, WB5VUH, says the bill died in committee.
"I'm disappointed but not defeated," Ideker said in a letter to Arkansas ARRL members. "I think it would have helped all of us in the long run, and I was
certainly encouraged by the League to try." Ideker says lessons learned this time around should help in future efforts to get Arkansas' lawmakers to approve
amateur antenna legislation next year.
Ideker says he thinks this year's effort needed "more emphasis by statewide representation of hams along with the support by those state agencies that know
of our service to them and communities during disasters."
Ideker and Delta Division Director Rick Roderick, K5UR, were among those who attended the committee hearing earlier this month. Ideker credited Elliott,
the bill's sponsor, with doing "a great job" of explaining the bill's importance on the future of antenna restrictions in municipalities. Ideker also testified
and answered questions.
Ideker said a representative of the Arkansas Municipal League spoke against the bill at the hearing. He also said some committee members felt that given
the federal limited preemption known as PRB-1, the state should not need to do anything further.
The bill was turned down on a voice vote, Ideker said, so it was impossible to get an idea of just how much support the measure had or did not have on the
panel.
Ideker expressed his appreciation to all who helped support the bill.
In addition to calling on communities to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio antennas in line with PRB-1, the bill called for a graduated schedule of
minimum regulatory height limits depending on population density. HB 2314 stipulated that municipalities may not restrict ham antennas less than 200 feet
in areas with a population density of 120 people or fewer per square mile; less than 75 feet and on a lot smaller than an acre in areas with a population
density of more than 120 people per square mile; or less than 140 feet and on a lot one acre or larger in areas with a population density of more than
120 people per square mile.
In line with PRB-1 wording, the bill would not have restricted communities from imposing requirements to meet "clearly defined objectives relating to screening,
placement, aesthetics, and health and safety factors."
FCC Proposes Lower Amateur Radio Vanity Fee
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 30, 2001--The FCC is proposing to lower the fee to obtain or renew an Amateur Radio vanity call sign from $14 to $12. The new fee, if
approved, likely would go into effect sometime in September.
The proposed lower fee was contained in an FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for FY 2001 (MD Docket
No. 01-76), released March 29. The FCC said it estimates 8000 applicants will apply for vanity call signs in the current fiscal year.
Applicants for Amateur Radio vanity call signs will continue to pay the $14 fee for the 10-year license term until the FY 2001 fee schedule becomes effective.
The effective date for the new FCC fee schedule will be announced later this year in a Report and Order or by a Public Notice published in the Federal
Register.
Comments in the fee proceeding are due by April 27; reply comments must be received by May 7, 2001. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the FCC
Web site.
Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed.
To receive filing instructions for e-mail comments, commenters should send an e-mail to
ecfs@fcc.gov
and include the words "get form <your e-mail address>" in the body of the message. A sample form and directions will be sent in reply.
FCC Issues $17,000 Fine for Unlicensed Operation on Ham Bands
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 30, 2001--The FCC has proposed levying a $17,000 fine on an East Palo Alto, California, man for transmitting without a license on amateur
frequencies and for transmitting a false distress signal. The FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture March 19 in the case of Joshie Yasin
Nakamura Sr, who also is known as "Mervyn Ehambrave" and sometimes as "Marvin E. Barnes."
As Ehambrave, Nakamura was among those receiving an FCC Warning Notice in March 1999 for allegedly operating without a license on the K7IJ repeater system
in the San Francisco Bay area. At the time, the FCC shut down the repeater system for more than two months, saying that the repeater's owner and control
operator did not have proper control of the system and that the control operator was permitting unlicensed individuals to transmit via the machines.
The huge fine the FCC is proposing stems from complaints about Nakamura to the FCC dating back to late January through March of last year. The Commission
says it heard from several Amateur Radio licensees and from members of the ARRL Amateur Auxiliary asserting that an unlicensed station was operating on
several amateur frequencies without a license. Reports alleged that the operator was "causing interference by jamming and playing music," the FCC said
in its NAL.
In March 2000, agents from the FCC's San Francisco Field Office observed unidentified radio transmissions on 445.175 MHz and the international "SOS" distress
signal being transmitted in Morse code. The agents tracked the signal to Nakamura's residence in East Palo Alto. During an inspection, agents found Nakamura
was "operating the station without authorization from the Commission and Mr. Nakamura was not in distress," the FCC said. He was issued a Notice of Unlicensed
Radio Operation at that time, the FCC said.
The FCC said it continued to get complaints last summer from Amateur Radio operators, including an ARRL Official Observer, about an unlicensed station on
several amateur frequencies, including 146.63 MHz, allegedly causing interference and playing music. Last September, FCC agents observed transmissions
on the 2-meter frequency and again tracked them to Nakamura's residence. Another inspection revealed that Nakamura was operating without authorization.
He again was presented with a Notice of Unlicensed Radio Operation, the FCC said.
The FCC determined that its guidelines call for a $10,000 fine for unlicensed operation and another $7000 forfeiture for causing malicious interference.
The FCC gave Nakamura 30 days to pay up or to seek reduction or cancellation of the proposed fine.
The K7IJ repeater case also involved assistance from the Amateur Auxiliary. The FCC permitted the K7IJ repeater system to resume operation in May 1999 after
FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth struck an agreement with the owner and the control operator that involved close monitoring
by the FCC and strict adherence to FCC rules and regulations.
Attaining a 6 to 9 dB Noise Improvement in Coaxial Cable
By Richard Mollentine, WA0KKC
April 1, 2001
Noise can be the bane of Amateur Radio communication. Here's a unique--and chillingly deceptive--theory of noise reduction that doesn't involve DSP or other
electronics.
The National Oceanic Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the effect of solar interruptions and disruptions of Earth's magnetic field.
These interruptions can cause aurora--also known as the northern lights--to reach into mid-latitudes of the southern United States. It has been determined,
however, that radio reception at the North and South poles is relatively free of noise, despite the magnetic pole attraction.
Polar Tests and Noise
After extensive tests at the North and South Poles where temperatures sometimes go to 80º to 100º below zero and colder, observers noticed there was no
static or noise--regardless of operating frequency--from LF to SHF. In essence, the radio frequencies traveled alone, more or less leaving the majority
of the noise behind.
There are generally two varieties of static or noise: manmade noise and natural noise. Manmade noise comes from electric motors, generators, transformers,
car ignition and items of that nature, whereas lightning, thunder, rain, snow, etc generate natural noise. Generally speaking, manmade noise and natural
noise are of different magnitude, on different frequencies and appear differently on an oscilloscope. Some noise is in the audio frequency range while
other noise is in the radio frequency range; other noise is a combination of RF and AF over a broad frequency range, so it's hard to pin down a broad spectrum
of noise or static.
Studies have revealed that electrons or ions travel less rapidly when wire or coax is bitterly cold as opposed to when the coax is warm or hot--in essence,
slowing down or trapping noise and static. However, it was also determined that RF energy is unencumbered by the bitter cold. Thus, the solution to reducing
static or noise is to chill the coax. To elaborate further, due to the skin effect, RF travels across the surface of a transmission line at one speed while
audio noise does not necessarily travel at the same speed. Thus, it is possible to separate the RF from the audio or noise, just as sine wave potentials
are dissimilar.
The Big Chill
It is well known that a toroid ring of super-conductive material can circulate an electric current within it for more than 1000 years, as long as the material
remains cold enough. In those experiments liquid nitrogen was used. It has a temperature of 77º K or --320º F. To start the current flow, simply pass a
magnet through the center hole.
Absolute zero in thermodynamics is a temperature theoretically equal to --273.18º C or --459.72º F. That is the hypothetical point at which a substance
would have no molecular motion or heat. Obviously that cannot be physically achieved. However, we can come relatively close to that. "Dry ice"--frozen
carbon dioxide--is nonflammable and has a temperature of --78.5º C or --109.3º F. It appears to be the ideal substance for a practical application of our
theory.
The above information is touched upon ever so lightly in Dr Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity in his 1922 and later theses. Most scholars accept these
as basically correct.
Methodology
There are several ways to physically chill coaxial cable. Running a portion through a deep-freeze unit--similar to a residential food freezer--is one possibility.
The refrigerator compartment itself would not be cold enough--that section runs at approximately 35º F--whereas the deep-freeze section runs at approximately
0º F. Unfortunately, it was determined that even 0º F was not sufficiently cold to suppress the noise level.
A remote-mounted dry ice static-remover device.
The actual dry ice static-remover device is a metal box with coaxial cable running through it and having appropriate connections at each end. Theoretically,
it would be better if the coax were coiled up inside the box, thereby exposing as much coax as possible to the cooling effect of the dry ice. However,
it must be noted that in coiling a wire of this nature it could act as a balun or a high-pass or low-pass filter, or perhaps as some type of tuned circuit.
Additional coax also can contribute additional RF signal loss. Therefore, I believe the best approach is to simply run the coax straight through the metal
box with as little coiling as practical.
The dry ice static-remover device does not have to be at the operating table near the radios; indeed, it can be anywhere along the coaxial cable--out in
the garage or another area of the house, whatever is convenient. It can be almost any size, but the bigger the box, the more dry ice you can store.
A static-remover device buried in deep freezer. This is probably the most effective application.
The box could be stored in an insulated cooler. However, it would be better if one had an unused deep-freeze unit or refrigerator around the house that
could be used instead. One could punch a hole in the unit for the coax entrance and another hole for the exit of the coax and then put the dry ice static-remover
box inside the freezer section. [It should be noted that an active, working refrigerator with food in it should not be used for this purpose.]
A dry ice static-remover, using refrigerator to cool coax.
In the unlikely event that your spouse might not be too pleased with the idea of punching two holes in the side of an unused refrigerator or deep freeze,
it would be acceptable to place the dry ice in the bottom of a regular picnic cooler. Fill the remainder of the cooler with conventional ice cubes. This
arrangement will keep the coax cold for three to four days depending upon how much dry ice was purchased.
View larger image
CO2 Technical Data.
Dry ice can be purchased at numerous retail outlets, including supermarkets and stores of that nature. Thirteen to twenty pounds of dry ice will last between
40 to 60 hours, depending upon whether you have elected to use an insulated container or the unused section of a refrigerator or deep-freeze unit. This
is sufficient for an average contest weekend.
Results of Empirical Testing and Practical Application
Early tests indicate a 6 to 9 dB decrease in noise and static; while at the same time radio-frequency signals go through virtually unencumbered! None of
the above should be misconstrued as having to do with cold fusion, as that is another subject entirely.
A typical noise pattern.
There are numerous modern, up-to-date noise killers on the market. Among these are the digital-signal processing (DSP) technology units. They prove that
it is possible to extract noise out of a signal by filtering, while leaving a signal of considerably greater clarity. It has been determined, however,
that the dry ice static-remover, used either in conjunction with DSP, or by itself, does have some very good noise-canceling potential, including elimination
or attenuation of random noise, as well as reduction of heterodynes.
In the appendix of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs is a chart showing the relationship between noise figures and noise temperatures. That chart is
of considerable value in this specific subject and should be noted.
In the interest of experimentation, if one were interested, one could wire switches to bypass the dry ice static-remover. Switch from by-pass to static-remover
and see that the noise and static are substantially attenuated, while RF runs virtually undisturbed through the static machine.
Editor's note: Richard Mollentine, WA0KKC, is an ARRL member from Overland Park, Kansas. He holds a General class ticket.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Information Society and Media Directorate-General
Electronic Communications Policy
Radio Spectrum Policy
Brussels, 07 October 2005
DG INFSO/B4
RSCOM05-53
PUBLIC DOCUMENT
RADIO SPECTRUM COMMITTEE
Working Document
Subject: ETSI Report to RSC#13
This is a Committee working document, which does not necessarily reflect the official
position of the Commission. No inferences should be drawn from this document as to
the precise form or content of future measures to be submitted by the Commission.
The Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any
information or data referred to in this document.
Commission Européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles/Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium - Office: BU33 7/09.
Telephone: direct line (+32-2)296.12.67., switchboard 299.11.11. Fax: +32.2.296.83.95.
e-mail : infso-rsc@cec.eu.int
Radio Spectrum Committee
13th meeting
Brussels, 5 October 2005
Radio Competence Centre
Report from ETSI
1 Issues directly affecting RSCOM work items
1.1 Automotive Radar •
24 GHz anti-collision systems EN 302 288 v. 1.1.1 (2005-01) is now awaiting citation in the Official Journal in order for
users to claim presumption of conformity with the R&TTE Directive. No listing has been
published in the OJ since 30 March 2005.
Version 1.1.1 allows manual de-activation to protect Radio Astronomy sites. A new version is
under development under EC/EFTA mandate M/363 to develop a new version (v. 1.2.1)
including inter alia automatic deactivation based on geographical location information. Work
is underway in Technical Committee ERM TG31B to develop this revised standard. This
work is based on information recently received from CEPT on the geographical regions where
automatic switch off is required. This will allow the development of new version of this
Harmonised Standard to continue.
The revised Harmonized Standard is scheduled to be presented for approval at TC ERM in
November 2005 for a combined Public Enqury and Vote prodecure. If successful, it is
expected to be adopted in April 2006.
The System Reference Document for this application, TR 101 982 v 1.2.1, is published since
July 2002.
•
79 GHz anti-collision systems Harmonised Standard EN 302 264 had been held in order to give priority to the 24 GHz
Harmonised Standard EN 302 288. A draft is being circulated within TC ERM TG31B, with
a view to presenting a draft for approval to TC ERM for Public Enquiry in March 2006.
According to this schedule, the Harmonized Standard would be published in January 2007.
•
77 GHz automatic cruise control systems EN 301 091-2 v 1.2.1 (2004-01) is awaiting citation on the Official Journal.
1.2 Ultra Wide Band Global Radio Standards Collaboration http://www.gsc.etsi.org Ultra Wide Band was discussed as a high-interest area in the Global Radio Standards Collaboration
(Sophia Antipolis, 28 August to 2 September 2005), which adopted a resolution on Global UWB
Standardization (see annex A). UWB was adopted as a new High Interest Area in GRSC, with ETSI
being appointed as prime PSO.
UWB for Communications purposes (EC/EFTA mandate M/329)
System Reference Document, TR 101 994-1 (2004-01), has been contributed to CEPT TG3 which is
co-ordinating spectrum sharing studies.
The draft Harmonised Standard for this application, EN 302 065, is under development in ETSI ERM
TG31A. However, this schedule is dependent on successful conclusion of work on regulatory aspects
in CEPT.
ETSI ERM TG31A has restarted a process to review and characterise different technologies for UWB,
and have identified three technology classes that have significantly different interference-potential.
TG31A has reviewed its work programme and has agreed six new work items for ERM approval in
November 2005. These work items include, 'Harmonised Standards' for UWB Technologies, TR on
'Test Methodologies', TRs on Technical Characteristics of UWB, and a Study on Bandsharing and
Mitigation techniques.
UWB for Ground-probing / wall-probing radar (EC/EFTA mandate
M/329)
The System Reference Document for GPR, TR 101 994-2 was published on 8 November 2004.
The Harmonised Standard, EN 302 066 and the EMC Standard, EN 301 489-32, completed National
Vote on 26 August 2005, and were published by ETSI on 5 September. The Standard is awaiting
citation in the Official Journal, which will allow the presumption of conformity with the R&TTE
Directive.
Tank-Level Probing Radar (TLPR)
The ETSI System Reference Document, TR 102 347 v 1.1.2 (2005-01) has been submitted to CEPT.
The draft Harmonised Standard, EN 302 272 v 1.1.1 is on Public Enquiry, scheduled to complete on 28
October 2005. It is expected to be published in June 2006.
Location application for emergency services (LAES)
ETSI has published a System Reference Document (TR 102 496 (2005-06)) which defines the
requirements for radio frequency usage for a short range location application to be used by authorities
(e.g. search & rescue, fire workers, police, civil protection authorities) in disaster situations. A
Technical Specification is under development, and a work item for a Harmonized Standard is expected
to be proposed shortly. UWB Sensors
ETSI is continuing to work on System Reference Documents (TR 102 495, 3 parts) and Harmonized
Standards for UWB sensors covering building analysis, object classification and location tracking.
This technical work is concentrated ETSI TC ERM, TG31C.
1.3 Radio LAN 5 GHz
EN 301 893 v 1.3.1, the Harmonised Standard for 5 GHz Radio LANs, was published in 4 August
2005 and is awaiting citation in the Official Journal.
ETSI BRAN is working on a revised version, expected to become version 1.4.1, which will cover high
throughput 5GHz RLAN technologies. This would allow the use of techniques such as Channel
Bonding (e.g. using 40 MHz channels), and the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology
based on guidance from JPT5G and confirmed by WGFM. ETSI BRAN will reconsider the method of
measurement for spurious emissions in the development of this new Harmonized Standard..
2,45 GHz
EN 300 328 v 1.6.1 was published on 9 November 2004 and cited in the OJEU on 30 March 2005.
Work has started within ETSI ERM TG11 to revise this standard to revise the method of measurement
for peak power as the current method is not adequate for some wide band modulation schemes. Other
test methods will also be reviewed to accommodate high throughput technologies such as MIMO,
channel bonding, etc.. The new version (expected to be v 1.7.1) is scheduled to be submitted to the
Technical Committee ERM on June 2006, and to be published in December 2006.
ETSI ERM TG11 is also developing a test report template for testing against EN 300 328.
1.4 Short Range Devices Generic SRDs
The National Vote in a revised version of EN 300 330 (Harmonised standard for generic short-range
devices operating below 25 MHz) was interrupted at the request of CEPT/ECC who had expressed
concerns over magnetic field limits. This matter will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of TC
ERM.
A revised draft on EN 300 220 (Harmonised Standard for generic harmonised standards operating in
the range 25 MHz to 1 GHz) has completed its Public Enquiry on 5th August, and is expectedto be
presented to TC ERM for approval for National Vote in November 2005. Publication is anticipated in
February 2006.
Euroloop / Eurobalise (EC/EFTA mandate M/364)
ETSI have started work to include the current technical requirements for Eurobalise and Euroloop
(currently embedded in CEPT/ECC Recommendation 70-03) in a new Harmonized Standard for this
application. It is expected that this standard will need to be revised shortly afterwards to include new
spectrum masks, which are currently the subject of compatibility studies in CEPT/ECC SRDMG.
Low Power FM Transmitters
ETSI is revising EN 300 357 (cordless audio devices) to cover short-range devices operating in the FM
Broadcast band. The standard specifies a power level of 50 nW, as proposed by CEPT/ECC WG SE
Report 73. This standard will complete Public Enquiry on 30 December 2005, and is scheduled to be
published in June 2006.
1.5 Intelligent Transport Systems ETSI has published a System Reference Document, TR 102 492-1, on pan-European harmonized
communications equipment operating in the 5 GHz frequency range and intended for critical roadsafety
applications. A Harmonized Standard is under praparation in ETSI ERM TG37.
Other issues of interest to RSCOM
Harmonised Standards under the R&TTE Directive
In response to a number of comments on Harmonised Standards which were received via TCAM &
RTTE ADCO, ETSI OCG RTTED has conducted a review of the guidance material used with ETSI to
prepare Harmonized Standards under the R&TTE Directive. The revised Guide EG 201 399 has be
approved by an ad-hoc group of TC ERM, and is awaiting formal adoption by a 60-day vote of ETSI
members. This revised guidance is intended to align the ETSI standards with the understanding of the
Directive developed in TCAM, and lead to a simplified structure of Harmonized Standards and a
greater coherence in the specification of technical requirements by different technical committees.
ETSI has initiated a second phase of the Specialist Task Force to review existing Harmonized
Standards. The STF will advise the responsible Technical Bodies of the necessary corrective action to
bring existing Standards into line with the new guidance. This phase of the STF is expected to start in
October 2005 and complete at the latest in March 2006.
Harmonized Standards published since RSCOM#12
Table with 5 columns and 5 rowsEN 302 017 1.1.1 2005-09 Transmitting equipment for the amplitude-modulated broadcast
radio service EN 302 291 1.1.1 2005-07 Close Range Inductive Data Communication equipment
operating in the 13,56MHz ISM band EN 302 066 1.1.1 2005-09 UWB for purposes other than communications EN 301 893 1.3.1 2005-08 BRAN: 5 GHz high performance RLAN EN 301 459 1.3.1 2005-09 SES: Satellite Interactive Terminals (SIT) and Satellite User
Terminals (SUT) transmitting towards satellites in geostationary
orbit in the 29,5 GHz to 30,0 GHz frequency bands Table endHarmonized Standards in public approval
Table with 3 columns and 5 rowsEN 302 018 v
1.2.1 (2 parts) FM sound broadcast
transmitters on PE until 7/10/2005 EN 301 357-2
v 1.3.1 Short Range Devices
in the FM Broadcast
bands On PE until 30/12/2005 EN 300 220 v
1.4.1 (2 parts) Generic SRDs (25
MHz to 1 GHz) Completed PE 5/8/2005
Expected for Vote 18/11/2005 EN 300 330 v
1.4.1 (2 parts) Generic SRDs (below
25 MHz) Vote stopped by ERM Chairman
ERM#27, 18/11/2005: Review EN 302 372
v 1.1.1 (2
parts) Tank Level Probing
Radar (TLPR) On PE until 28/10/2005 Table endTable with 3 columns and 12 rowsEN 301 449 v
1.1.1 CDMA base station
equipment Completed PE 9/9/2005
Expected for Vote 18/11/2005 EN 302 426 v
1.1.1 CDMA repeater
equipment On PE until 28/10/2005 EN 301 526 v
1.1.1 CDMA mobile station
equipment Completed PE on 16/9/2005
Expected for Vote 17/3/2006 EN 302 502 v
1.1.1
DEN/BRAN0040006
5,8 GHz fixed
broadband data
transmitting systems On PE until 23/12/2005 EN 301 428 v
1.2.7
REN/SES00270
Very Small Aperture
Terminal (VSAT);
Transmit-only,
transmit/receive or
receive-only satellite
earth stations
operating in the
11/12/14 GHz
frequency bands On PE until 2/12/2005 EN 301 443 v
1.2.5
REN/SES00276
Very Small Aperture
Terminal (VSAT);
Transmit-only,
transmit-and-receive,
receive-only satellite
earth stations
operating in the 4
GHz and 6 GHz
frequency bands On PE until 18/11/2005 EN 301 360 v
1.1.6
REN/SES00277
Satellite Interactive
Terminals (SIT) and
Satellite User
Terminals (SUT)
transmitting towards
geostationary
satellites in the 27,5
GHz to 29,5 GHz
frequency bands On PE until 18/11/2005 EN 302 340 v
1.0.1
DEN/SES00110
satellite Earth
Stations on board
Vessels (ESVs)
operating in the
11/12/14 GHz
frequency bands
allocated to the Fixed
Satellite Service
(FSS) On PE until 30/9/2005 EN 302 326-2 Digital Multipoint Completed PE 1/7/2005 v 1.1.1
DEN/TM04130-
2 Radio Equipment Expected for V: 14/10/2005 EN 302 326-3 Multipoint Radio Completed PE 1/7/2005 v 1.1.1
DEN/TM04130-
3 Antennas Expected for V: 14/10/2005 Table endElectromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
Modifications to EMC standards have been caused by the adoption of the Automotive EMC Directive
2004/104/EC (mandate M/358). Of the modified standards, EN 301 489-1 (General EMC
requirements for radio equipment), is published and awaiting citation in the OJEU. EN 301 489-7
(Specific EMC requirements for GSM terminals) and EN 301 489-24 (Specific EMC requirements for
IMT-2000 UTRA terminals) are scheduled to complete the combined Public Enquiry and Vote
procedure on 28 October 2005, and are expected to be published in November 2005.
ETSI published a Guide to the revised automotive EMC Directive, EG 202 414 (2005-06), during this
period.
The following other EMC standards are currently on public approval process (mandate M/284):
o
EN 301 843-6 v 1.1.1, Satellite equipment on board ships, to complete Public Enquiry,
4/11/2005 o
EN 301 489-11 v 1.3.1, EMC for digital sound broadcast transmitters, Completed Public
Enquiry on 9/9/2005 EMC Harmonized Standards published since RSCOM#12
Table with 5 columns and 5 rowsEN 301 489-1 1.6.1 2005-09 General EMC for radio EN 301 48925
2.3.1 2005-07 EMC for IMT-2000 CDMA Multi-carrier Mobile Stations EN 301 48926
2.3.1 2005-07 EMC for IMT-2000 CDMA Multi-carrier Base Stations EN 301 48931
1.1.1 2005-09 EMC for inductive loop ULP-AMI, 9 to 315 kHz EN 301 48932
1.1.1 2005-09 EMC for Ground & Wall Probing Radar Table endETSI/CENELEC Joint Working Group on EMC of conducted
telecommunications networks
The Joint Working Group continues to work on mandate M/313 on EMC requirements for conducted
transmission networks. Following the publication of Commission Recommendation 2005/292/EC on
the introduction of power line telecommunication, the JWG have decided to concentrate on the
development of the Harmonised Standard originally requested under mandate M/313.
The draft Harmonised Standard EN 302 282 is due to complete Public Enquiry on 18 November 2005.
A joint meeting with CENELEC to resolve Public Enquiry comments has been arranged on 21 and 22
February 2006. The standard is scheduled to be published in June 2006.
Radio Spectrum Matters
ERM has published System Reference Documents for the following applications, with a view to
initiating the frequency allocation process in CEPT:
Table with 5 columns and 5 rowsTR 102 433 1.1.1 2005-06 System Reference Document for Digital Private Mobile Radio TR 102 434 1.1.1 2005-06 System Reference Document for ULP-AMI with duty cycle of equal or less than
0,01% TR 102 491 1.1.1 2005-06 System Reference Document for TETRA TEDS TR 102 492-1 1.1.1 2005-06 SRDoc for RTTT protected pan-European 5 GHz equipment for critical road
safety applications TR 102 496 1.1.1 2005-06 System Reference Document for short range location application for emergency
services (EMTEL) Table endRadio measurements
ETSI has published the following document:
Table with 5 columns and 1 rowEG 202 373 1.1.1 2005-08 Guide to on-site methods of measurement of Radiated RF fields Table endThis has been contributed to CENELEC for consideration in its drafting of Harmonized Standards for
the assessent of radio sites to limit human exposure to electromanetic fields.
Aeronautical equipment
Cellphones on aircraft
ETSI MSG are working with CEPT SE7 on specifications to allow the use of cell phones on aircraft,
using a Network Control Unit on board to prevent the hand-held causing interference withteh ground
network.
Application of the R&TTE Directive to ground-based aeronautical equipment
Following advice from the Commission Legal Services that ground-based aeronautical equipment is
covered by the R&TTE Directive, ETSI is investigating Harmonized Standards for such equipment.
Annex A: Resolution GSC-10/11 (GRSC) Global
UWB Standardization
The 10th Global Standards Collaboration meeting (Sophia-Antipolis, 2005)
Recognizing:
a)
that UWB services could assist in the social and economic development on a Global basis using
Personal Area Networks;
b)
that UWB services can help to provide local, very high speed, broadband links for use in the
personal space including government, education, and individuals in the global community to
develop the delivery of combined audio/visual services alongside normal Wide Area Networks;
c)
that there is increasing demand for personal broadband services on a Global basis providing full
cross/border/regional mobility and compatibility for end users;
d)
that there are challenges in delivering broadband services to intelligent user terminals for real
time multimedia services;
e)
that standardization of UWB systems is currently taking place in Participating Standards
Organizations (PSOs);
f)
that well-accepted standards have the potential to increase product availability and to support a
diverse range of applications which can benefit the delivery of broadband multimedia services
in the personal space;
g)
that through the emergence and evolution of technology, the delivery of real-time multimedia
services is now a real possibility in a cost effective way;
h)
that standards should facilitate the free circulation on a global basis, in a license exempt
environment;
i)
that telecommunications needs may vary considerably between end users in their own personal
space;
j)
that the telecommunication requirements of developed and developing countries are similar but
the implementation challenges may be vastly different;
k)
that there has been no major deployment of UWB services to date;
Considering:
1)
that various countries and regions are establishing UWB deployment programs, including realtime
multimedia applications, in recognition that UWB has the potential to enhance the quality
of life of the general public, also giving access to services to the physically impaired that
otherwise would not be available from previous broadband services in the personal space (e.g.,
strengthening economy, improving health care, creating new learning opportunities);
2)
that the World Summit on Information Society (Geneva, December 2003) adopted a plan of
action calling on countries to develop and strengthen national, regional and international
broadband network infrastructure, including delivery by satellite and other systems, to help in
providing the capacity to match the needs of countries and their citizens and for the delivery of
new Information and Communication Technology based services.
Resolves:
1)
to facilitate a strong and effective global radio standards collaboration on UWB standardization
in a technology neutral environment;
2)
to encourage PSOs and other standards bodies to develop globally compatible UWB standards
to support delivery of real-time multimedia services in the personal space;
Table with 2 columns and 10 rows3) to encourage PSOs to take into account, in the development of UWB standards, the need for
cost-effective solutions with supporting simplified measurement and regulatory procedures for
placing UWB solutions on the Global markets; 4) to encourage PSOs to develop innovative solutions that would support the use of low power
UWB short range devices to achieve reliable delivery of broadband services in the personal
space; and 5) to encourage standards development in UWB hybrid fixed and mobile broadband wireless
personal access, recognizing the technology solutions available or under development. 6) communicate effectively with Regional and International Regulatory Administrations having
regard to the efficient use of spectrum and regulations that protects existing allocated services. Table endAnnex B: List of GSC#10 Resolutions
Table with 2 columns and 16 rowsResolution GSC-10/01: (Joint) Mapping Standards for “Systems Beyond IMT 2000” Resolution GSC-10/02: (Joint) Emergency Communications Resolution GSC-10/03: (Joint) Broadband Services in Rural and Remote Areas Resolution GSC-10/04: (Joint) Open Standards Resolution GSC-10/05: (GRSC) Facilitating Liaison in Relation to Measurement
Methodologies for Assessing Human Exposure to RF Energy Resolution GSC-10/06: (GRSC) Global Radio Standards Collaboration on Wireless Access
Systems including Radio Local Area Network and Ad Hoc
Networking, particularly for systems providing broadband wireless
access Resolution GSC-10/07: (GRSC) Supporting Automotive Crash Notification (“ACN”) by
Public Wireless Communications Networks Resolution GSC-10/08 (GRSC) Radio Microphones and Cordless Audio Standardization Resolution GSC-10/09 (GRSC) RFID Systems, Services and Networking Resolution GSC-10/10 (GRSC) Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) Resolution GSC-10/11 (GRSC) Global UWB Standardization Resolution GSC-10/12 (GTSC) Next Generation Networks (NGN) Resolution GSC-10/13 (GTSC) Cybersecurity Resolution GSC-10/14 (GTSC) Home Networking Resolution GSC-10/15 (IPR WG) Intellectual Property Rights Policies Resolution GSC-10/16 (UWG) User Interest Working Group Table end
ORDINANCE NO. 2001-22
TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD IN THE COUNTY OF BURLINGTON
AMENDING THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE BY AMENDING
CHAPTER 203 “DEFINITIONS”, CHAPTER 531 “AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS”, AND CHAPTER
604.A
“HEIGHT LIMITATIONS” TO GOVERN AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS AND ANTENNA SUPPORT STRUCTURES WHOSE HEIGHTS EXCEED PREVAILING ZONING ORDINANCE LIMITS.
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America (“FCC”) has issued
and Order declaring a limited preemption over local regulation of amateur radio antenna facilities (known
as “FCC Order PRB-1”) appearing at 101 FCC 2d 952; 50 Fed. Reg. At 38813-38816 (1985)), the policy of
which limited preemption is to require that amateur radio communications be reasonably accommodated by
local regulation and to preempt local land use regulations which unduly restrict effective amateur radio
communications beyond the minimal practical regulation appropriate to accomplish the local authority’s
legitimate purpose and
WHEREAS, in compliance with FCC Order PRB-1 the Township Council intends for the provisions of this
Ordinance to accommodate reasonably such amateur radio communication as may be within the
jurisdiction of the Township, and that to that end, to authorize the Planning Board of the Township to
conduct reviews and impose such specific conditions on construction as the Planning Board in its discretion
deems proper under the terms of this Ordinance and the then existing preemption policy of the FCC; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board shall be both bound and instructed by the promulgated limited preemption
policy of the FCC, including FCC Order PRB-1, and other and future such FCC orders, ruling and
applicable pronouncements of policy; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Township Council of the Township of Medford in the County of Burlington,
that:
SECTION ONE. The Medford Township Land Development Ordinance, together with all amendments
and supplements thereto, shall be and hereby is amended as follows:
A.
The following definitions are added to Section 203, where appropriate:
Amateur Radio Antenna are the arrangement of wires or metal rods used in the sending and receiving of
electro-magnetic waves.
Amateur Radio Station is a radio station operated in the Amateur Radio Service under license by the
Federal Communications Commission.
Amateur Radio Antenna Support Structure is any structure, mast, pole, tripod or tower utilized for the
purpose of supporting an antenna or antennas for the purpose of transmission or reception of electromagnetic
waves (by Federally licensed amateur radio operators).
B.
The following section shall be created and added to the Land Development Ordinance, at Section 531:
Section 531. Amateur Radio Antennas and Antenna Support Structures.
1.
Antenna support structures of amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission may, as a right, have a height not exceeding one
hundred (100) feet above grade, subject to the provisions of this Section. The height shall be measured vertically and shall include the height to any
building upon which the antenna support structure is mounted. Every antenna and antenna support structure shall be located in conformity with this Section,
as same may be amended and
supplemented, and, in any case, to the rear of the front line (or extended front line) of the main
building on the same lot. In addition, no antenna support structure or antenna shall be located between
any principal building and the street line. Every antenna and antenna support structure shall be set
back at least twenty feet (20’) from side and read property lines. In order to obtain a building permit
for the structure, the applicant shall provide a copy of his or her valid Federal Amateur Radio
Operating License.
2.
Antenna may be located above the antenna support structure as reasonably necessary for effective radio communications.
3.
Where the height of the antenna support structure is to exceed the height otherwise permitted in a district, the Planning Board shall review the site plan,
including detail of proposed structures and such other information as may be submitted by the applicant to the Building Inspector, and may impose reasonable
conditions on the proposed construction necessary to protect public health and safety and to serve the purposes of the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A.
40:550-1, et seq., as amended and supplemented) and other applicable law including, to the extent permitted by law, the protection and promotion of aesthetic
interests. The Planning Board shall afford the public an opportunity to be heard as part of the review process, upon such notice to be given as the Planning
Board deems appropriate.
4.
Any existing antenna support structures accommodating only amateur radio communication that were previously approved by permit or variance approval is hereby
permitted under this ordinance as a grandfathered use.
5.
Upon the FCC-licensed operator’s cessation of ownership or leasehold rights in the subject antenna support structures, or upon the loss of his or her Federal
amateur radio operator’s license (whichever shall occur earlier), the operator shall forthwith (but in no case later than 30 days after written notice
to the operator and to the owner of record of the subject lot if known, or if not known, then to the assessed owner, sent by certified mail, return receipt
requested) safely remove all antenna support structures at no expense to the Township.
6.
In the event said operator shall fail during said 30-day period to remove the antenna support structures pursuant to subsection 4 above, it shall be the
duty, responsibility and obligation of the owner of the subject lot upon which any or all of such antenna support structures are located, to remove such
structures forthwith at no expense to the Township.
7.
Nothing set forth herein shall exempt or excuse anyone from compliance with requirements of applicable provisions of the Uniform Construction Code, other
codes, all general law, and other Township ordinances.
C.
The following revisions are made to the end of Section 604.A:
…tower or structure, except in the case of amateur radio antenna support structures which may be located
on a lot in accordance with Section 531 of this Ordinance.
SECTION TWO. In all other respects said Medford Township Land Development Ordinance, as amended
and supplemented, shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION THREE. All other ordinances and parts of ordinances, and resolutions, insofar as they are
inconsistent with any of the terms and provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed to the extent of
such inconsistency only.
SECTION FOUR. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, term, provision or port of this
Ordinance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or inoperative, such
judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation
to the section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, term, provision of part thereof directly involved in the
controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
SECTION FIVE. This Ordinance shall take effect on the earliest date allowed by law following final
passage, adoption and publication, in accordance with the law.
Federal Communications Commission FCC 99-412
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of ) WT Docket No. 98-143
table with 3 columns and 6 rows
)
1998 Biennial Regulatory Review -
)
RM-9148
Amendment of Part 97 of the Commission's
)
RM-9150
Amateur Service Rules.
)
RM-9196
)
)
table end
REPORT AND ORDER
Adopted: December 22, 1999 Released: December 30, 1999
By the Commission:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paragraph
INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................1
BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................4
DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................7
License Structure........................................................................................................................7
Number of License Classes .............................................................................................9
Telegraphy Examination Requirements.........................................................................22
Written Examinations ...................................................................................................40
Disposition of the Designated Novice Bands.................................................................53
Greater Volunteer Examiner Opportunities ................................................................................57
RACES Station Licenses...........................................................................................................61
Privatization of Certain Enforcement Procedures.......................................................................64
Other Issues..............................................................................................................................67
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................69
PROCEDURAL MATTERS..................................................................................................................70
ORDERING CLAUSES ........................................................................................................................72
Estonian National Communications Board (ENCB)
Guide for use of radio transmitter by foreign radio amateur during temporary stay in Estonia
A foreign radio amateur, who is the holder of valid CEPT Amateur Radio Licence
(see CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01), is entitled to install and use his amateur radio station during a
temporary stay (up to 3 months) in Estonia without of any extra registration, application or charge. For a
longer continuous duration of stay a licence from Estonian National Communications Board (ENCB) is
required (about application procedure see below).
The licensee shall observe the provisions of CEPT/ERC Recommendation T/R 61-01 and relevant parts
of the Estonian Amateur Radio Regulations (see Annex 1).
Holders of CEPT licence classes authorised to transmit in accordance with national licence classes in
Estonia: CEPT1 = A; CEPT2 = C.
The call sign shall consist of the following parts:
prefix letters «ES» and a digit showing the district* of temporary stay / own home call sign / «M» (mobile)
or «P» (portable).
*) Digits using for formation of call sign in the different administrative districts in Estonia:
1 Tallinn (The Capital City Area);
2 Harjumaa (North Estonia, except Tallinn);
3 Läänemaa, Raplamaa and Järvamaa (Central Estonia);
4 Lääne-Virumaa and Ida-Virumaa (North-East Estonia);
5 Jõgevamaa and Tartumaa (East Estonia);
6 Põlvamaa, Valgamaa and Vörumaa (South-East Estonia);
7 Viljandimaa (South Estonia);
8 Pärnumaa (South-West Estonia);
0 Hiiumaa and Saaremaa (West Estonia).
* * *
For all other cases not mentioned above the amateur radio licence from ENCB is required in order to
install or use an amateur radio station in Estonia.
When applying for amateur radio licence the following documents must be submitted:
1.
Application form (Annex 2);
2.
Copy of Examination Certificate:
2.1.
The ENCB shall recognise a Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (HAREC) issued in a foreign country in accordance with CEPT/ERC Recommendation
T/R 61-02;
2.2.
The ENCB may fully or partly recognise the examination certificates issued by other countries if the requirements for examination certificate meet the requirement
of the amateur radio examination in Estonia.
The application documents shall be addressed to:
Estonian National Communications Board
Ädala 2
10614
Tallinn
Estonia
Telephone: (+372) 693 1154
Telefax: (+372) 693 1155
e-mail: postbox@sa.ee
The applicant will receive the licence in office of ENCB after the payment of correspondending fee. For
information aboutt payment please contact with administration.
Radio amateur has to use a radio transmitter according to relevant parts of the Estonian Amateur Radio
Regulations. Extract from technical part of the “REGULATIONS CONCERNING AMATEUR RADIO
STATIONS AND THEIR USE IN THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA” see in Annex 1.
ANNEX 1
Permitted frequency bands, modes and power limits in Amateur Radio service in accordance with
national licence classes in Estonia
table with 10 columns and 15 rows
Permitted Amateur Frequency Band Allocations 1) 10)
Permitted modes
Power output limits 2)
Permitted Amateur Frequency Band Allocations 1) 10)
C11)W
P12)HONE
R13)TTY
F14)AX
D15)ATA
A16)TV
National (ES) Licence Classes
Class A
Class B
Class C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
135,7-137,8 kHz
X
-
-
-
-
-
20 dBW 3)
20 dBW 3)
-
1810-1850 kHz 1850-1955 kHz
X X
-X
--
--
--
--
30 dBW 20 dBW
20 dBW 20 dBW
--
3500-3800 kHz 7000-7100 kHz 14000-14350 kHz 4) 18068-18168 kHz 21000-21450 kHz 24890-24990 kHz 28000-29700 kHz
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
30 dBW 30 dBW 30 dBW 30 dBW 30 dBW 30 dBW 30 dBW
20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW
-------
10100-10150 kHz
X
-
-
-
-
-
30 dBW
20 dBW
-
50,0-52,0 MHz 5)
X
X
X
X
X
-
20 dBW 6)
20 dBW
10 dBW 7)
144,0-146,0 MHz
X
X
X
X
X
-
20 dBW 8)
20 dBW
10 dBW
432,0-438,0 MHz
X
X
X
X
X
X
20 dBW 9)
20 dBW
10 dBW
1,24–1,30 GHz
X
X
X
X
X
X
20 dBW
20 dBW
10 dBW
2,300-2,450 GHz 5,650-5,850 GHz 10,0-10,50 GHz
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
20 dBW 20 dBW 20 dBW
10 dBW 10 dBW 10 dBW
---
24,0-250,0 GHz 10)
Frecuency bands, permitted modes and power output limits in accordance with station licence
Fixed frequency channels 50,0 MHz-10,5 GHz 17) 18)
Beacons and relay stations permitted modes, classes of Emission and e.r.p. limits in accordance with station licence
table end
Notes:
1) The usage of frequency bands shall be in accordance with recommendations and band plans given for
the Amateur Radio service in IARU Region 1;
2) The max pX (PEP) values will be applied if the carrier is attenuated by least 6 dB;
3) Correspondingly by CEPT Recommendation T/R 62-01 max ERP = 1 W e.r.p. is allowed;
4) In national Class B on the frequency band 14000-14350 kHz only type of emission A1A, F1B ja J2B
are allowed;.
5) In the areas where the reception of TV transmissions on the channels E2 or R1 is regular, the amateur
radio transmissions on the frequency band 50,0-52,0 MHz shall be interrupted during the hours of these
TV broadcasts;
6) In the frequency segment 50,0-50,3 MHz the maximum transmitted power output in
class A1A (pZ) and J3E (pX) = 30 dBW are permitted;
7) In national Class C only frequency segment 50,13-52,00 MHz is allowed;
8) In the frequency segment 144,000-144,400 MHz the maximum transmitted power output in class A1A
(pZ) and J3E (pX) =30 dBW are permitted;
9) In the frequency segment 432,000-432,300 MHz the maximum transmitted power output in class A1A
(pZ) and J3E (pX) = 30 dBW are permitted;
10) Allowed frequency bands and their category of usage in accordance with Estonian national band
plane;
11) Only Classes of Emission A1A, A2A,G2A, J2A in accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are
allowed;
12) Only Classes of Emission A1E, A3E, C3E, F1E, F2E, F3E, G1E, G2E, G3E, H3E, J2E, J3E, R3E in
accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are allowed;
13) Only Classes of Emission A2B, F1B, C1B, G2B, J2B in accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are
allowed;
14) Only Classes of Emission A1C, A2C, A3C, F1C, F2C, F3C, G1C, G2C, G3C, J2C, J3C
in accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are allowed;
15) Only Classes of Emission A1D, A2D, A7D, B7D, C7D, D7D, F1D, F2D, F7D, G1D, G2D, G7D, J2D,
J7D, K1D, L1D, M1D, P1D, G1D, V7D in accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are allowed;
16) Only Classes of Emission A3F, C3F, C7F, C8F, C9F, 7F, D8F, F3F, G3F, H3F, J3F, K1F, L1F, M1F,
Q1F in accordance with ITU RR Supplement S1 are allowed;
17) Frequency channels for beacons and relay Stations must be coordinated with IARU 1.Region’s
frequency allocation plane;
18) Maximum Effective Radiated Power =20dBW e.r.p. is allowed..
ANNEX 2
APPLICATION FOR A TEMPORARY LICENCE TO OPERATE AN AMATEUR RADIO STATION IN
ESTONIA
Surname
Given names
Date of birth
ID Code
Citizenship
Address in home country
Supplementary information
(phone,fax,e-mail)
Type of Radio Amateur Certificate (HAREC,national)
Certificate issuing authority
Certificate number and date of issue
HAREC level/National class of certificate
Call sign in native country
Previous amateur radio licence in Estonia
(No;Yes, date of issue)
Temporary address in Estonia
Period of planned stay in Estonia
Supplementary information
Date
Place
Signature
NOAA Public Alert Radio Program for Schools
Amateur Radio Public Service
ARRL and Citizen Corp are teaming up to assist local school districts (if they need the help) to set up and register their NOAA Weather All Hazard Public
Alert Radio.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security are partnering to launch
a significant nation-wide project to distribute 80,000 NOAA Public Alert Radios to U.S. public schools throughout the nation. The radios are designed to
signal different types of alerts ranging from weather emergencies to child abductions, and from chemical accidents to acts of terrorism. The radio acts
as a sentry, standing guard 24/7, to sound an alarm when danger threatens.
If you, as Amateur Radio operator, or an Amateur Radio club member, or ARRL Field Organization appointee would like to assist Citizen Corps in this project,
please contact your local Citizen Corps Council to offer assistance. Where there isn't a Council, please contact local emergency management.
Contacts should not be made directly to local schools but, instead, should be made by Citizen Corps and Emergency Management to local school district superintendent's
offices to ensure a coordinated plan. Assistance to schools will be provided at the request of, and in coordination with, the school district.
Citizen Corps
List of 1 items
• To locate your State Citizen Corps Council log onto
http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/statepoc.do
list end
List of 1 items
• To locate your local Citizen Corps Council log onto:
http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/find_council.shtm
or
http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/mycouncils.do
list end
Emergency Management
List of 2 items
• To locate state offices and agencies for emergency management, you can log onto:
http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm
• To get contact information for local emergency management offices, you can email or call IAEM, The International Association of Emergency Managers, at
info@iaem or 703-538-1795x2 to ask for your local contact or you can click on the link for the state web sites at
http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm
list end
The NOAA Web site (
http://public-alert-radio.nws.noaa.gov/)
is the primary location for information and updates for Citizen Corps and associated volunteers for this project.
The following links contain background information about the program including a document on frequently asked questions and answers about the program, Citizen
Corps volunteer material for the NOAA Public Alert Radio Program, a copy of the letter that went to the schools along with a descriptive and informational
brochure about the radio distribution program.
If you or your club or ARES group take part in this project with Citizen Corps or your local Emergency Management office, please report this activity to
Steve Ewald, WV1X, (
sewald@arrl.org)
at ARRL Headquarters and to your ARRL Section Manager.
Thank you very much.
NOAA Frequently Asked Questions
[PDF, 30,161 bytes]
Citizen Corps Volunteer Information
[PDF, 52,914 bytes]
Public Alert Letter for Schools
[PDF, 77,894 bytes]
Public Alert Radio Brochure
[PDF, 606,646 bytes]
Page last modified: 03:01 PM, 11 Oct 2006 ET
Page author:
sewald@arrl.org
Mt. Baker Amateur Radio Club
K7SKW & K7ZC
Presents
A Guide For New Amateurs
Field Day – 2003
Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio is a hobby where one person has the means of communicating with others. Many modes are
available to use when communicating with other hams such as, Morse Code (CW), Phone (Voice), Teletype
(RTTY), Slow Scan TV, and now digital. Many hams talk only to other hams near them or those they know.
Some enjoy talking to people all over the world and some enjoy both. Others transmit with low power (QRP).
Many hams enjoy experimenting with electronics. Some may never make a contact with another ham. They
simply enjoy building and testing their electronic projects. There are many, many ways to enjoy our hobby.
“Elmer’s”
In Amateur Radio the definition of an “Elmer” is a person who is willing to help somebody else, a guide or
mentor.
This help may consists of some or all of the following:
list of 6 items
1. A demonstration of his ham station
2. Introducing literature pertaining to Amateur Radio to an interested person
3. Help a fellow ham choose the proper equipment and explain how it works.
4. Helping an interested person learn Morse Code, amateur electronic theory, and apply for a new license.
5. Assisting with antennas and antenna support construction projects.
6. Teaching new hams how to work DX and what Contesting is all about.
list end
How does a new ham get this help? Maybe you have a friend or neighbor that is a ham. Ask that person the
questions you are thinking about. If not, you might want to turn to the Mt. Baker Amateur Radio Club. There
are many hams (Elmer’s) in the club that are willing to help you out. Club members help each other all the
time with many kinds of projects.
Operating Techniques
There are many ways to use Amateur Radio today. All of the modes require a person to be considerate and
think about all the people that are either listening to you or waiting to use the frequency. Listening 90% of the
time and talking 10% of the time is a good way to start, whether you intend to transmit on a local 2-meter
repeater or HF. When transmitting on the HF bands, one must remember, the whole world might be listening
to what you say. Listen for some time before transmitting. Conditions on the HF bands are considerably
different then on the VHF/UHF bands. You may only be able to hear one side of a conversation on the HF
bands. Ask several times if the frequency is busy before calling “CQ” or calling another ham. Remember,
you might be on the other side sometime, having a conversation with someone when another ham just barges
into your conversation by accident. Be respectful to all others on the bands and treat them the same way you
would like to be treated. Listening and adjusting to the established ways in amateur radio will allow a new
ham to be accepted sooner. Remember, messages of a commercial nature are not allowed on amateur radio.
You may not call a plumber to fix your plumbing or call a radio station to enter their contest using amateur
radio. Do not abuse this rule.
If you want to join a conversation in progress, transmit your call sign between the other stations transmissions.
The station that transmits next should acknowledge you. Don’t use the word “Break” as this word usually
suggests an emergency. All stations should stand by for those that have emergency traffic. This is true
whether on HF, VHF, or UHF.
Here I must insert this comment; if you have upgraded from the 11-meter band, leave the jargon behind. Most
hams find CB lingo distasteful and scowl when it is used. There is no place on the ham bands where this lingo
is acceptable. This jargon identifies you as a neophyte and not ready to identify with the ham community.
Talk as if you are talking on the telephone.
Don’t forget to sign your call every 10 minutes.
Repeaters
Repeaters are devices that enable hams to talk longer distances than they could normally by using two radios
directly. A repeater is usually placed on a mountaintop so it can cover more area. This way a person can talk
to somebody else on the other side of the mountain. Without the repeater they would not be able to
communicate. Many digital modes are available by using a repeater. Of course, repeaters are not always
needed to communicate on 2-meters. Many use simplex (transmit and receive on the same frequency) to talk
with each other everyday. This is a preferred method for most hams when possible. Most hams make contact
on a repeater and then move to a simplex frequency to finish their conversation.
Many new hams start out with a radio that operates on the 2-meter band. They can use a handheld, mobile, or
base station radio to talk to other hams. All of these radios have provisions built in so they will operate on
frequencies corresponding with the repeaters.
Frequencies used by some of the local repeaters
may be listed at the back of this booklet.
Here is an example of repeater frequency and offset:
King Mountain: the repeaters transmit frequency is 147.160 MHz and it listens on 147.760 MHz
Mt. Constitution: the repeaters transmit frequency is 146.740 MHz and it listens on 146.140 MHz
Lookout Mountain: the repeaters transmit frequency is 146.740 MHz and it listens on 146.140 MHz
Sumas Mountain: the repeaters transmit frequency is 145.230 MHz and it listens on 144.630 MHz
As an example for the King Mountain repeater, you would set the receive frequency of your radio to 147.160
MHz and your transmit frequency to 147.760 MHz, a plus (+) offset. This allows your radio to receive the
transmit frequency of the repeater.
Repeaters are NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN. Repeaters are installed by individuals or a group to support a
particular purpose or activity and for the common interests of their owners. When you operate on them, you
are actually operating through someone else's duly licensed and coordinated station.
Volunteers maintain repeaters and they do not get paid for this job. It would be a nice gesture to say thanks
and tell them you appreciate their efforts. Above all, don’t call one of these members and demand they fix a
repeater that is not working. They more than likely know about the problem anyway.
Digital Radio - Combining Amateur Radio and the Internet
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
There are several Internet based Amateur Radio applications using VoIP. Two of these are the Internet Radio
Linking Project (IRLP), and Echolink. Both of these protocols are supported in Whatcom County, with IRLP
being accessible through the King Mountain repeater (147.160+, 103.5 tone).
In effect, IRLP allows the linking of amateur radio repeaters to the Internet on a worldwide basis. Utilizing a
series of control tones, an Amateur can "bring-up" any one (or more) of the hundreds of other IRLP enabled
repeaters throughout the world. In addition, "reflectors" exist which may be thought of as full-time party lines,
which include many international participants at any particular moment.
As with all Amateur Radio modes, there are both technical and procedural aspects that need to be learned prior
to beginning operations. In addition to the URLs listed below, interested Amateurs are encouraged to join the
monthly MBARC Digital Group meetings, held the third (3rd) Tuesday at 7:00pm at the Ferndale Library. In
addition, control operators are often available for on-the-air help on the King Mountain repeater.
Packet Radio
A system that uses a computer to send out packets of information via Amateur Radio
Local packet radio frequencies may be
listed in the back of this booklet
Amateur radio, through packet radio, offers about the same capability as the Internet. The Amateur Packet
Radio system utilizes a network of amateur radio stations, connected using free radio waves, to transmit and
receive digital information.
This radio network provides:
list of 5 items
1. Packet Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) to store and relay personal messages and bulletins; Keyboard-to-Keyboard connection for direct chat between amateur
stations.
2. DX Packet Cluster systems to announce band openings and DX stations heard on HF bands.
3. RACES/ARES/NTS and Emergency Communications for life and safety messages.
4. Networking and computer file transfer.
5. Satellite Communications for worldwide station-to-station links.
list end
Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS™)
APRS™, first introduced by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, in 1990, is a specialized subset of the packet radio
concept. It has been developed as a tactical tool to allow the tracking and display of position and status
information of both fixed and moving assets. For example, in a civic parade, it can show the position (and
speed) of the LEAD car, the MAYOR'S vehicle, AID and FIRE units, the LAST vehicle, etc. In a Search &
Rescue situation, it can show the INCIDENT COMMAND location, individual SEARCH TEAM positions
and the areas that they have covered, CONTAINMENT points, etc. These locations and status information
then can be transmitted and superimposed on city, street, or topographic maps and displayed on multiple
computer screens.
APRS differs from tradition packet in several important ways:
list of 7 items
1. APRS uses an unconnected (no handshaking) protocol; it is not error-free.
2. APRS activities are primarily local in nature.
3. APRS sometimes uses Digipeaters to augment local coverage.
4. APRS can use the Internet to allow remote viewing of local conditions.
5. APRS traffic is limited to position (GPS), status, and very short messages.
6. APRS has a special category for weather reporting stations.
7. APRS (in the USA) shares one National frequency (144.39 MHz simplex).
list end
While the APRS concepts are beautifully simple, the application of APRS concepts to local situations
can be beautifully complex. That complexity can be fascinating and any licensed Amateur can
participate.
For more details about Digital Radio, see the following websites:
http://www.qsl.net/k7skw/Packet/1index.htm
http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/pktf.html
http://www.nwaprs.org
www.irlp.net
Agreements
The United States has a reciprocal agreement with Canada. This agreement allows us to use our radios in
Canada and Canadians can use their radios in the U.S. When we identify our radio transmissions in British
Columbia, we must sign our call followed by “Portable VE7”.
Tuning your radio
One thing that is very irritating to hams is someone tuning or testing their radio on the air. Using a dummy
load is the proper way to tune up or test your radio or amplifier equipment. When tuning up on the air, your
transmitter emits a tone that can cause interference on the band.
DX’ing and Contesting
The DX bug often bites the new ham quickly while operating on 10 meter CW. Lots of rare and exciting
contacts can be made on this band as well as all the other HF bands. Many contacts can be made with modest
power and humble antennas. Be mindful of changes in propagation and sunspot activity. One day you might
not be able to communicate with fellow hams in the U.S. The next day you will be able to communicate with
hams all over the world. When learned, patients and operating skills are huge advantages and required when
working DX successfully. Spending most of your time listening makes you a successful DX’er. When
listening for a DX station, one should start at one end of the listening range and slowly tune through the range
looking for a DX station. Depending on conditions, this may take a considerable amount of time. Listen for a
signal hiding behind a stronger signal. Many DX stations are not able to afford the expensive equipment we
use. They may be using very low power and small wire antennas. Their reduced signals are often hard to find.
To make it easier for us to hear the DX station, the DX station may work split. This means this person will
transmit on one frequency and listen on several different frequencies. His listen frequencies are those of his
choosing and usually 5 – 10 KHz above his transmit frequency. Listening carefully to what the DX station
says will help you to determine where he is listening. If you call on his frequency and he is working split, you
will cause interference on his transmit frequency. This in turn makes others irritated and then results in ‘on the
air’ conflicts.
Most DX’ers collect cards from the stations they work. This is called QSLing and the cards received from a
DX station will confirm that you have worked that station. Awards are given for working over 100 different
countries. Many other awards are available for those that are interested. DX websites are shown below:
www.qrz.com
;
http://oh2aq.kolumbus.com/dxs/
;
www.dxc.ve7cc.net/
Station - KC7GX
Contesting is the act of making as many contacts with other amateurs as possible during a given period of
time via Amateur Radio. Contesting is the challenge of competing against other amateurs, whether here or all
over the world. There are many kinds of contests from Field Day to the ARRL International DX contest.
Field Day is a competition among amateurs of the U.S. and Canada. It is aimed at sharpening our skills for
operating and setting up equipment in times of need. The MBARC club participates in this contest every year
in late June. Other contests such as CQ Worldwide, ARRL International DX, and CQ WPX contests are
competitions between the world and U.S. hams. Some hams build contest stations where they have many
hams operating during the contest. Some enjoy just contesting from their own station and by themselves.
Some contesters are very serious about their hobby and others just contest to have fun. Points are made, scores
are given, and trophies are won after the contest is over. There are many DX’ers and Contesters in Whatcom
County that are active and available to help those that may be interested. If you are interested, contact the
Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club.
DX & Contesting Terms
Dupe – In contesting; a duplicate contact on the same band
DX – Long Distance
DXCC – The ARRL DX Century Club awards program
Dxpedition – A temporary operation from a location that seldom see Amateur Radio activity
EME – Earth-Moon-Earth or Moonbounce
Meteor Scatter – Communicating by bouncing signals off the ionized trails of meteors
OM – Old Man - referring to a male
Pileup – A chaotic situation that occurs when many stations are calling one station simultaneously
Shack – A room where Amateurs keep their radio equipment
Vertical Antenna – An omni-directional antenna
XYL – Ex Young Lady – refers to a married female
Yagi – A beam or directional antenna, usually rotatable and has multi elements
YL – Young Lady – refers to a Young Lady
73’s – Best Regards
Station - KC7GX
Rag Chewing
Rag Chewing, the art of carrying on an interesting conversation with other hams. This aspect of our hobby has
been honed into a fine art by hams. Most of them probably assemble on 75-meter phone, but they can be
found on most bands. Subjects are limitless, but traditionally hams avoid politics and religion, except those
that are interested in starting conflicts. Many rag-chewers gather in groups (nets), taking turns with their
assertions and opinions. Much can be learned from listening to and taking part in these chats. Opinions on the
quality of various amateur products, methods of antenna construction and performance, new electronic data,
weather info, and DX opportunities can be very useful information. Even DX’ers can be found rag chewing
now and then. Many hams set schedules with each other to rag-chew.
Try to resist the temptation to editorialize. Nothing sounds worse than some blowhard that has all the
answers, regardless of the question.
Conflicts
If you ever become involved in or hear an, ‘on the air’ conflict or argument, keep your comments to yourself.
Making comments, even if you are correct, just drags you into the conflict. There are a few hams that get into
a conflict on purpose and want nothing more than to involve you. This is a game with them, something like
those people that create viruses to be placed on the Internet. Do not insert your opinion about somebody’s bad
conduct. It only adds to the problem. Ignoring them is the best policy. If they don’t have someone to argue
with, the argument is over!
Some new hams slip into their old, comfortable terminology from the CB radio. I have heard other hams
berate someone for using terms such as “standing by on the side” or. “10-4”. Hams do not use the 10-code,
but no one is served by making somebody feel foolish on the air. Hams should lead by example and not by
“dragging others over the coals” on the air.
Listen to other hams on the radio and don‘t be afraid to ask questions. By listening you can avoid conflicts.
Most hams remember all to well what it was like to press that PTT switch for the first time. We are all human.
Emergency Services
Helping others in time of need is one of the most important goals we as amateurs take upon ourselves. The
RACES group (Radio Amateur Communication Emergency Services) and the ARES group (Amateur Radio
Emergency Service) are part of and supported by the Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club in Whatcom County.
Both groups are utilized during times of natural disaster, search & rescue operations, and public activities
(such as parades, bike-a-thons, & Ski-to-Sea). They provide communications in case of emergencies or when
needed. During Ski-to-Sea weekend around 50 amateurs lend their services and equipment to benefit the
participants and the community.
RACES has 2 vans fully equipped with radios so they can provide communications where needed for
emergencies. There is a complete radio room that can be manned and used in time of need. This
room is located at the Search and Rescue Headquarters on the Smith Road. They also have a station
in the Whatcom County Courthouse Emergency Operations Center and at the Red Cross building.
We have placed 2-meter antennas at various strategic locations around the county, thus enabling us to
plug in a radio and be on the air without the time-consuming effort of erecting an antenna. These are
all dedicated to providing communications during emergencies and times of need. MBARC,
RACES, and ARES members are called upon by the County Sheriff and Search & Rescue to assist in
many emergencies and rescue efforts. You do not need to belong to MBARC to join either RACES
or ARES groups. These groups work together with community services such as the Red Cross to
promote a common cause.
This page is provided as a guide.
Please remove this page and provide information specific
to your club and local area.
Direction Finding
Direction finding: the art of locating a radio signal. Different uses for this art are Bunny Hunting (for fun) and
transmitter finding (serious when needed). It has been used to find an errant transmitting device, people
purposely causing interference, searching for downed aircraft and just fun. Interested hams can contact the
MBARC to participate. You will need a special antenna and an attenuator unit. Ask to ride along with
participants during the next Bunny Hunt.
Other Systems
There are many other ways to participate in amateur radio. Radio Teletype, Slow-scan TV, Satellite, and
Moon Bounce are a few that comes to mind.
In Closing
In closing let me say Thank You for reading this guide. We hope you will find it helpful.
If you have just received an amateur radio license, you have made a wonderful choice for a hobby. It is a
hobby you can participate in all the rest of your life. Just ask hams like John (W7KCN), Al (W7EKM), or
Dick (N7RO) and I think they will tell you the same thing. It is the best hobby you can have!
An organization that represents all hams is the American Radio Relay League. Members from all
over the United States support the ARRL. The ARRL helps members with technical information; they
represent all hams in matters brought before the Federal Communication Commission concerning Amateur
Radio and help in many other ways. For more information on the ARRL, check out their website at:
www.arrl.org/
ARRL extends a special thank you to the Mt. Baker Amateur Radio Club for designing this packet
an allowing ARRL Affiliated clubs to use it. This is just another great example of hams helping
hams. Visit their web site at
www.qsl.net/k7skw
or write:
Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club
PO Box 981
Bellingham WA 98227-0981
For more information on Amateur Radio Clubs or mentoring mew hams, please contact:
Norm Fusaro, W3IZ
ARRL Affiliated Club an Mentor Program Manager
225 Main St.
Newington, CT 06111
860-594-0230
w3iz@arrl.org
Special thanks to Doyle Bennink, KC7GX, and all those who provided the information contained in this packet. Without
their help there would not have been accurate and up-to-date information.
If you still have questions regarding this hobby or would like to join our club, please contact the MBARC for
help at
www.qsl.net/k7skw
or write:
Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club
PO Box 981
Bellingham WA 98227-0981
This page is provided as a guide.
Please remove this page and provide information specific
to your club and local area.
Please provide club meeting and contact information as
well as local repeaters. Don’t forget meeting times and
place as well as directions.
Any other information that a new ham will find useful
should be provided in these last pages.
Cold War QRP: A Case of "Discone Fever"?
By H. P. “Pete” Friedrichs, AC7ZL
pfriedr@gainbroadband.com
April 22, 2008
Small signal — BIG antenna.
Cold War QRP 1
The beautiful discone by day.
Cold War QRP 2
The discone’s top hat.
Cold War QRP 3
AC7ZL's cold war station.
Cold War QRP 4
The Titan Missile Museum.
Cold War QRP 5
Instructions for visiting hams.
Cold War QRP 6
You connect to the discone through this junction box.
Cold War QRP 7
The discone at dusk. The antenna wire and support structure are clearly visible.
Cold War QRP 8
The "bird" sleeping in her nest.
Cold War QRP 9
Control panels and the safe containing the launch codes.
Cold War QRP 10
The remainder of the control room.
Introduction
The control room was a scene of choreographed chaos. Lamps flashed, switches were thrown, checklists were consulted and authentication codes were confirmed.
As the second hand on the wall clock inched forward, the operators, each at their respective stations, turned a key.
A Titan II missile, perched within the adjacent silo, stirred as batteries were energized and relays closed. Inside, pumps and a maze of tubing sprang to
life, bringing hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide into contact. The chemicals spontaneously ignited, a thunderous roar filled the air and angry clouds of
exhaust and steam jetted from the open silo as though from the mouth of a volcano. The missile, serial number 98-31772-5B rose, slowly at first, and then
rapidly gained speed, ascending until it had diminished to a point of light high in the sky. Minutes later, the missile descended, delivering its 9 megaton
nuclear warhead to a hardened target somewhere in the Soviet Union.
Or so it might have been. Luckily, for the sake of all of humanity, cooler heads have prevailed, so the scenario above never actually played out. In fact,
in the early 1980s, President Ronald Reagan ordered the deactivation of the 54 operational Titan missile sites. Eventually, the missiles were removed and
all of the silos were dismantled and destroyed -- except for one.
The Titan Missile Museum
Base 571-7, located about 12 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, has become a National Historic Landmark. Now operated by the nonprofit
Arizona Aerospace Foundation,
the site has been reborn as the
Titan Missile Museum.
There, for the price of a ticket, one can step back into time and experience the front line of the cold war in a very tangible and personal way.
Above ground, there are some interesting exhibits, including various support vehicles, a helicopter and several examples of rocket engines. One can also
examine the 700 ton reinforced concrete silo lid -- now permanently cast in a half-open position.
A Man-made Cavern
Below ground, one can traverse tunnels and various chambers including the command and control room. Huge steel springs suspend these compartments from the
surrounding rock, allowing them to shake and rattle in the event that the site itself became the target of an enemy attack. In the control room, the launch
electronics are still functional. The tail of a punched paper tape dangles casually from its spool in a rack-mounted tape reader. That tape still contains
targeting information. It holds the secret as to where the warhead would have landed and who among our enemies would have suffered complete annihilation.
Nearby is the launch silo, and within it, a Titan II missile. This particular rocket is a training vehicle and has never actually been fueled -- a good
thing as the propellants are both highly toxic and corrosive. Just the same, access holes have been cut into the missile to verify that it is no longer
in launch-capable condition. Needless to say, the reentry vehicle at the top of the rocket is empty. There is no warhead to worry about.
Discone Fever
A visit to the Titan Missile Museum is a worthwhile trip for anyone with an interest in rockets, science or history. Most of the hams I know fall into one
or more of these categories. Yet, there is an additional attraction to anyone interested in radio, in particular those with a valid ham license.
In the early 1960s, as part of the installation of the Base 571-7, the Collins Radio Company erected an absolutely beautiful discone antenna at the missile
site. Discones are broadband antennas -- they are capable of radiating signals over a wide range of frequencies. The lowest usable frequency on a discone
is established by the physical dimensions of the antenna. This particular antenna is something on the order of 80 feet tall, with an enormous crown, which
means it will radiate effectively over a large portion of the HF spectrum.
The Infection
In prior years, I had toured and enjoyed the Titan Missile Museum at least twice. It was only recently, however, that I learned that the general public
can sign up for, and request the use of this antenna. The Green Valley Amateur Radio Club (GVARC) has a
Web page
with comments about the discone and directions for requesting its use. I decided that this was something I had to tinker with. You might say that I had
contracted a case of, well, "discone fever."
Cold War QRP
For this adventure, I brought along my
Yaesu
FT-817. The 817 is a fine multi-mode 5 W transceiver that works well either from an internal battery pack or external power. I opted to run the rig from
a cigarette lighter jack in my vehicle. The Yaesu is a fairly expensive piece of equipment, so to avoid blowing it up in a moment of confusion, I built
a gizmo I call the "Oh-Shoot!" box. (As you may well imagine, the name was inspired by a more descriptive phrase, which is not, however, suitable for use
in good company.) The "Oh-shoot" allows me to connect an external power source to my FT-817. The Oh-shoot is fused, both high-side and ground, has reverse
polarity protection and an overvoltage crowbar. It also has a set of diagnostic LEDs that allow me to verify proper voltage and polarity before the on-switch
is thrown.
With my 817, I normally carry an
LDG-Z100 tuner.
GVARCs Web page says that the discone will tune from 6 to 30 MHz with an SWR less than 2:1, but I figured the tuner would be nice to trim things up as needed.
I have used the Z100 and FT-817 to drive every conceivable makeshift antenna and I've found that I can match to just about anything but a wet noodle.
I enjoy operating CW, but I thought some PSK31 might be fun, too. Thus, I brought my laptop and a
Signalink
SL1+ PSK interface.
The museum's discone is erected behind a security fence, so you can't actually walk up to it and touch it. Electrical access is provided by a UHF connector
housed inside a metal junction box just to the south of the antenna. As it turns out, someone was courteous enough to include a length of coax to link
the box to my radio gear. I was prepared, however. I brought and used my own cable.
Securing permission to use the antenna is easy. I walked into the museum and asked to use it. I showed my driver's license, a copy of my ham license and
I was asked to sign a guest log. That's it.
Hooking Up
I backed my vehicle up to the junction box, opened my tailgate, hooked up my equipment and set up a lawn chair. I began working stations around 1932 UTC
and finished about 4 hours later. Some of the contacts I made were CW, some were PSK31. In some cases I lost folks in fading or noise, in some cases they
lost me. Nonetheless, I was astounded at how far my tiny signal projected.
From my position in southern Arizona, on the 20 meter band using low power CW, I exchanged information with operators in New York, Pennsylvania, Florida
and Texas. I tried the 40 meter band and was able to contact California. Using low power PSK31 on the 20 meter band, I reached out and "touched" Massachusetts,
California, Washington, Oregon, South Carolina and Kansas. I would love the opportunity to run this antenna at night, or in the future when the solar cycle
has progressed and band conditions have improved.
I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to work with this antenna and experience, on a firsthand basis, one small aspect of our cold war history.
I would urge all of my fellow hams to share in this experience. You can find more information about the
Titan missiles
at Wikipedia and through
SiloWorld.
Pete Friedrichs, AC7ZL, has held a lifelong interest in science, electronics and radio. He holds a BS in electrical engineering, has authored two books,
including Instruments of Amplification, available from the ARRL bookstore. He received his ham license in 2003 and derives pleasure from working CW and
PSK31, particularly QRP. When he's not at work or tinkering with electronics, he enjoys hiking, writing and playing guitar. He can be reached through his
Web site:
www.hpfriedrichs.com/.
Antenna Expert L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK)
Cebik2000
In 2000, L.B. Cebik, W4RNL (right), visited ARRL Headquarters to discuss the then-new ARRL Certification Program with League Executive Vice President David
Sumner, K1ZZ, and other HQ staff members. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo]
L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, ARRL Technical Adviser and antenna authority, passed away last week of natural causes. He was 68. An ARRL Life Member, Cebik was known
to many hams for the numerous articles he wrote on antennas and antenna modeling. He had articles published in most of the US ham journals, including
QST,
QEX,
NCJ,
CQ, Communications Quarterly, Ham Radio, 73, QRP Quarterly, Radio-Electronics and QRPp. Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, QEX Editor, called Cebik "probably the most
widely published and often read author of Amateur Radio antenna articles ever to write on the subject."
Cebik lived in Knoxville, Tennessee and wrote more than a dozen books on antennas for both the beginner and the advanced student. Among his books are a
basic tutorial in the use of NEC antenna modeling software and compilations of his many shorter pieces. A teacher for more than 30 years, Cebik was retired,
but served as Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Cebik served his country in the US Air Force from 1957-1961,
specializing in air traffic control.
One of Cebik's last articles for QST, "A New Spin on the Big Wheel," appeared in the March 2008 issue. The article, co-written with Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT,
looked at a three dipole array for 2 meters. This was a follow-up to their article in the January/February issue of QEX that featured omnidirectional horizontally
polarized antennas. Cebik authored the "Antenna Options" for QEX.
Former ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, and editor of
The ARRL Antenna Book,
said, "LB will be greatly missed by the thousands of hams he's helped through his incredibly prolific -- and invariably proficient -- writing about antennas.
LB helped me personally in numerous ways while I worked on antenna matters at the League, always communicating with a gentle, scholarly attitude and a
real eye for detail. I'm in shock at the news of LB's passing. May his soul rest in peace."
Licensed since 1954, Cebik served as Technical Editor for
antenneX Magazine.
According to Jack L. Stone, publisher of antenneX, he had not heard from Cebik for a few days and became worried: "I called the Sheriff in Knoxville to
go check on him since I hadn't heard from him in over 5 days, either e-mail or phone, which is highly unusual. The Sheriff [went to Cebik's house to check
on him and] called back to tell me the sad, devastating news. As his publisher of books, monthly columns, feature articles and software/models for more
than 10 years, we communicated almost daily during that span of time. Not hearing from him for that long was unusual, causing my concern. He was like family
to me and was loved and respected by so many."
Cebik maintained a Web site,
www.cebik.com,
a virtual treasure trove to anyone interested in antennas. Besides a few notes on the history of radio work and other bits that Cebik called "semi-technical
oddities," the collection contains information of interest to radio amateurs and professionals interested in antennas, antenna modeling and related subjects,
such as antenna tuners and impedance matching. Cebik said that his notes were "geared to helping other radio amateurs and antenna enthusiasts discover
what I have managed to uncover over the years -- and then to go well beyond."
His Web site also contains information on antenna modeling. His book,
Basic Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial
for Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Plus NEC-2 antenna modeling software, contains models in .NEC format for over 150 exercises. "Since the principles in the
book apply to any modeling software," Cebik said, "I have also created the same exercise models in the EZNEC format. For more advanced modelers using either
NEC-2 or NEC-4, I have prepared an additional volume,
Intermediate Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial,
based on Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Pro and GNEC. The volume includes hundreds of antenna models used in the text to demonstrate virtually the complete
command set (along with similarities and differences) used by both cores."
ARRL Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, said, "LB typified generosity. He was always developing material that was published widely. Furthermore,
the quality of the articles and concepts was always high, but the writing was such that an audience with a wide range of technical backgrounds could understand
it. His
Web site
is a Solomon's Treasure of solid antenna information -- available to all."
Wolfgang remembered Cebik, saying, "L. B. was an ARRL Technical Advisor, with expertise in antenna modeling and design. I learned that I could count on
L. B. to offer clear, concise comments on any submitted article dealing with antennas. He was always a friendly voice on the other end of my phone line
when I needed to talk to an expert, and I came to expect a quick e-mailed response to any antenna questions that I sent him. L. B. was so much more than
an antenna author, though. He was one of the first ARRL Educational Advisors I ever had the pleasure of working with when I became editor of the ARRL study
materials. He played a key role in helping develop the concept of online courses when ARRL began to study the idea of the
Continuing Education program
; his
Antenna Modeling course
has been one of the most popular offerings in the program. L. B. leaves a legacy of friendly advice and Amateur Radio wisdom. I will miss him as a friend
and as an advisor."
Cebik's niece, Gina Robeson, also of Knoxville, told the ARRL that her uncle "was amazing to me in a different way than hams viewed him. But he was a legend
to me and to the thousands of amateurs whose lives he touched with his work. To me he was my uncle, teacher, friend and confidant. He was a wonderful man,
but his family did not really know about the ham side of him."
Robeson said her family spent each Christmas with Cebik and his wife Jean; Jean passed away in 2002 from cancer. "It was always the greatest fun with all
the food and family getting together. It did not matter if we were getting together as a group or if it was just me and Uncle Roy, he always had the time
to listen and offer advice. He will be sorely missed."
A memorial service for Cebik will be held Sunday, April 27 at 1 PM at Mynatt Funeral Home, 2829 Rennoc Road in Knoxville. Cebik will be cremated and his
ashes scattered in his garden, the same place his wife's ashes were scattered. "They will once more be together," Robeson said.
The K7RA Solar Update
This week we had a couple of brief sunspot appearances -- 991 and 992 -- but they were both from Solar Cycle 23 and their emergence was fleeting. On Wednesday,
April 23, the planetary A index rose to 32 due to a solar wind and south-pointing Interplanetary Magnetic Field (
IMF).
Expect geomagnetic conditions to stabilize this weekend, but to again become active on May 2. Sunspot numbers for April 17-23 were 0, 0, 13, 12, 0, 13 and
13 with a mean of 7.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.2, 70.2, 71, 70.8, 70.9, 71.3 and 70.7 with a mean of 70.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 6, 5,
4, 4, 5 and 32 with a mean of 9.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 5, 6, 1, 3, 4 and 17, with a mean of 6.1.
Walt Knodle, W7VS, of Bend, Oregon pointed out politely that the line "The only previous Cycle 24 activity was close to the solar equator from
last week's bulletin
was incorrect. He sent a magnetogram
link
showing that in early January, spot 981 was in fact high latitude.
The Spring/Summer E-layer propagation season is beginning, and Art Jackson, KA5DWI, has an
interesting analysis
that looks quite useful. Also check out his page on
last fall's 10 meter sporadic-E season.
There was a tremendous response this week from readers wanting a copy of Ken Tapping's observations on the current sunspot minimum; more than 300 requests
were received over the weekend. You can still get one e-mailed to you by sending a blank e-mail to
SunspotMin@gmail.com.
Any e-mail sent to this address will get the same document.
Amateur solar observer Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, provides this weekly report on solar conditions and propagation. This report also is available
via W1AW every Friday, and an abbreviated version appears in
The ARRL Letter.
Check
here
for a detailed explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin. An archive of past propagation bulletins can be found
here.
You can find monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and 12 overseas locations
here.
Readers may contact the author via
e-mail.
r
ARRL Lab Test Engineer Leaves HQ Staff
KC1SX
Mike Tracy, KC1SX [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]
WB1GCM
Bob Allison, WB1GCM [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]
After more than 17 years at ARRL, Laboratory Test Engineer Mike Tracy, KC1SX, is leaving the HQ Family and moving to New Jersey to take on a position with
Synergy Microwave,
a company owned by Dr Ulrich Rohde, N1UL.
Tracy came to the League in 1991 as the night/weekend operator for W1AW. It wasn't long, Tracy said, before the W1AW Chief Operator recognized his talent
for more technical applications; when a position in the ARRL Lab opened up in 1993, he recommended that Tracy apply. "I did, and was quickly accepted as
the new Technical Information Services Coordinator where I handled many of the technical questions of members and referred others to those more knowledgeable
on particular subjects. I also developed some databases and other resources to help in the process of answering members' questions," Tracy said. In 1997
when the Lab Test Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, stepped down, Tracy switched seats yet again, testing Product Review equipment.
ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said, "When Mike came to the ARRL Lab, he was our Technical Information Coordinator where he helped maintain the
TIS Web pages,
as well as helping to field technical questions for members. Over the years, Mike, as Lab Test Engineer, helped modernize the test process through new test
equipment, new test software and new test methods. In between all that, he always found the time somehow to write articles, watch over the technical content
of ARRL's advertising and help other staff more often than his job may have required.
"One of the most pleasant parts of any manager's job is to hear good things about his or her staff. When Mike was in the Lab, my job was pleasant, as staff
often told me about how he had helped them above and beyond the call of duty," Hare said.
"Mike's shoes will be hard to fill," Hare said, "but we have hired Bob Allison, WB1GCM, to do just that." Allison, a ham for almost 35 years, most recently
worked for a Hartford television station, WVIT, NBC 30, for the past 28 years. Over those years, he has done a lot of things at the station, from testing
the television transmitter to day-to-day maintenance of the studio facilities; this, said Hare, "has prepared him to take over this important job in the
Lab."
Allison, an ARRL member, has served as a
volunteer tour guide
at ARRL, offering members a friendly and informative tour of HQ that they will remember for a long time to come. "Although he is new at being an HQ employee,
we all feel that he has been part of the family for a while," said Hare. Allison and his wife,
Logbook of The World
Specialist Kathy, KA1RWY, reside in Coventry, Connecticut. Allison also enjoys sailing and working on Model A Fords.
Allison said, "I have been active on the air since I was first licensed as WN1TDN in 1974, where I enjoy operating, experimenting and meeting people from
around the world. I can't say what ham band I like best, except all of them. While I enjoy restoring old radios, I very much enjoy the new ones and digital
modes such as PSK-31. I am honored and humbled to be part of the ARRL Laboratory Staff and I'm looking forward to serving our members and testing some
really cool, new radios!"
Tracy, whose last day at ARRL is today, said, "The various responsibilities I have held over 17 years at ARRL have taught me volumes about the League's
membership, Amateur Radio in general and many, many different technical topics related to the Service. The support I received from other HQ staff was invaluable,
and I will long remember my time here."
Court Finds FCC Violated Administrative Procedure Act in BPL Decision
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today released its
decision
on the ARRL's Petition for Review of the FCC's Orders adopting rules governing broadband over power line (
BPL)
systems. The Court agreed with the ARRL on two major points and remanded the rules to the Commission. Writing for the three-judge panel of Circuit Judges
Rogers, Tatel and Kavanaugh, Judge Rogers summarized: "The Commission failed to satisfy the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure
Act ('APA') by redacting studies on which it relied in promulgating the rule and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its choice of the extrapolation
factor for measuring Access BPL emissions."
The Court agreed with the ARRL that the FCC had failed to comply with the APA by not fully disclosing for public comment the staff studies on which it relied.
The Court also agreed with the ARRL that the Commission erred in not providing a reasoned justification for its choice of an extrapolation factor of 40
dB per decade for Access BPL systems and in offering "no reasoned explanation for its dismissal of empirical data that was submitted at its invitation."
The Court was not persuaded by the ARRL's arguments on two other points, on which it found that the Commission had acted within its discretion.
The conclusion that the FCC violated the APA hinges on case law. "It would appear to be a fairly obvious proposition that studies upon which an agency relies
in promulgating a rule must be made available during the rulemaking in order to afford interested persons meaningful notice and an opportunity for comment,"
the Court said, adding that "there is no APA precedent allowing an agency to cherry-pick a study on which it has chosen to rely in part."
The Court continued, "The League has met its burden to demonstrate prejudice by showing that it 'ha[s] something useful to say' regarding the unredacted
studies [citation omitted] that may allow it to 'mount a credible challenge' if given the opportunity to comment." Information withheld by the Commission
included material under the headings "New Information Arguing for Caution on HF BPL" and "BPL Spectrum Tradeoffs." The Court concluded that "no precedent
sanctions such a 'hide and seek' application of the APA's notice and comment requirements."
With regard to the extrapolation factor, the Court ordered: "On remand, the Commission shall either provide a reasoned justification for retaining an extrapolation
factor of 40 dB per decade for Access BPL systems sufficient to indicate that it has grappled with the 2005 studies, or adopt another factor and provide
a reasoned explanation for it." The studies in question were conducted by the Office of Communications, the FCC's counterpart in the United Kingdom, and
were submitted by the ARRL, along with the League's own analysis showing that an extrapolation factor closer to 20 dB per decade was more appropriate,
as part of the record in its petition for reconsideration of the FCC's BPL Order. The Court said that the FCC "summarily dismissed" this data in a manner
that "cannot substitute for a reasoned explanation." The Court also noted that the record in the FCC proceeding included a study by the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration that "itself casts doubt on the Commission's decision."
The briefs for the ARRL were prepared by a team of attorneys at WilmerHale, a firm with extensive appellate experience, with assistance from ARRL General
Counsel Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD. Oral argument for the ARRL was conducted by Jonathan J. Frankel of WilmerHale. Oral argument was heard on October 23,
2007; the Court's decision was released more than six months later.
After reading the decision, General Counsel Imlay observed, "The decision of the Court of Appeals, though long in coming, was well worth the wait. It is
obvious that the FCC was overzealous in its advocacy of BPL, and that resulted in a rather blatant cover-up of the technical facts surrounding its interference
potential. Both BPL and Amateur Radio would be better off had the FCC dealt with the interference potential in an honest and forthright manner at the outset.
Now there is an opportunity to finally establish some rules that will allow BPL to proceed, if it can in configurations that don't expose licensed radio
services to preclusive interference in the HF bands."
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, added: "We are gratified that the Court decided to hold the FCC's feet to the fire on such a technical
issue as the 40 dB per decade extrapolation factor. It is also gratifying to read the Court's strong support for the principles underlying the Administrative
Procedure Act. Now that the Commission has been ordered to do what it should have done in the first place, we look forward to participating in the proceedings
on remand, and to helping to craft rules that will provide licensed radio services with the interference protection they are entitled to under law."
ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, concluded: "I am very pleased that the Court saw through the FCC's smoke screen and its withholding of valid engineering
data that may contradict their position that the interference potential of BPL to Amateur Radio and public safety communications is minimal. The remand
back to the FCC regarding their use of an inappropriate extrapolation factor validates the technical competence of Amateur Radio operators and especially
of the ARRL Lab under the direction of Ed Hare, W1RFI. We are grateful for the work of our legal team and especially for the unflagging support of the
ARRL membership as we fought the odds in pursuing this appeal."
Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (
MIC)
announced that Japan's Table of Frequency Allocations and the
Japanese Amateur Bandplan
have been amended, giving amateurs in that country more privileges on certain frequency blocks in the 75/80 meter band. Japanese amateurs are now allowed
to operate the following additional frequencies on the 75/80 meters: 3.599-3.612 MHz, 3.680 to 3.687 MHz, 3.702-3.716 MHz, 3.745-3.747 MHz and 3.754-3.770
MHz.
As of April 28, 2008, Japanese amateurs will have privileges on the following frequencies in the 75/80 meter band:
• 3500-3520 kHz (CW only)
• 3520-3525 kHz (Digital Mode and CW)
• 3525-3575 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3599-3612 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3680-3687 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3702-3716 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3745-3770 kHz (CW and Phone)
• 3791-3805 kHz (CW and Phone)
"This makes it a bit easier for US amateurs to make contacts with Japanese amateurs, especially in contests, since Japan does not have phone privileges
on the 160 meter band," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "These new privileges will also make it easier for DXpeditions to work
Japan." -- Information provided by
JARL
Ten New Satellites in Orbit
Ten satellites reached orbit April 28 aboard an Indian PSLV-C9 rocket launched from the
Satish Dhawan Space Center.
The primary payloads were India's CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites. In addition to the NLS-5 and RUBIN-8 satellites, the rocket carried six
CubeSat
research satellites, all of which communicate using Amateur Radio frequencies. All spacecraft deployed normally and appear to be functional at this time.
The SEEDS satellite is designed and built by students at Japan's Nihon University. When fully operational, SEEDS will download telemetry in Morse code and
1200-baud FM AFSK packet radio at 437.485 MHz. The satellite also has Slow-Scan TV (
SSTV)
capability. Several stations have reported receiving SEEDS CW telemetry and the team would appreciate receiving more reports from amateurs
at their ground station Web page.
AAUSAT-II
is the creation of a student team at Aalborg University in Denmark. It will downlink scientific telemetry at 437.425 MHz using 1200 or 9600-baud packet.
Can-X2
is a product of students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). Can-X2 will downlink telemetry
at 437.478 MHz using 4 kbps GFSK, but the downlink will be active only when the satellite is within range of the Toronto ground station.
Compass-One
was designed and built by students at Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The satellite features a Morse code telemetry beacon at 437.275
MHz. Compass-1 will also provide a packet radio data downlink, which will include image data, at 437.405 MHz.
Cute 1.7 + APDII
is a satellite created by students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. This satellite will not only provide telemetry, it will also offer a 9600-baud
packet store-and-forward message relay with an uplink at 1267.6 MHz and a downlink at 437.475 MHz.
Delfi-C3
was designed and built by students at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It includes an SSB/CW linear transponder. The satellite will be
in telemetry-only mode for the first three months of the mission, after which it will be switched to transponder mode. Delfi-C3 downlinks 1200-baud packet
telemetry at 145.870 MHz. The linear transponder, when activated, will have an uplink passband from 435.530 to 435.570 MHz and a corresponding downlink
passband from 145.880 to 145.920 MHz.
VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators
The
VoIP Hurricane Net
is looking for Net Control Operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly Hurricane Preparation Net and during Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane
Net, created in 2002, is a support net working with
WX4NHC,
the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (
NHC).
The VoIP Net Management team is looking for NCOs from any geographic area to maintain a net for as long as emergency communications are required before,
during and shortly after hurricanes; this could be up to 24 hours a day and sometimes for several days. Net Control Operators from the Pacific, Asia, Australia/New
Zealand and other international areas can play a critical role in assisting our net operations during the overnight hours of a North American activation
during their local daytime, providing North American NCOs rest during their normal overnight hours.
The VoIP Hurricane Net uses a cross-link between an IRLP Reflector channel and an EchoLink conference, allowing the NHC to access Amateur Radio operators
who do not have access to HF communications; Amateur Radio operators located at official National Weather Service (NWS) offices and Emergency Operations
Centers (EOCs) also provide severe weather and damage reports to WX4NHC. This is also useful in times when poor HF propagation does not allow contact with
the NHC, making it another way to reach the NHC with critical weather and damage reports in times of a communications emergency caused by hurricanes. VoIP
technology can also be utilized for other weather related and disaster communications. Operations at WX4NHC are organized by National Hurricane Center
Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG, and Assistant National Hurricane Center Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R.
Individuals who possess any of the following qualifications are encouraged to apply to become Net Control Operators:
• Most importantly, a sincere desire to serve as a Net Control Operator and the ability to be flexible with the pressure and issues that can arise during
a Hurricane Net activation.
• Prior experience with an emergency or Public Support Net.
• Prior experience with running a club or VoIP Net.
• Net Control Training through a local Amateur Emergency/Public Service group.
• Incident Command Training.
•
SKYWARN
Weather Spotter Training or equivalent international weather spotting training.
• Any professional experience as a communications dispatcher.
Fluent Spanish speakers are also encouraged to apply to become NCOs in order to further support operations in South and Central America, Mexico and Puerto
Rico.
The VoIP Net Management team will be offering NCO training in the coming weeks. If you're interested in becoming an NCO, please contact Director of VoIP
Hurricane Net Operations Rob Macedo,
KD1CY,
or VoIP Hurricane Net Weekly and Activation Net Control Scheduler Jim Palmer,
KB1KQW. --
Information provided by VoIP Hurricane Net Public Information Officer Lloyd Colston, KC5FM
ARLD050: DX news
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD050
ARLD050 DX news
ZCZC AE50
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 50 ARLD050
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT November 21, 2001
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD050
ARLD050 DX news
This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, JF2SKV, WA7BNM, The Daily DX, DXNL
and 425DXnews. Thanks to all.
BARBADOS, 8P. John, K4BAI is active as 8P9HT until November 27. He
hopes to be QRV as 8P9Z as a Single Op/All Band entry in the CQ WW
CW Contest. Outside the contest he will concentrate on 160 meters
and the newer bands using mostly CW, and 6 meters when the band is
open. QSL both calls via K4BAI.
MOROCCO, CN. Jacques, F6BEE is QRV as CN2JS until November 27. He
will be a Single Op/All Band entry in the CQ WW CW Contest. QSL to
home call.
MADEIRA ISLANDS, CT3. Frank, DL2CC is QRV until November 26 and
will be active in the CQ WW CW Contest as CT9M. Outside of the
contest listen for CT3/DL2CC. QSL via DL1SBF.
GALAPAGOS ISLAND, HC8. Jon, N0JK and a few others are active as
HC8N from San Cristobal Island, IOTA SA-004, until November 26.
They will participate in the CQ WW CW Contest. Outside the contest
they are active on all HF bands, including 6 and 2 meters as well as
the satellites. QSL via AA5BT.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HI. Julio, AD4Z is QRV as HI3K using CW on 160
meters and the newer bands until December 9. He also plans to use
his father's callsign HI3J. QSL to home call.
MARIANA ISLANDS, KH0. Look for JQ1UKK, JF2SKV, JK2VOC, JG3VEI and
JE6MYI to be QRV as NH0S during the CQ WW CW Contest. Outside the
contest, look for then to be QRV on all bands using CW, SSB, RTTY,
FM and PSK31 as NH0S, NH0V, KH0/JE6MYI, KH0/AD6VH and KH0/JK2VOC.
QSL via JF2SKV, JG3VEI, JW6MYI, JQ1UKK and JK2VOC, respectively.
CRETE, SV9. Bill, W4WX will be QRV as SV9/W4WX from November 27 to
December 4. His activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using SSB and
RTTY. QSL to home call.
PALAU, T8. JA6VZB and JH6RTO will be active on all bands signing
T88JA and T88FS, respectively, from November 22 to 27. This
includes an entry in the CQ WW CW Contest. T88FS will also be QRV
on 6 meters and satellites. QSL to home calls.
COSTA RICA, TI. Andy, VE2EM is QRV as TI2/VE2EM until November 27
from the QTH of TI2HMG using CW on 40 to 10 meters. He also plans
to be active in the CQ WW CW Contest. QSL to home call.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. John, K3TEJ is active as VP5/K3TEJ
until November 27. His activity is on 160 to 10 meters. This
includes being a Single Op/All Band entry in the CQ WW CW Contest as
VP5G. At the same time, Ed, WA3WSJ is active as VP5ED until
November 27. This includes being a QRP entry in the CQ WW CW
Contest. QSL via operators' instructions.
CAMBODIA, XU. Andy, G4ZVJ is QRV as XU7AAV until November 27. This
includes an entry in the CQ WW CW Contest. QSL to home call.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The CQ WW DX CW Contest is scheduled for
this weekend. Please see October QST, page 113 for details.
NNNN
/EX
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
COMPLIANCE & INFORMATION BUREAU
Telephone Interference
Bulletin CIB-10 August 1995
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HEAR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ON YOUR TELEPHONE
Interference occurs when your telephone instrument fails to
"block out" a nearby radio communication. Potential
interference problems begin when the telephone is built at the
factory. All telephones contain electronic components that
are sensitive to radio. If the manufacturer does not build in
interference protection, these components may react to
nearby radio communications. Telephones with more features
contain more electronic components and need greater
interference protection. If you own an unprotected telephone,
as the radio environment around you changes, you may
sometimes hear unwanted radio communications. Presently,
only a few telephones sold in the United States have built-in
interference protection. Thus, hearing radio through your telephone is a sign that your phone lacks adequate
interference protection. This is a technical problem, not a law enforcement problem. It is not a sign that the
radio communication is not authorized, or that the radio transmitter is illegal.
Because interference problems begin at the factory, you should
send your complaint to the manufacturer who built your telephone.
A sample complaint letter is provided here.
You can also stop interference by using a specially designed
"radio-proof" telephone, available by mail order. A recent FCC
study found that these telephones, which have built-in interference
protection, are a very effective remedy. A list of Radio-Proof
telephones is provided here.
Interference problems in telephones can sometimes be stopped
or greatly reduced with a radio filter. Install this filter at the
back of the telephone, on the line cord, and/or at the telephone
wall jack. Radio filters are available at local phone product stores and by mail order. (See attached list, Radio
Interference Filters.) A list of Radio Interference filters is provided here.
To get started, follow these steps: If you have several telephones, or
accessories such as answering machines, un-plug all of them. Then plug each
unit back in, one at a time, at one of your wall jacks. Listen for the radio
communication. If you hear interference through only one telephone (or only
when the answering machine is plugged in), then the problem is in that unit.
Contact the manufacturer of that unit for help. Alternatively, simply stop
using that unit, replace it with a radio-proof model, or install a radio filter.
(NOTE: Only a very small percentage of interference problems occur in the
outside telephone lines. Your local telephone company can check for this
type of problem.)
Next, it's important to follow through and contact the manufacturer. Telephone
manufacturers need to know if consumers are unhappy about a product's failure to
block out radio communications. Also, the manufacturer knows the design of the
telephone and may recommend remedies for that particular phone.
To file a complaint, write a letter to the manufacturer, using the sample letter at the
end of this document. To help the manufacturer select the right remedy, be sure to
provide all the information in the sample, including the type of radio communication
that the telephone equipment is receiving. You can identify the type of radio communication by listening to it.
There are three common types:
(1)
AM/FM broadcast radio stations - Music or continuous talk distinguishes this type of radio communication. The station identifies itself by its call letters
at or near the top of each hour.
(2)
Citizen's Band (CB) radio operators - These radio operators use nicknames or "handles" to identify themselves on the radio. Usually, the CB operator's voice
is clearly heard. You may also hear sound effects or other noises.
(3)
Amateur ("ham") radio operators - Amateur radio operators are licensed by the FCC. They use call letters to identify their communications. The amateur's
voice can be heard but may be garbled or distorted.
Cordless telephones are low-power radio transmitters/receivers. They are highly sensitive to electrical noise,
radio interference, and the communications of other nearby cordless phones. Contact the manufacturer for
help in stopping interference to your cordless telephone.
Final note: Current FCC regulations do not address how well a telephone blocks out radio communications.
At present, FCC service consists of the self-help information contained in this bulletin. A partial list of
radio-proof telephones and radio filters is also attached.
The FCC strongly encourages manufacturers to include interference protection in their telephones as a benefit
to consumers. The telephone manufacturing industry has begun to develop voluntary standards for
interference protection. The FCC will continue regular meetings with manufacturers and will closely track the
effectiveness of their voluntary efforts.
If you are not satisfied with the manufacturer's response, contact the Electronic Industries Association, 2500
Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22201, phone: (703) 907-7500.
Dear Manufacturer: I am writing to register a complaint about telephone equipment I purchased
(manufactured by your company). Unfortunately your product is receiving a nearby radio communication,
making it difficult for me to complete phone calls. Please contact me within 30 days to discuss what steps
your company will take to make my telephone work properly. Thank you for your help. I look forward to your
prompt reply.
SOURCES OF RADIO-PROOF TELEPHONES AND
RADIO FILTERS FOR TELEPHONES
The lists below show companies that sell radio-proof telephones and radio interference filters. If you would
like to try a radio-proof telephone or radio interference filter, make sure that you can return it for a refund,
and keep the purchase receipt.
THE FCC DOES NOT ENDORSE OR RECOMMEND THE USE OF ANY PARTICULAR GOODS OR
SERVICES LISTED BELOW. SUCH GOODS OR SERVICES ARE LISTED FOR INFORMATION
ONLY AND HAVE BEEN FURNISHED BY THE ORGANIZATIONS. FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION, CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS.
RADIO-PROOF
TELEPHONES:
TCE LABORATORIES, INC.
2365 Waterfront Park Dr.
Canyon Lake, Texas 78133
(830)
899-4575 Notes: Desk and wall models available. Will do custom orders for multiple-line phones, speaker phones, answering machines, etc. Advertises 30-day
money-back guarantee.
PRO DISTRIBUTORS
2811 74th Street, Suite B
Lubbock, TX 79423
(800)
658-2027 Notes: Desk and wall models available. Advertises 30-day money-back guarantee.
RADIO INTERFERENCE FILTERS:
AT&T
(800)
222-3111 Notes: Also available at AT&T and GTE Phone Center stores.
COILCRAFT
1102 Silver Lake Road
Cary, IL 60013
(800)
322-2645 Notes: Filters for computers and printers also available.
ENGINEERING CONSULTING
583 Candlewood Street
Brea, CA 92621
(714)
671-2009 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS (ICE)
P.
O. BOX 18495 Indianapolis, IN 46218-0495
(317)
545-5412 Notes: Also available hard-wired filter for wall-mount telephone.
K-COM
P.O.
Box 82 Randolph, OH 44265
(330)
325-2110 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
KEPTEL, INC.
56 Park Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
(732)
389-8800
KILO-TEC
P.
O. Box 10 Oak View, CA 93022
(805)
646-9645
OPTO-TECH INDUSTRIES
P.O.
Box 13330 Fort Pierce, FL 34979
(800)
334- 6786, or (407) 468- 6032
RADIO SHACK (ARCHER)
Available at nearest Radio Shack store.
Catalog #273-104.
SNC MANUFACTURING
101 W. Waukau Avenue
Oshkosh, WI 54901-7299
(800)
558-3325, or (414) 231-7370
SOUTHWESTERN BELL FREEDOM PHONE ACCESSORIES
7486 Shadeland Station Way
Indianapolis, IN 46256
(800)
255-8480, or (317) 841-8642
TCE LABORATORIES
2365 WATERFRONT PARK DRIVE.
CANYON LAKE, TEXAS 78133
(830)
899-4575 Notes: Also available filters for 2-line telephones.
SAMPLE COMPLAINT LETTER:
Name
and address of
telephone manufacturer
Dear Manufacturer:
I am writing to register a complaint about telephone equipment I purchased
(manufactured by your company). Unfortunately, your product is receiving
a nearby radio communication, making it difficult for me to complete
telephone calls. Please contact me within 30 days to discuss what steps
your company will take to make my telephone work properly.
Thank you for your help.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Name:___________________________ Telephone:_________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________
City/State/Zipcode:___________________________________________________
Type of telephone equipment:__________________________________________
Model Number:_________________________________________________________
Description of Interference (AM/FM, CB, Amateur, etc):
DX Advisory Committee Semi-Annual Report
Announcements
·
Board and Committee Reports
Doc. #37
December 31, 2002
for the American Radio Relay League
Board of Directors Meeting
Submitted by
Clifford H. Ahrens K0CA
Chairman, DX Advisory Committee
Midwest Division Representative
Introduction
During the second half of 2002, the major DXCC news items were:
1. On September 4, 2002, the DXCC Desk announced the addition of a 30-Meter (10 MHz) Single Band DXCC award. Applications for this award were accepted beginning
October 1, 2002. 30-Meter credits will count toward the DeSoto Cup competition ending September 30, 2003. They will also be included in the DXCC Annual
List totals for the period ending on that date. A 30-Meter endorsement to 5 Band DXCC will also be available.
Agenda Items
1) New Entity/Removal Issues
None
2) Other Issues
1. The DXAC has informally discussed the increasing number of illegal "freeband" operations which take place in the frequency spectrum between the amateur
ten-meter and the CB band. Discussion has focused on what effect these operations could have on the DXCC program. Concerns have been voiced that illegal
"freeband" activity by persons who are also amateur radio operators who are also engaging in amateur radio operations could have a negative impact on amateur
radio relations with the government agencies involved. The DXAC has not been requested to do a formal study or express an opinion as a committee. But the
individual DXAC members are giving feedback to DXCC staff on this issue.
DXAC Status
The DXAC continued informal discussions of several important issues facing the DXCC program. These include:
1. The status of development of the "Logbook of The World" (LOTW) system for electronic logbook and QSO information for DXCC awards. ARRL staff are continuing
to work on the design of LOTW.
2. Publicizing the "Logbook of the World", the DXCC Challenge program, the new QRP DXCC award, and the 30 meters DXCC award.
3. Continuing to promote the use of DXCC Card Checker services. As of December 17, 2002, there are 155 card checkers. These were nominated by the following:
Directors - 6, Section Managers - 63, DX Clubs - 53, Foreign Society pilot program -- 33. Currently nominations are still available from 8 ARRL sections.
Over 4,750 applications have been verified by DXCC Card Checkers to date.
4. Illegal "freeband" operations.
5. DXpedition QSLing practices.
The DXAC will continue to listen to feedback from the DX community on important current DX issues and pass those opinions on to the MSC and ARRL staff.
It will also be ready to discuss and make recommendations on any matters or issues referred to DXAC by the MSC.
Respectfully submitted,
Clifford H. Ahrens K0CA
Chairman, DX Advisory Committee
Midwest Division Representative
FCC ON SCANNING RECEIVERS: POST-SALE CELLULAR MODS ARE ILLEGAL
In the wake of the Newt Gingrich cellular telephone taping incident, the FCC has made it clear that it's illegal for manufacturers or dealers to modify
scanning receivers to enable reception on cellular telephone frequencies. A Public Notice, DA 97-334, issued February 13, declares that scanner modification
is included in the ban on manufacturing cellular-ready scanners.
The notice comes as members of Congress raised concerns over the widely publicized incident where a cellular telephone conversation of House Speaker Newt
Gingrich was intercepted and taped and its contents ended up on the pages of the New York Times. A House subcommittee hearing on cellular telephone privacy
that also stemmed from the Gingrich cellular taping and disclosure also addressed the issue earlier this month.
Among those testifying before the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection was Bob Grove of Grove Enterprises (and Monitoring Times),
who tried to argue that a legal loophole allowed him to sell and then retrofit scanners to pick up cellular conversations. Other testimony focused on the
low priority that Congress has placed on prosecution of cellular eavesdropping cases. --FCC/Steve Mansfield, N1MZA
FCC FINES RETAILER IN ILLEGAL SCANNERS CASE
The FCC has upheld a stiff fine against Ace Communications of Fishers, Indiana, for illegally selling scanners that were not FCC-certified and that could
receive cellular telephone frequencies. The FCC's Compliance and Information Bureau issued the $20,000 Notice of Forfeiture February 5, 1997, for "willful
and repeated violation of Section 302(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and repeated violation of Section 302(b) of the Act and Section
2.803 of the Commission's rules. Specifically, the FCC cited the company for "advertising and selling two different scanners without first obtaining an
equipment authorization." The FCC complaint involved the Yupiteru MVT-7100 and the Trident TR-2400 scanners. The Commission said it would not have issued
an equipment authorization because the scanners in question "were capable of tuning into frequencies assigned to the cellular telephone service."
Ace had advertised one of the scanners in Amateur Radio publications in 1993, but none of the ads ever ran in QST. The FCC also rejected all arguments to
reduce the fine or dismiss the Notice of Apparent Liability. --FCC
MembershipRecruitmentPoster.pdf
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The national association for AMATEUR RADIO
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Join or Renew Your ARRL Membership
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Today's Hams Must Nurture Newcomers, Haynie Tells Dayton ARRL Forum
NEWINGTON, CT, May 22, 2004--It's up to today's Amateur Radio veterans to cultivate ham radio's younger generation, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, told
the ARRL Forum at
Dayton Hamvention 2004.
Calling the statistic "shocking," Haynie cited ARRL survey data showing that more than one-fifth of new amateur licensees never get on the air. He suggested
that too few experienced amateurs take new licensees under their wing to help them get started.
Dayton04-Haynie-1
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, addresses the ARRL Forum at Dayton Hamvention 2004.
"One of the things that we need to do is open up our hearts and open up our minds a little bit about the new generation coming along," he said. The addition
of another half-dozen ARRL Education and Technology Program (
ETP)
pilot schools has raised the total to 81, Haynie pointed out. In addition to its primary goal of using Amateur Radio to educate youngsters about wireless
technology, the ETP has resulted in thousands of new hams--teenagers and younger.
"What makes these programs successful, of course, is the local hams, the local clubs getting behind the program and teaching these kids the kinds of things
we all know," Haynie said, adding that nothing is too basic or simple. "I didn't know how to put on a PL-259 when I got my General," Haynie admitted, recalling
that he'd more than once forgotten to slip the connector's shell over the end of the cable before soldering the plug.
Haynie suggested that today's older hams also need to consider that technology is changing, and the questions appearing on the ham radio examinations of
tomorrow will be ones "that haven't been thought of yet." In 1972 when he took his General, he said, his test included questions on Hartley and Colpitts
oscillators. In contrast, today's examinations cover topics such as phase-locked loops, satellite operation and digital technology.
The ARRL president asserted that many Amateur Extra class licensees couldn't pass today's Element 4 examination if they had to do. Haynie said that if and
when the FCC changes Amateur Radio licensing requirements in response to various petitions for rule making--including one from the League--it will not
be a matter of "dumbing down" Amateur Radio. "It's not that Amateur Radio is dumbed down," he said. "People like me have failed to keep up, and if you
look in your heart, you're going to say the same thing."
"Amateur Radio is what you make of it once you get your license," Haynie continued. Getting a ham ticket doesn't make anyone more intelligent, and learning
the ropes usually begins after someone already has a license in hand. "You learn by doing," he said. "Just because you passed the exam does not make you
an MIT grad. If you want the tests harder--if you want people to come out of that examination room in here to be able to design circuits--you're in the
wrong hobby."
Haynie told the Hamvention forum that he learns something new every day, even though he's been licensed for more than 30 years now. "I love the nuts and
bolts of Amateur Radio, but I'll never be an engineer," he said.
Haynie said the ARRL Board did not take lightly its latest restructuring proposal, and he acknowledged that the League's petition has not won universal
praise. "It was not an overnight decision," he said, adding that the Board wanted to take a fair and evenhanded approach to restructuring.
"I said, if we come down on the side of code, we're going to make the no-code people mad, and if we come down on the side of the no-code, we're going to
make the code people mad, so the best thing for us to do is be evenhanded, and make everybody mad," Haynie said, tongue-in-cheek. "And I think we're doing
a good job of it."
Dayton04-Haynie-Booth-1
President Haynie greets a visitor to the ARRL booth at Dayton Hamvention 2004. [Richard Lawrence, KB1DMX, Photo]
How the FCC will act on the Morse code requirement and restructuring "is anyone's guess," Haynie said, but he predicted that the Commission will never reinstate
higher code speed requirements as some have requested.
"The FCC is not going to go back to 13 and 20 words per minute, and you can take that to the bank," he predicted. "It's not going to happen." The Commission
went with the single 5 WPM requirement because it was "sick and tired" of dealing with medical waivers, he said.
"Whatever you enjoy about Amateur Radio, it's not going to change" as a result of any restructuring Haynie said. While the FCC might take "the path of least
resistance," he believes it's more likely to take bits and pieces of the various petitions to come up with something that's would be workable and "give
Amateur Radio a shot in the arm."
"We need that," Haynie said.
Whether newcomers stay with Amateur Radio is not totally the point, because the younger licensees will be the leaders of the future, assuming positions
of responsibility in business and government.
"We don't have a Barry Goldwater today," he said, referring to the late Arizona senator who was K7UGA. "And maybe that's our fault."
Given the pressure on amateur spectrum today--which he called "the greatest I've ever seen"--he also urged amateurs to take the time to visit their congressperson.
"They love to see the voters," he said.
Despite good progress on several fronts, "we can't do this ourselves," Haynie concluded. "We've got to have grassroots support." He also strongly encouraged
amateurs to spread Amateur Radio's message to the news media and within their communities.
ARRL Welcomes W3IZ to Headquarters Staff
W3IZ-1
Norm Fusaro, W3IZ.
NEWINGTON, CT, May 23, 2004--Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, is the newest member of the ARRL Headquarters family. As ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program Manager, Fusaro--who
joined the ARRL Field and Educational Services (F&ES) staff May 17--will be responsible for ARRL Affiliated Club support, as well as for inaugurating a
volunteer mentor program and an enhanced volunteer instructor program. The position Fusaro's filling is a new one at Headquarters, and he plans to make
the most of his past informal experience as an "Elmer"--or mentor--helping new licensees to get up and running in Amateur Radio.
"Something I did on the local level was to be the guy to go out there and extend a helping hand, offer some guidance, open the station up for visitors,"
said Fusaro, who notes that he would have liked similar support when he first got his ticket 20 odd years ago.
F&ES Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, says the League created Fusaro's position after recent survey results indicated that far too many new licensees either
never get on the air at all or don't remain active. Many survey respondents indicated they needed help in getting active on the air or to learn new modes
or get involved in other ham radio activities.
"We want people to enjoy Amateur Radio or to keep enjoying Amateur Radio," White said. "We hope to find ways to support clubs and individuals in mentoring
activities." She believes Fusaro's background in retail sales and customer service--some of it in the electronics and computer field--will stand him in
good stead in his new post. "His sales background helps him to look at what the 'ham customer' needs in terms of support and to think about ways to fulfill
those needs," she said.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Fusaro is an avid contester and soon-to-be-former Frankford Radio Club member (he says he'll be joining the rival Yankee
Clipper Contest Club now that he's living in New England). In addition to Elmering many new hams in the past, he's served as a club officer and leader
for several years in the RF Hill Amateur Radio Club and taught ham radio licensing classes.
Fusaro says in his new position, he'll work with both clubs and individuals with a goal of establishing a network of mentors. "The goal is to get the newly
licensed ham some practical guidance and maybe some hands-on training," he said, so they'll be spared the sort of frustration he experienced obtaining
his license and in getting on the air.
One resource that he hopes to offer eventually is a Web mentoring database that new licensees can use to find assistance in their localities. "Much like
the volunteer examination database," he said. Unabashedly passionate about Amateur Radio, Fusaro says he's looking forward to having an opportunity to
now work with new amateurs on a professional level.
In addition to contesting, Fusaro enjoys ragchewing and RTTY. His favorite on-the-air events include the Pennsylvania QSO Party, the ARRL November Sweepstakes
and the ARRL International DX Contest. He's an active HF mobile and portable operator too.
His wife, Debbie, is N3ZXF. The couple is purchasing a home in Bristol, Connecticut, where he's already scoped out the antenna prospects.
WB3IOS Moves to New F&ES Position
WB3IOS-1
Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS.
White recently announced another change within ARRL Field & Educational Services. Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, who's been on the Headquarters staff for seven
years, has assumed a new position as Certification and Continuing Education (
C-CE)
Program Specialist. In that position, she'll oversee all day-to-day activities to ensure the success of the League's on-line technical courses and Amateur
Radio Emergency Communications classes.
Like Fusaro, Wolfgang also hails from Pennsylvania. White credits her with coming up with the idea to open registration for the on-line technical courses
more often, to aid members in working the on-line courses into their schedules.
"She aids hundreds of members in registering for ARRL's on-line and hybrid emergency communications courses--Level I, Level II and Level III," White said,
"and handles their progress through the receipt of graduation materials, including grant-reimbursement checks."
In her prior position, Wolfgang established the Youth Web pages, enhanced ARRL's support for ham radio and Scouting programs, such as the Jamboree On The
Air, and she shepherded Kid's Day. She also oversaw the ARRL educational advisors and ARRL's annual educational awards.
Wolfgang's husband Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, is an editor on the ARRL's Book Team and a long-time Headquarters employee. Their son Dan develops electronic publications
in the League's Production Department.
FCC Chairman Responds to Request to Support ARRL Restructuring Plan
FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell. [FCC Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, May 25, 2004--FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell has assured US representatives Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), and Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), that
the Commission will act "as expeditiously as possible" on Amateur Radio restructuring. Walden and Ross wrote Powell a month ago to urge adoption of the
ARRL's restructuring Petition for Rule Making (
RM-10867) "
in its entirety" along with rules changes needed to put it into place. Powell said the League's petition was one of many.
"At this time, the Commission staff is reviewing and analyzing carefully all of the petitions, comments and proposed rule changes in this area," Powell
responded May 21. "Because this matter is of great importance to you and the almost 700,000 amateur radio operators nationwide, the staff is working diligently
to create a comprehensive solution to address the proposals the petitioners have submitted." The next step in the process, he said, will be to prepare
a notice of proposed rule making for the Commission's consideration.
In addition to the League's filing, Powell pointed out, the Commission received 17 other petitions for rule making that address examination requirements
and operating privileges for Amateur Service licensees. The various proposals attracted more than 5000 comments, he noted--more than 800 of them on the
ARRL's petition alone.
In their letter to Powell, Walden and Ross expressed their belief that the ARRL's plan "will encourage the development, refinement and use of new technologies;
increase the number of young people involved in Amateur Radio; and provide incentives for Amateur Radio licensees to pursue technical self-training and
opportunities for volunteerism in the best traditions of our country."
Other comparable restructuring plans were filed by the Radio Amateur Foundation, RM-10868, (
Part 1)
(
Part 2)
and by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators,
RM-10870.
Fifteen other petitions for rule making came down on one side or the other of retaining the Amateur Radio Morse code examination requirement to operate
on HF. Judging from Powell's letter to Walden and Ross, the FCC plans to address all 18 petitions within the framework of a single rule making proceeding.
The Amateur Amateur: A Wealth of Possibilities
By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
Contributing Editor
May 25, 2004
I know what Amateur Radio is. I just can't think of a simple way to explain it.
What do you say when someone asks, "What is Amateur Radio?"
My guess is that you give some brief overall description and then start describing what interests you the most. Or maybe you skip the general stuff and
jump right into your favorite part.
"It's about . . .
talking to people all over the world."
looking for
hidden transmitters."
getting together for
Field Day."
earning my
Worked All States
award or
DXCC."
When someone asks me that question, I never seem to know what to say. A million answers flood my brain, and I just stand there looking like they've asked
me to solve a complicated physics problem. Oh, I know what Amateur Radio is; I just can't think of a simple way to explain it to someone.
I have not yet settled into some comfortable niche and stuck with it. I'm still fascinated by many aspects of the hobby--too many of them, in fact. Almost
every time I read an article in QST, I find myself saying, "I'd like to try that!"
There are half-finished (and half-started) projects all over my house. If we begin the tour in my garage, you'll see that my car and my wife Nancy's have
dualband Amateur Radio transceivers in them. At first glance, you'd think that these were completed projects, but, face it, is any mobile setup ever really
finished? They work. They do what I want them to do. But there is always this nagging feeling that there should be more.
Also standing in the garage is a ladder. We will use it to climb up to the roof where we will see my antennas. Nancy and I have spent a lot of time up here.
Our neighbors have seen us erect and remove many strange-looking objects. We are moderately happy with what's there now. (I'm happy, because the current
antennas work. Nancy is happy, because she hasn't had to help me put up any more new ones recently.) Still, there is an itch. Could we put up something
better? (I already know Nancy's answer.)
Climbing down from the roof and going down to the basement (remembering to put away the ladder first), we'll make our way to my shack. There are two transceivers
there. One is my primary station transceiver. The other is a 10-meter mobile rig. The 10-meter radio is part of a now-abandoned project to extend our mobile-to-mobile
range. I figured out how to do that with our existing 2 meter transceivers. But I still feel that I should do something with that 10-meter radio.
I love my HF transceiver and have done all manner of things with it. Some of my happiest moments were when I made overseas contacts. But I have yet to really
get into DXing. I've never participated in a contest. I haven't sought any awards. I've never marked off grids on a map. And I've yet to receive a single
QSL card (of course, I've sent out only two.)
I don't want to go overboard with HF, but I don't feel I'm quite where I want to be either.
computer-in-shack-2a
My station running in PSK31 mode; Let's call it a work in progress.
There is a computer sitting in my shack. I bought it for the specific purpose of doing digital modes on the amateur bands. This was another case of, "Gee!
That looks interesting!" I had heard about PSK31, and after seeing a station use it last year at Field Day, I decided to give it a try. With only a minor
hiccough or two I managed to connect the computer to my HF transceiver and make several PSK31 contacts (including one of my two DX contacts). It has been
fun, but it has not become an all-consuming passion. Let's consider this one a work in progress.
Now let's move on to a case where my interests and Nancy's overlap. I really, really want to understand electronics better. I want to be able to take something
apart, look at its guts and know precisely how it works. (Actually, I'd settle for knowing "more or less" how it works.) Nancy would simply like to build
a working radio. Although she hasn't said it in so many words, I'm pretty sure she'd like to know what makes it tick as well.
kits-4a
A bunch of kits waiting for the warm touch of a soldering iron.
This brings us to the field of kit building. Theoretically, that should satisfy both our needs. Sadly, though, our initial attempts were very unsatisfying.
Although we've both vowed not to quit, the urge to try again has never been strong enough to overcome inertia. Several unbuilt kits remain in the basement--more
undone projects!
batteries-1a
The beginnings of an emergency power project.
Ah, and then there is ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service). I belong to the local group, and I am active. But even here there are so many potential paths
to take that it makes my head spin. I've made a start at setting up my station for emergency power, but I haven't finished that one yet. I've started to
put together a jump bag, but it has a long way to go before it could be considered useful. I've taken some training (the three
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
courses), but there is so much more to learn that I hardly know where to begin. And in what field should I specialize? Traffic handling? Net control? Field
work?
There are other aspects of Amateur Radio that also have caught my attention--including Morse code (CW), Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), Amateur
Television (ATV), packet radio and more What should I do? Decisions! Decisions!
By now you've probably become convinced that I have some form of attention deficit disorder. I could counter by saying that I'm a "radio renaissance man."
But the truth is that I'm just a kid who has wandered into the Amateur Radio candy store and is bedazzled by the possibilities.
I've concluded that what makes Amateur Radio hard to pin down in words is that it represents such a vast world of possibilities, and I've yet to explore
nearly enough of them.
g3-c
Bonus Cartoon Feature: "Glitches in the System"
Editor's note: ARRL member Gary Hoffman, KB0H, lives in Florissant, Missouri. He's been a ham since 1995. Hoffman says his column's name -- "The Amateur
Amateur" -- suggests the explorations of a rank amateur, not those of an experienced or knowledgeable ham. His wife, Nancy, is N0NJ. Hoffman has a ham-related
Web page.
Readers are invited to contact the author via e-mail,
radio104@www.cvil.wustl.edu.
rr
NTIA Head Tips Hand on Agency's Additional BPL Findings
MichaelGallagher-NTIA
NTIA Acting Assistant Secretary Michael D. Gallagher. [NTIA Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, May 26, 2004--National Telecommunications and Information Administration Acting Administrator Michael Gallagher has hinted at some of the
findings in his agency's pending Phase 2 broadband over power line (BPL) study. In
remarks
May 17 at the
United Telecom Council's "
Telecom 2004" in Nashville, Tennessee, Gallagher said the complete NTIA Phase 2 BPL study is "targeted for release later this year." While the Phase 2 study
will provide "additional guidance" on contending with BPL interference issues, the NTIA has advised against putting the present FCC rule making proceeding
on hold until its release.
"Key Phase 2 technical analyses have been completed," Gallagher told the UTC gathering, "and the findings are appended to NTIA's comments on proposed rules."
The NTIA has yet to file those comments, although it has posted its
Phase 1 BPL study
on the proceeding. The comment deadline on the FCC's BPL
Notice of Proposed Rule Making
(NPRM) in ET Docket 04-37 was May 3, but the period for reply comments ends June 1.
Responsible for developing telecommunications policy for a White House that's promoting BPL, as well as for administering federal government radio spectrum
that could be affected by the technology, the NTIA finds itself with a stake on both sides of the BPL controversy.
Gallagher's Telecom 2004 presentation acknowledged that the principal concern surrounding the technology is that "BPL systems might interfere with federal
government radio communications or other state and private radio operators." The NTIA's Phase 1 study showed that interference risks already are high under
existing Part 15 rules, and it advises retaining--not relaxing--existing Part 15 power limits. Among the Phase 1 study's recommendations for reducing interference
are frequency shifting and notching as well as "refined compliance measurement procedures," which Gallagher characterized as solutions "to satisfy all
parties." BPL proponents have said they can comply with Part 15 emission limits, but NTIA says they're basing that assertion on the use of existing measurement
procedures.
The agency has said its Phase 2 study will, among other things, assess interference risks due to aggregation (ie, total emissions from multiple BPL systems)
and ionospheric propagation of interfering signals from BPL systems. Gallagher said the Phase 2 study has determined that BPL aggregation and ionospheric
propagation "is not a potential near-term problem."
The NTIA predicts that millions of BPL devices can be deployed under the rules the FCC is expected to adopt--probably later this year--before ionospheric
propagation and aggregate BPL emissions become an interference issue.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, says he's curious to hear the NTIA rationalize its "near-term" assertion. "Does this mean it's okay to go ahead with a bad
idea if the problems it causes are sufficiently far in the future?" he asked.
The Phase 2 study also will evaluate the effectiveness of proposed Part 15 measurement techniques and recommend a "height-correction factor" of 5 dB to
BPL measurements made at a height of 1 meter, Gallagher said. It also will advise requiring a peak field strength measurement search "all along the power
line" at a distance of 10 meters and at a height of 1 meter.
The NTIA acknowledges that peak field strength is as much as 20 dB higher--a factor of 100--than the peak measured at a height of 1 meter under current
Part 15 rules. Because the peak does not occur consistently at a particular distance from a BPL device along the power line, the NTIA says, technicians
must seek a peak field strength by tracking the entire power line. According to the NTIA, this will cover 80 percent of peaks at any height.
The agency has determined that a moderate-to-high probability of interference exists to a fixed station from BPL power lines at a distance of 450 meters--approximately
1480 feet--and to a mobile station at a distance of 55 meters--approximately 180 feet.
BPL-CdrRpds-2
A BPL extractor for a field test system in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [Alan Erickson, WB0OAV, Photo]
To "fulfill special protection requirements," Gallagher said, the NTIA will suggest "minimal" coordination areas--where a specified authority would coordinate
all planned BPL deployment--plus excluded bands and exclusion zones. The NTIA recommends "voluntary coordination" with respect to other radio operations
plus "mandatory Access BPL power control, frequency agility and shut-off capabilities" to reduce interference risks and to expedite interference mitigation.
The NTIA further proposes that BPL rules provide for "prompt response to complaints of suspected interference" and recasting the FCC's Part 15 shutdown
requirement as "a last resort."
"Our BPL study of more than 10 million signal samples shows that solutions exist to all identified BPL technical issues," Gallagher concluded.
That's true, Sumner said, "but only if you include shutting a BPL system off and keeping it off as a 'solution.'"
During a White House meeting May 20, ARRL officials asked the Bush administration to heed its own experts at the NTIA and back away from its support of
BPL in favor of less troublesome broadband technologies. In its comments in the proceeding, the League also called on the FCC to put its BPL proceeding
on hold to allow more thorough research of its interference potential to licensed radio services.
For additional information, visit the "
Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio"
page on the ARRL Web site. To support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure
BPL Web site.
i have to say that this is intentional. That I still can't get in to my old board and everyone else can. What a bitch move on behalf of whoever!
Amateurs Aid as Tornados Devastate Nebraska Communities
NEWINGTON, CT, May 26, 2004--From storm spotting through recovery support, Amateur Radio operators were on duty this week, aiding tornado-stricken communities
in Nebraska and elsewhere in the Midwest. A May 22 tornado virtually destroyed most structures and was blamed for one death in
Hallam.
With a population of approximately 300 people, Hallam--some 20 miles south of Lincoln in Lancaster County--calls itself "The Little Town with the Big Heart."
ARRL Nebraska Section Emergency Coordinator Reynolds Davis, K0GND, said Lancaster County ARES/SKYWARN spotters activated the evening of May 22 in response
to a report of an approaching front. Within a half-hour, W0NWS at the National Weather Service office in Valley already was receiving tornado damage reports
via the Lincoln Amateur Radio Club's K0KKV area-wide repeater.
NE-tornados0504-5
One of several tornados that touched down May 22 in Nebraska. [Matt Crowther Photo, courtesy of NWS]
"When the system moved into Lancaster County shortly after 8:30 PM, it destroyed almost every structure in the town of Hallam," Davis said, leaving the
residents homeless. The NWS rated the tornado that struck Hallam as an F-4 on the five-point Fujita Scale. Davis said that as the storm moved into southeastern
Lancaster County, weather-spotter Larry Ohs, KC0LXQ, about a half-mile west of Hallam, reported winds in excess of 80 MPH. "The actual tornado passed just
south of him and caused a great deal of damage to his car," Davis added.
The storm also severely damaged the high school in Norris and plucked the tower supporting the K0RPT repeater's south receiver from the ground. Davis said
the tornado emptied the equipment cabinet, and the tower remains missing. The tornado went on to destroy additional homes to the northeast, and its path
of destruction finally ended south of Bennet, he said.
More than 50 amateurs participated in the SKYWARN net, said Davis, who also serves as Lancaster County Emergency Coordinator. The National Weather Service
Omaha office logged dozens of weather and storm-damage reports from radio amateurs in several Nebraska counties on May 22.
Once the SKYWARN Nets closed, the K0RPT VHF repeater was put into service to support Red Cross communications among the tornado scene, the chapter house
and a shelter set up in a Lincoln high school for residents displaced by the storm. Two ARES nets activated May 23 to coordinate damage survey and assessment.
Davis said one net on the K0KKV repeater focused on damage in southern Lancaster county west of US 77, while another on the N0FER repeater covered damage
east of the highway.
NE-tornados0504-6
An example of the sort of damage wrought by the tornados that swept through southern Nebraska May 22. [Carl Morones, N0CRL/Lisa Morones, KC0KGW]
"Operators were assigned to each county road within selected grids," he said. "Two operating positions at K0EOC at the Lancaster County Emergency Operations
Center logged all damage reports received." Davis said that by the time both damage survey nets shut down, 41 operators had driven nearly 2200 miles and
surveyed 100 square miles.
Nebraska Gov Mike Johanns declared a state of emergency in several of the state's counties after more than a dozen tornados swept across southern Nebraska.
Davis said Johanns and US Sen Chuck Hagel accompanied Federal Emergency Management Agency officials led by FEMA Director Dick Hainje in touring Hallam
May 24.
In Missouri, Grundy County EC Glen Briggs, KB0RPJ, reports that Amateur Radio groups in the northern part of the state served as storm spotters following
a threat of severe weather. The hams relayed severe weather reports to the National Weather Service and to local emergency management and law enforcement
officials.
"The hardest hit areas were near Chillicothe and Brookfield," Briggs said." The K0MPT repeater in Chillicothe was knocked off the air by the storms as a
tornado passed near the repeater site." He said the amateurs switched to backup repeaters and simplex channels until power was restored. Some 18 operators
in nine Missouri counties participated, he said.
FCC Extends BPL Reply Comments Filing Deadline
NEWINGTON, CT, May 27, 2004--The FCC has extended the deadline to file reply comments in its broadband over power line (BPL) proceeding, ET Docket 04-37,
from Tuesday, June 1, to Tuesday, June 22. The Commission released its BPL
ecfs/retrieve
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) February 23, and the initial comment deadline passed May 3. The FCC acted on a request from the
National Antenna Consortium
and the
Amherst Alliance
(NAC/Amherst) for a much longer filing deadline extension. The NAC/Amherst petition cited the anticipated release of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) Phase 2 BPL study in making its request for a filing delay. The organizations said the FCC was not allowing stakeholders
adequate time to prepare comments to address the two-part NTIA report on BPL interference. The FCC said the NTIA has indicated that it will submit comments
and a technical appendix in the BPL proceeding this week. Those submissions are expected to contain key findings of the Phase 2 report, due to be released
later this year.
"We believe that three weeks should provide ample time for review and analysis of this information, and accordingly grant the extension for that period,"
said FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Edmond J. Thomas, who signed the
attachmatch/DA-04-1552A1
Order Granting Extension of Time released May 27. NAC/Amherst had sought to have the FCC postpone the filing comment deadline until either September 1 or
two months after the public release of the NTIA's Phase 2 study--whichever was later. The FCC said the groups "presented no specific justification for
such a longer time, nor is one evident to us." The FCC said the additional three weeks should be "ample time" to respond to the anticipated NTIA submission
"as long as it is filed reasonably close to the anticipated date of May 28.
Noting that its Part 15 rules already permit Access BPL systems and that its BPL NPRM places additional requirements on BPL systems over and above what
Part 15 already requires, the FCC said to further delay the proceeding would diminish the Commission's ability to protect licensed users now occupying
the HF spectrum. In addition, the FCC said, a further extension "would needlessly increase regulatory uncertainty about this technology's promise to deliver
broadband services" to US consumers.
The FCC Order turned down a request that the FCC reissue in a substantially more detailed form the provisions of its proposed BPL rules concerning interference
prevention and mitigation and the enforcement of standards. The FCC said that NAC/Amherst provided no compelling reason nor did it suggest how the FCC's
proposed rules were insufficiently described.
The FCC does not routinely grant such time extensions, and it denied earlier petitions, including filings from the ARRL and NAC/Amherst, to extend the initial
comment filing deadline, which was May 3. The League and others said commenters needed more time to digest the NTIA's Part 1 BPL
study,
released April 27.
Earlier this year, FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell turned down a request by US Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, to delay further action on the BPL proceeding until
the NTIA study's had been released and stakeholders had had a chance to evaluate it before commenting.
Connecticut Attorney Don Schellhardt is a co-founder of The Amherst Alliance and served as its first national coordinator. He's the NAC's vice president
for government relations and membership development and an associate ARRL member.
For more information on BPL, visit the
"Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio" page
on the ARRL Web site.
Amateur Radio in Poland
By Henryk Kotowski, SM0JHF
May 28, 2004
After enduring political and economic change, Poland is rapidly becoming an Amateur Radio superpower.
Kotowski_1
Chris, SP7GIQ, a self-made contester and antenna maintenance guy, has just finished replacing some parts on his 40 meter quad.
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Michal, SP5CJT, made his first moonbounce attemps with his brother Paul, SP5CIC (now WA6PY), from Poland in the early 1970s.
Kotowski_3
Very active in his local club, Leszek, SP2WKB, from Bydgoszcz, is 27 years old and gets inspiration from Kazik, SP2FAX.
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Andrzej, SP5AHT, is the editor of Swiat Radio--now the official journal of the PZK and the only full color magazine devoted to SP Amateur Radio. His young
son proves that a Yaesu FT-817 will put a smile on anybody's face.
Kotowski_5
Team Poland at WRTC 2002 in Finland--Bogdan, SP3RBR; Andrzej, SP8NR; Chris, SP7GIQ, and Kazik, SP2FAX.
Browsing the results of 2003 IARU HF Championship, announced in February 2004 QST, one cannot avoid catching sight of the number of logs submitted from
Poland. A total of 22 percent of all European logs came from Poland--241 logs. The national Amateur Radio organization, Polski Zwiazek Krótkofalowców (
PZK),
has approximately 2500 members, so almost 10 percent of them participated in this unique contest and submitted their logs. The Headquarters station, SN0HQ,
logged over 15,000 QSOs from a dozen locations with the participation of over 50 of the country's most proficient operators.
I lived the first 30 years of my life in Poland so I have certain amount of interest and a relation to Polish events and news, in particular those pertaining
to Amateur Radio. Judging by its involvement in the IARU HF Championship and many other spheres of our hobby, Poland is today a superpower in ham radio.
16,000 Hams and Growing
The number of licenses is growing in Poland, and now exceeds 16,000. It is no longer compulsory to belong to an organization, as it was prior to 1989. There
were then hundreds of Amateur Radio clubs coordinated by three entities: PZK, the scouts and the National Defense League. Although the overall level of
education in theory and practical operating techniques was good, suitable equipment was very difficult to get. After drastic changes of politics and economics
in early 1990s, the number of clubs has declined but almost anyone can afford to buy a piece or two of modern equipment. The result is an army of well-trained
and well-equipped Amateur Radio operators in Poland.
Contesting with Passion
There are a few contest fanatics who have created top-ranking antenna farms and make winning scores, alone or with friends. Two teams from Poland participated
in the WRTC 2002 games. The SP DX Contest (organized jointly by the PZK and SP DX Club) on the first weekend of April attracts hundreds of contestants
from all over the world. The number of SP stations in this 24 hour event is on the rise. Some short, one-letter-suffix call signs were assigned for contest
use in the mid 1990s. Today anyone can apply for a one-letter suffix vanity call sign. The prefixes used for Amateur Radio in Poland are mainly SP, SQ,
SN, SO, and rarely HF and 3Z. The SR prefix is used for repeaters.
Chasing DX has always been popular in Poland. Well over 200 members of the SP DX Club have contacted 300 DXCC entities or more. A couple of hundred members
usually gather at the annual club meeting during a weekend in September. One of the top rankings in The DXCC Challenge--a competition that requires a lot
of patience and experience--is held by Ryszard, SP5EWY.
Expanding Operation Worldwide
More and more SP hams travel to exotic spots to work or for pleasure, and take the opportunity to get on the air. In recent years, several Polish DXpedtions
to Pacific islands or Polar regions have taken place. A large number of Polish-speaking hams, scattered all over the world, keep in touch with friends
and families at home through Amateur Radio. The most popular calling frequency is 14.273 MHz.
Advanced technologies are not yet widespread. The lack of modern electronics industry and access to components and instruments makes it very arduous to
assemble a moonbounce station, for example. Digital modes are easier to implement, as computers are popular and inexpensive.
I present here some of the hams active today in Poland.
Table with 2 columns and 2 rows
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An informal meeting at the home of Ryszard, SP5EWY. From the left: SP5BR, SP5EAQ, SP5ENA, SP5DRH and Ryszard, SP5EWY
Kotowski_7
A multioperator effort from Kazik, SP2FAX's station. Przemek, SP7VC, is in the foreground. Waldemar, SM0TQX (ex-SP5DZJ), in the center is visiting from
Sweden. The boss, Kazik is in the background.
Kotowski_8
The SP5GRM 15 meter array in the town of Sierpc.
Kotowski_9
Chris, SP7GIQ, standing next to his low-band vertical. Chris is a quad antenna aficionado--as evident in the background.
table end
By Doug Smith, KF6DX
Digital Voice: The Next
New Mode?
Interest in digital voice systems is on the rise. Do they have a place
in Amateur Radio? Come on a brief tour of the technology and see
for yourself.
Why Digital Speech?
These days, it seems communications
systems are going digital everywhere
they can. Why are we doing it? What¡¯s
wrong with well-established analog
techniques?
Well, nothing much is wrong with
them; in fact, they will always represent
the most straightforward ways for the
transmission and perfect reproduction of
speech signals. But propagation paths for
radio signals may be far from perfect and
that¡¯s where digital voice comes in.
Digital modes offer certain advantages
over their analog counterparts. Foremost
among those is that digital detectors have
a very clear-cut decision to make. In principle,
it¡¯s easier to decide whether a received
signal represents a binary zero or
one than to decide exactly what analog
voltage it represents. With appropriate restrictions,
that¡¯s also true in practice. A
second big advantage of digital modes is
that errors in transmission may be made
relatively easy to detect and correct.
Coding schemes have been devised that
produce very robust performance, even
through poor propagation media. Finally,
digital signals lend themselves to some
advanced processing techniques that
would be incredibly complex in analog.
Those techniques generally achieve performance
levels not otherwise possible.
In many cases, the advantages mentioned
above have made it very worthwhile
to employ digital transmission and
processing of analog signals. Commercially,
digital high-definition TV (DTV)
and cellular phones have begun to show
that. The resounding surge in DSP-based
transceivers is certainly evidence of
what¡¯s possible with signal processing;
but here, I¡¯d like to discuss how analog
signals¡ªspecifically speech signals¡ª
may be transmitted and received in digi
tal format. A look back at the history of
digital speech modes reveals a lot about
both how and why.
A Brief History of
Digital Voice Modes
The public switched telephone network
(PSTN), the communications medium
to which the most people have
access, went digital a long time ago. Engineers
realized that to obtain the best
performance over a large area, many repeaters
and switches are required. Analog
amplifiers, repeaters and switches
introduce noise; that makes it difficult to
maintain acceptable signal-to-noise ratios
(SNRs) over long distances. As against
that, digital signals received at a repeater
or amplifier may be cleanly detected and
a new, noise-free copy of those signals
may be retransmitted. A digital transmission
format was therefore chosen for the
PSTN around WW2 time.
The first task for those working on the
problem was to decide on a way to convert
analog speech signals to digital. The
device doing that job is aptly known as
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
The job itself is called sampling. Samples
are taken at regularly spaced intervals and
the result is a string of numbers that represent
the analog voltage at those discrete
Figure 1¡ªAn
analog wave
being sampled
at a rate much
higher than its
bandwidth. At
(A), an analog
signal; at (B),
the sampled
signal.
28 January 2002
times. Each voltage sample is converted
to a binary number proportional to the
voltage. To get an accurate representation,
many samples per second must be
taken so that the voltage doesn¡¯t change
much between samples. See Figure 1. The
number of voltages that can be represented,
therefore, is determined by the
number of binary digits or bits available.
For example, if eight bits are available,
then 28 or 256 voltage levels are possible.
One of the first things discovered
about such a scheme is that since only
256 levels are possible, the binary number
chosen at any particular sample time
may not correspond exactly to the actual
analog voltage; it¡¯s only the closest of
those available. For a large signal over
time, errors are just as likely to be positive
as negative; they are also just as
likely to be small as large, within certain
limits. Errors therefore show up as quantization
noise in the sampled signal,
which limits the total range of signal
amplitudes. That range is called the
dynamic range.
Telephone engineers recognized that
if they used more bits for the smaller signals,
and fewer for the large, they could
achieve an increase in dynamic range.
The system now in use on the PSTN in
North America and Japan, called ¦Ì-law
coding, does exactly that and extends
dynamic range by quite a lot.1 The chief
penalty is that the maximum SNR is reduced
slightly¡ªnot a bad trade-off. Other
countries use A-law coding, which is
slightly different.
The sampling rate must be at least
twice the bandwidth of the signal being
sampled.2 The phone company decided
that about 3 kHz of bandwidth was good
enough for speech and so chose a sampling
rate of 8000 samples per second.
With eight bits per sample, the transmission
rate is 8 ¡Þ 8000=64,000 bits/second
(bps). The system provides what is generally
known as toll-quality speech and
it preserves most of the important characteristics
of a person¡¯s voice.
The US space program also had need
for voice communications and NASA,
too, recognized the value of digital transmission
modes. During the 1960s, designers
found that certain digital coding
schemes gave them the ability to determine
the transit time between transmitter
and receiver, hence the distance
between the two, while using a continuously
transmitted digital signal. They also
knew that square-wave limiting (clipping)
of human voice signals increases
the talk power of those signals. Clipped
speech signals resemble digital waveforms,
so they reasoned that they could
1Notes appear on page 32.
Figure 2¡ªA representation of delta modulation (DM).
How Do I Sound?
That seems like an innocent question and it¡¯s easy to slip into non-technical
terms, like ¡°scratchy,¡± ¡°warm¡± and so forth. If you are serious about giving a meaningful
response, though, some forethought is required. For scientific voice-quality
evaluation, a uniform system that gauges subjective responses is necessary.
A wide variety of factors influences perceived voice quality, including amplitude
and frequency distortion, echoes and noise. Anything detracting from the naturalness
of speech increases the effort a listener must exert to understand what is
being said. For signals that are significantly impaired, the annoyance experienced
by a listener may be rated on a linear scale called mean opinion score (MOS).
The MOS scale is shown below:
table with 3 columns and 7 rows
MOS
Quality
Impairment
5
Excellent
Imperceptible
4
Good
Perceptible, but not annoying
3
Fair
Slightly annoying
2
Poor
Annoying
1
Bad
Very annoying
0
Unusable
Total
table end
Non-integer scores like 3.5 are possible. An MOS of 3.0 is generally referred to
as ¡°toll quality,¡± meaning ¡°good enough to pay for.¡± Digital voice users may tolerate
MOS levels less than three if they get additional benefits, such as simultaneous
voice and data services.
While evaluation of voice systems may be made based on test-bench measurements,
they must ultimately relate to the perception of the listener. A large body of
voice-system evaluations exists based on MOS. Comparisons among systems are
therefore readily made. MOS relates well to the readability figures commonly used
in Amateur Radio signal reports.
Comparison is always part of subjective analysis. In fact, comparison is absolutely
necessary to remove all bias in voice-quality evaluation. Most often, a
listener is presented with two audio samples in succession; he or she is not informed
beforehand which sample is the one being evaluated. Several repetitions
using many different listeners may be averaged to mitigate the effects of individual
listening talents. For digital voice systems, MOS may be correlated with the bit
error rate (BER) on the communications link. Performance in hostile environments¡ª
those containing high levels of environmental and man-made noise¡ªmay
thereby be quantified.¡ªDoug Smith, KF6DX
use them as such. Combined with range-before the space age.
determining codes to produce a single Just after WW2, researchers discovdigital
bit stream, they found that gave ered a waveform-coding system known
them both voice communications and the as delta modulation (DM). In it, when an
distance information they sought. analog input wave¡¯s voltage is increas-
Such a system was used by NASA for ing, a binary one is transmitted; when the
the Apollo program.3 It¡¯s very clever; but analog voltage is decreasing, a zero is
if you think it crude by today¡¯s standards, transmitted. See Figure 2. A fixed amount
remember that at the time, LED displays of voltage change is associated with each
had not yet been perfected and digital bit so that the analog waveform may be
numerical readouts aboard the spacecraft reconstructed at the receiver through inwere
provided by Nixie tubes! Since then tegration. It¡¯s a very simple system and
other, more-sophisticated schemes have it works reasonably well, but it has an inbeen
developed and some even existed herent problem: It can¡¯t represent analog
January 2002 29
waves having slopes exceeding the maximum
voltage change per bit. In the 1970s,
others found that limitation could be
overcome by incorporating a greater
slope when several ones or zeros occurred
in a row.4 Their system, called continuously
variable slope-delta modulation
(CVSD), produces toll quality at bit rates
significantly lower than those on the
PSTN and it¡¯s more immune to errors in
the bit stream. Its maximum SNR,
though, is generally not as good as what
you get over the telephone.
Other schemes, such as adaptive
differential pulse code modulation
(ADPCM), have achieved some measure
of success.5 Over the last 30 years, a lot
of experimentation has gone into finding
better ways to characterize voice signals
than those of the waveform coders described
above. Driving that research is the
need to minimize the number of bits
transmitted and thus, the occupied bandwidth
of digital voice signals, as well as
the complexity of modems used to do it.
Intense investigation about the nature
of human speech production and hearing
began in earnest in the 1930s.6 Many
things discovered then remain relevant to
this day.
On the Nature of
Human Speech and Hearing
Investigators of human speech have
found that it may be modeled as a source
of excitation (wind from the lungs) followed
by a filter (the voice tract).7 They¡¯ve
also discovered that certain properties of
a person¡¯s voice may be characterized and
extracted from voice signals that lend
themselves to efficient digital coding.8
Those characteristics relate to the basic
nature of human speech sounds and
physical factors in their production.
Some voice coders make use of a
source-filter model to achieve good speech
reproduction at low bit rates. Instead of
transmitting information about the wave
shape of speech, they transmit spectral information
about the source and the frequency
response of the vocal-tract filter.
That approach is a winner, largely because
the spectrum of speech changes relatively
slowly. That is, the frequency content of
speech may be considered constant over
short time frames of, say, 20 ms or so.
Even over time frames longer than that,
the source spectrum may remain reasonably
constant. Those sorts of speech characteristics
allow parametric speech coders
a large measure of efficiency.
Human hearing has evolved so that it¡¯s
good at distinguishing human speech
sounds. Auditory research has revealed
some interesting things about the earbrain
combination that are relevant to
speech coders and decoders (codecs).
30 January 2002
Such research is conducted subjectively;
that is, what someone hears (or doesn¡¯t
hear) can only be determined by asking
questions of the observer and attempting
to infer something from his or her answers.
For that reason, we define physical
and perceptual parameters of sounds
differently and separately.9
Intensity is the physical measure of
sound amplitude. Loudness is the corresponding
perceptual magnitude; it is
arbitrarily defined with respect to a fixedfrequency
tone at a certain intensity. We
have no guarantee that two listeners will
say that any particular sound has the same
loudness; however, controlled experiments
have shown that observers agree
closely on whether one sound is twice as
loud as another. So the perception of
loudness may be scaled in an orderly way
from soft to loud.
Frequency is, of course, the physical
measure of cycles per second of a sound.
The corresponding perceptual measure is
known as pitch. This term is not to be
confused with the base frequency of a
person¡¯s voice. Pitch is to frequency as
loudness is to intensity.
Having separate perceptual measures
for sound characteristics might seem useless
at first, but research has shown that
loudness is not independent of frequency.
10 By now, it¡¯s fairly well-known
that human hearing is most sensitive to
frequencies in the range of 2-3 kHz. For
instance, a 2-kHz tone sounds louder than
a 500-Hz tone of the same intensity. Also,
pitch is not independent of intensity. You
may demonstrate that to yourself by turning
up the intensity on a pair of headphones
and comparing the pitch of what
you hear when they¡¯re on your head to
what you hear as you move them away.
Don¡¯t turn the intensity up too much,
though, because researchers have also
found that permanent hearing loss may
occur at intensity levels far below those
causing significant discomfort.11
Human hearing seems to have certain
thresholds that come into play during recognition
of speech, music and other
sounds. One important threshold of hearing
is the ability to tell whether one sound
is louder than another. In the presence of
multi-frequency or polyphonic sounds,
that threshold is influenced by how close
in frequency the sounds are. For example,
a quiet sound that is close in frequency
to a louder sound might not be audible at
all. Such masking is important in speech
coding because it implies that the number
of discrete intensities and frequencies
to be represented may be reduced.
Another threshold of hearing is the
ability to tell whether one sound is higher
or lower in frequency than another. Although
it¡¯s influenced by intensity, ex
periments generally find that threshold
increases as the frequencies of sounds increase.
In other words, it¡¯s harder to discern
subtle differences in frequency
among higher-frequency sounds. The significance
of that in speech coders is that
the number of discrete frequencies that
have to be represented may be reduced.12
Much of the energy in human speech
above 3 kHz is produced by sounds like
¡°p¡± and ¡°f,¡± which are inherently noisy.
It¡¯s therefore no surprise that our hearing
has not developed good frequency discernment
up there: Not much useful information
is contained in those frequencies.
There may be physical reasons for that as
well, but it¡¯s interesting that our ability to
understand speech closely matches our
ability to communicate verbally.13 For example:
The fastest talker can go about 300
wpm, which is about the limit of most listeners¡¯
comprehension.
Technical Goals of Digital Voice
Systems
All the above directly relates to our
desire and ability to reduce the data rate
of digital speech signals. Lower data rates
are good because they may be transmitted
in smaller bandwidths and recovered
with higher SNRs using narrower receiver
bandwidths. A definite trade-off exists,
though, between data rate and speech
quality. To illustrate what¡¯s possible, consider
the following example that draws on
several key concepts in speech coding.
Let¡¯s say we want to build a speech
coder¡ªfor a single language only¡ªthat
uses a bit rate approaching the minimum
possible bit rate. We may not know what
that minimum is, but we want to see if
we can find it. Let¡¯s also say that cost and
complexity aren¡¯t big concerns. Occupied
bandwidth is our chief concern; other
goals are secondary.
We decide to employ a speech-recognition
engine at the transmitter that identifies
individual words from the talker.
That¡¯s already being done with much success,
so it¡¯s not a big technical leap of
faith. We assume that a vocabulary of
about 65,000 words is enough to support
all the sentences the speaker is likely to
construct. Each word may then be represented
by a 16-bit code, since 65,000=216.
~
The speech-recognition engine looks up
a 16-bit code for each word and puts them
together into a serial bit stream. Ignoring
the requirements for synchronization,
pauses between words, error detection and
correction, a person talking at 150 wpm
generates data at a rate of (150 wpm)(16
bits/word)(1/60 minutes/second) = 40 bps.
Many languages have a heck of a lot more
words than just 65,000 and some people
might talk faster, but you get the idea.
Now that signal can be coded into an
analog format that occupies very little bandwidth.
The inverse process is employed at
the receiver, terminating in a speech synthesizer
that drives an audio power amplifier
and loudspeaker. See Figure 3.
What are the drawbacks of this scheme?
Well first of all, it¡¯s rather elaborate and
expensive. Secondly, the software has to
be different for each language supported.
You¡¯d have to know which language was
being used ahead of time to correctly decode
messages. Finally, the listener at the
receiver can¡¯t tell who is speaking unless
he or she reveals it; none of the speaker¡¯s
emotions or inflection is transmitted. The
listener can¡¯t tell if the person has a stuffy
nose or whether there are any other voices
or sounds in the background. Speech from
the decoder sounds robotic and it¡¯s difficult
to listen to; comprehension has been
sacrificed to some extent because of the
lack of important speech properties. The
conclusion is that we have reduced the bit
rate too much and traded off too many
important speech characteristics. The bit
rate must obviously be increased to improve
things. That brings us to some definitions
about what is acceptable for digital
speech in Amateur Radio. The following
restrictions ultimately determine the lower
bit-rate limit.
For Apollo astronauts or military personnel,
it¡¯s not always very important to
be able to tell who is speaking, so long as
the information is communicated. Amateur
Radio is a different story, because how
something is said and how it sounds is
sometimes as important as what¡¯s being
said. We may deduce, then, that digital
voice for hams must be of high quality so
that it¡¯s difficult to tell the speech was
coded.
Amateurs often work with signals near
the SNR limit of detection. In that regard,
digital voice systems need to perform at
least as well as existing analog formats to
become popular. Digital coding opens
some interesting possibilities for redundant
transmission, such as sending the data
many times and comparing data sets to
achieve a large measure of forward error
correction. Data transmission rates may
also be artificially slowed to aid reception,
then sped back up at the receiver after all
the data have been received. How that kind
of thing will affect phone contests and distance
records is open to speculation.
I suspect that many hams would like
to try digital voice without having to buy
a new transceiver. That means digital
voice systems may initially take the form
of external boxes that interface to existing
transceivers at the audio level. Such
boxes are already being developed.14
Aside from speech-quality goals, certain
other benefits may come to digital voice
users. The ability to embed certain iden
tifiers in a digital voice transmission provides
significant benefits. Transmissions
may be automatically identified as to
their source, destination, protocol, and
other parameters. As that kind of thing is
made possible, cellular and trunking systems
come within reach.
Is Digital Voice Legal on the Amateur
Bands? If So, What Frequencies
and Emissions May Be Used?
Part 97 of the FCC rules states that
phone signals¡ªwhether analog or digital¡ª
must remain in the phone subbands.
15 That¡¯s mainly a concern for the
eight HF bands where phone is used. In
the VHF bands above 10 meters, phone
is legal for US-licensed amateurs at all
allocated frequencies, with the exception
of 50-50.1, 144-144.1 and 219-220 MHz.
The rules also say that no transmission
¡°... shall occupy more bandwidth than
necessary for the information rate and
emission type being transmitted, in accordance
with good amateur practice.¡±16
That¡¯s purposefully vague: The Amateur
Radio Service is free to experiment with
almost any mode you can think of, as long
as it¡¯s not wasteful of bandwidth. You can
take it to mean that a digital voice transmission
should not occupy more than the
equivalent SSB transmission on congested
bands or the equivalent AM or FM
transmission on sparsely occupied bands,
such as 10 meters. While the symbol rate
(baud rate) of digital data transmissions
is limited on many US ham bands, the
baud rate of digital phone transmissions
is unlimited!17
What is the emission designator for
digital voice? Well, the first symbol of
an emission designator tells what modulation
format is being used. For an SSB
transmitter, that is letter ¡°J.¡± For an FM
mc-ref
Figure 3¡ªA digital speech system
occupying very little bandwidth in
transmission¡ªbut you have to know
what language is in use.
or PM transmitter, the letter is ¡°F¡± or ¡°G.¡±
The second symbol tells about the nature
of the modulating (baseband) signal. The
most likely situation in amateur operation
is the application of a modulated
audio signal to the input of a transmitter.
The symbol for that is numeral ¡°2.¡± The
third symbol tells about the type of information
being transmitted. That would
be letter ¡°E¡± for phone. So the most likely
emission designators for digital voice
would be J2E or F2E.
It may be weird to hear digital signals
on the phone bands and courtesy dictates
that operators explain¡ªusing analog
phone¡ªwhat¡¯s going on until general
understanding is reached on the use of
digital phone. The same kind of situation
occurs during HF slow-scan television
operation (SSTV, designator J3F) and it¡¯s
been handled admirably by practitioners.
Note that digital video is also perfectly
legal on the HF phone bands (designator
J2F), although it hasn¡¯t seen much use.
What is the State of the Art Now?
Where Does Amateur Radio Come In?
International bodies have drafted several
standards for audio codecs and modems;
many are seeing use on the Internet
and elsewhere.18 Work continues in commercial
and academic sectors, as well as
in Amateur Radio. Those efforts are making
it easier for more amateurs to get involved¡ª
and involved we are.
The ARRL is making a significant commitment
to digital voice and several other
developing technologies. Those technologies
relate to one another well; they reflect
global trends toward more effective
use of our radio communications spectrum.
They also represent excellent opportunities
for Amateur Radio to make significant
contributions to the advancement of the
communications art. The possibilities are
very exciting, since they may constitute
the next big changes in our service.
The FCC is very interested in amateur
work in this field. They recognize that the
Amateur Radio Service is an ideal place
for experimentation with and testing of
those concepts. Since we¡¯re a large and organized
force of dedicated communicators,
we belong at the forefront of their development.
That notion is alive and well.
Considerable work is already being
done by amateurs. A couple of years ago,
Charles Brain, G4GUO, and Andy Talbot,
G4JNT, started working with it. They
produced a system satisfying the technical
goals outlined above that was described
in a paper summarizing their
accomplishments (see Note 17). Tucson
Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) is producing
a kit of this digital voice codec that¡¯s
now available.19 It helps you to get started
in digital voice with a minimal invest-
January 2002 31
ment in time and hardware.
The system employs a digital speech
coding scheme known as advanced multiband
excitation coding (AMBE).20 Data
rates up to 9600 bps are supported and
the rate may be changed for experimentation.
Coupled to a suitable modem
and transceiver, it supports digital voice
operation in both half-duplex and fullduplex
modes. While AMBE is a complex
algorithm, the significant details of
its operation are in the public domain.
AMBE codecs provide high recovered
speech quality and they¡¯ve won spots in
some very prominent systems, including
Iridium and APCO 25. APCO 25 is a project
to provide reliable digital voice communications
to the public-service community.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Even with a digital voice codec in
hand, you¡¯re going to need a modem that
supports 2400-9600 bps: Many TNCs can
do it. Those rates are relatively easy to
achieve using audio frequency-shift keying
(AFSK) and audio phase-shift keying
(APSK) when 15 kHz or more of
bandwidth is available, such as at VHF
and above. Because of dispersive propagation
on HF, though, those rates are difficult
to sustain and some innovative
techniques must be employed. Therefore,
high-speed HF modem design is one area
that invites further work.
Some of us are working toward a single
DSP system for digital voice that incorporates
both the codec and the modem in
software or firmware. The work is being
undertaken on DSP development platforms
that have data-conversion hardware
(ADCs and DACs) included. Others have
suggested that fast PCs, equipped with
sound cards, might be capable of digital
voice operation meeting the goals outlined
above. That is another area ripe for experimentation.
Digital repeaters or ¡°digipeaters¡± may
be desirable on VHF and above to extend
the range of digital voice communications.
It might even be possible to build
digipeaters that simultaneously handle
more than one QSO.
Summary
I guess there¡¯s no going back now that
we¡¯ve identified and proven the benefits
of digital communications technology.
There may be other, as-yet-unidentified
fruits to harvest in the quest for practical
digital voice systems.
For more information about digital
voice, point your browser to www.arrl.
org/tis/info/digivoice.html and take a
look at some of the information and links
A Continuing Legacy of Innovation
Around the turn of the last century, experimenters began working with electromagnetic
waves. This gave birth to Amateur Radio and wireless communications
by a mode known as ¡°spark.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long for amateurs to find better and more efficient modes of communicating
via wireless. Spark soon gave way to CW, then to AM voice. As time
progressed, technology advanced and SSB brought spectral efficiency beyond the
capabilities of AM. While amateurs have utilized RTTY techniques for many years,
the explosion in interest did not occur until the computer became a popular tool in
amateur stations, spawning a variety of digital modes. Now, at the turn of another
century, it is time for us once again to lead the challenge for new modes in the
Amateur Radio Service.
Early in 2000, the ARRL Board of Directors unanimously approved a recommendation
from its Technology Task Force to create a Digital Voice Working
Group. The TTF¡¯s Technology Working Group had performed a survey of radio
amateurs throughout the world, seeking input on new technologies for the Amateur
Service. The survey revealed that digital voice was one of the top recommendations.
Subsequently, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, appointed a Digital
Voice Working Group with the objective of paving the road for digital voice to
become a reality in the Amateur Service.
For a new mode to be widely accepted, participation from a wide geographical
area must be sought. The working group involves radio amateurs knowledgeable in
relevant techniques from the United States and Europe, where significant digitalvoice
work in the Amateur Service has already been performed.
Under the guidance of this working group, many amateurs should soon be
enjoying yet another new mode of communication. Yet to come will be two additional
working groups with similar objective assignments: high-speed digital
networks and multimedia, and software-defined radio.
Moving from spark to CW and from AM to SSB were important events. The
next generation of changes should be equally outstanding. For those who say
nothing new comes from our Service anymore, and that the technology train
left the amateur station years ago, I say ¡°Listen up!¡± The interesting thing about
that train is that it always comes back to the station looking for new passengers,
and the Amateur Service has a long, continuing tradition of loading the train to
capacity each time!¡ªJoel Harrison, W5ZN, ARRL First Vice President, Chair,
Technology Task Force
provided there. Reports of the TTF, TWG
and DVC are available at www.arrl.org/
announce/reports-01/tt.html. League
comments on so-called ¡°software-defined
radios¡± may be found at www.arrl.org/
fcc/arrldocs/et-0047.pdf.
Doug Smith, KF6DX, a member of the engineering
staff of Ten-Tec Corporation,
serves as chair of the ARRL Digital Voice
Committee. He is also editor of QEX/
Communications Quarterly and author of
the DSP chapter of The ARRL Handbook
for Radio Amateurs. He can be reached
c/o ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; kf6dx@arrl.org.
Notes
1J. C. Bellamy, Digital Telephony, Wiley and
Sons, New York, 1982.
2A. V. Oppenheim and R. W. Schafer,
Digital Signal Processing, Prentice-Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1975.
3E. J. Nossen, ¡°The RCA VHF ranging system
for Apollo,¡± RCA Engineering, Vol 19, Dec
1973/Jan 1974.
4J. A. Greefkes and K. Riemens, ¡°Code Modulation
with Digitally Controlled Companding
for Speech Transmission,¡± Philips Technical
Review, 1970.
5G.721: Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation,
ITU, Geneva, Switzerland, 1984.
6H. Fletcher and W. A. Munson, ¡°Relation Between
Loudness and Masking,¡± Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America, Vol 9, 1937;
also see S. S. Stevens and H. W. Davis, Hearing,
Wiley and Sons, New York, 1938.
7L. R. Rabiner and R. W. Schafer, Digital Processing
of Speech Signals, Prentice-Hall,
1978.
8N. S. Jayant and P. Noll, Digital Coding of
Waveforms: Principles and Applications to
Speech and Video, Prentice-Hall, 1984.
9J. L. Hall, ¡°Auditory Psychophysics for Coding
Applications,¡± The Digital Signal Processing
Handbook, V. K. Madisetti and D. B. Williams,
Eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1998.
10B. Moore, An Introduction to the Psychology
of Hearing, Academic Press, London, 1989.
11C. M. Harris, Ed., Handbook of Acoustic Measurements
and Noise Control, McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1991.
12D. Smith, KF6DX, ¡°PTC: Perceptual Transform
Coding for Bandwidth Reduction of
Speech in the Analog Domain,¡± QEX/Communications
Quarterly; Part 1, May/June
2000; Part 2, Mar/Apr 2001. The article may
be found on ARRLWeb, www.arrl.org/tis/
info/digivoice.html.
13R. C. Stauffer, Ed., Charles Darwin¡¯s Natural
Selection, Cambridge University Press, 1987.
14The G4GUO digital voice codec is a prime
example. See Note 17 for more information.
1547 CFR 97.305.
1647 CFR 97.307(a).
17P. Rinaldo, W4RI, ¡°Is Digital Voice Permis
sible under Part 97?¡± sidebar to C. Brain,
G4GUO, and A. Talbot, G4JNT, ¡°Practical HF
Digital Voice,¡± QEX/Communications Quarterly,
May/Jun 2000. The article may be
found on ARRLWeb, www.arrl.org/tis/info/
digivoice.html. ¡°The Help Desk,¡± elsewhere
in this issue, contains an updated list of HF
band plans.
18See, for example, G.723.1, ITU.
19For details, visit the TAPR Web site, www.
tapr.org.
20Information and audio samples are available
at www.dvsinc.com.
32 January 2002
W1AW Levitates 120-foot Tower
By Rick Lindquist, N1RL
Senior Assistant Technical Editor
n1rl@arrl.org
September 1, 1998
The problem: The bottom section on the W1AW 120-foot tower is deteriorating and must be replaced. The solution: Lift up the tower, remove the old section,
and replace with a new one.
w1aw-asm
Rust is visible on the right hand tower leg.
"It's gotta come out of there!" Yes, it was a question of decay, but that wasn't our dentist talking. That was the verdict of W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia,
NJ1Q, on the bottom section of the station's 120-foot tower. The tower--the tallest of the four on site--is the one that makes possible the reliably strong
signal for W1AW bulletins and code practice transmissions. "One of the section legs is rusted out," Carcia said. "After 20-plus years, it just has to be
replaced."
Sounds simple enough until Carcia also mentions that the guyed tower will not be dropped to repair it. "They're gonna lift up the tower about an inch or
so," Carcia explained before the fact. The tower, comprised of Rohn 65 sections, weighs about 2 tons. It was this way or remove the antennas and take the
sections off one at a time "and take a week doing it," Carcia said.
A Bit of History
The tower was installed at W1AW back in April of 1977--at a time when the ARRL Headquarters expansion project was under way and a crane just happened to
be on site. Back in those days, HQ staff members did the job themselves. The crew consisted of Bob Myers, W1FBY, who designed the new tower and antenna
system, plus former staffers Jim Cain, K1TN, and Jay Rusgrove, WA1LNQ--and some last-minute help from current Executive Vice President Dave Sumner, K1ZZ.
One hurdle the original tower project had to overcome was the presence of the legendary W1AW wire rhombic. The crane had to lift the new tower over the
antenna, which was mounted on a sequence of utility-type poles. The rhombic is long gone, but the remnants of the cedar poles remain.
Don't Try This at Home
This job requires a crane--a very large crane. It is not for the faint-of-heart. Matt Strelow, KC1XX, of New Hampshire has maintained the W1AW towers for
a few years now. He agreed to take on this particular task as well, but he concedes that this particular approach is not especially common. In addition
to replacing the bottom section, the crew also would replace the guy cables.
Hear the Story!
Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
interviews
(RealAudio: 56 seconds) W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, who explains how the tower repair will be accomplished.
The weather cooperated on the appointed day--July 23--although it was quite hot and muggy. By the time the job was nearing completion, a thunderstorm was
well on its way. Because a W1AW qualifying run had been scheduled for that day, Carcia had installed a folded dipole in some nearby trees to sub for the
usual fixed monobander on the tower. Then, the crane in place, the tower crew set about preparing for the great tower levitation trick.
The crew moved quickly, setting up the new guy cables and then attaching the crane's harness at the top of the tower. Then came the moment of truth: The
crane operator applied just enough lift to pick up the entire tower and hold it approximately an inch off the base. Seeing the huge tower suspended just
above its base was a little eerie--almost like one of those David Copperfield tricks on TV.
Bolts on each tower leg were carefully removed. Then, the old section was swung away and lowered and the new section brought up to replace it. New bolts
were installed, the new guy wires deployed and tensioned, and the whole business was wrapped up within a few hours of starting. W1AW was back on its regular
40 and 20-meter antennas for the evening bulletin transmission.
Here's the camera's eye view of the entire procedure:
(Each image is a link to a larger copy of the photo.)
Table with 2 columns and 8 rows
w1aw-bsm
The crane truss is ready.
w1aw-csm
Andy Toth attaches new guy cables at the tower mid-point.
w1aw-dsm
At the very top of the tower, Andy completes the attachment of the lifting truss.
w1aw-esm
Andy and Matt make some guy adjustments on the ground.
w1aw-fsm
Sidewalk supervisors included ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ (l), and W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q.
w1aw-gsm
"
Hold it right there!" Matt hollers to the crane operator.
w1aw-hsm
The levitated tower.
w1aw-ism
Matt tackles a tough nut to remove the old bottom section.
w1aw-jsm
Matt removes the final bolt on the old section.
w1aw-ksm
The ground crew, Andy and Al Kinnon, KD1EA, swings the old section away.
w1aw-lsm
Matt is left momentarily twisting slowly in the wind.
w1aw-msm
The ground crew hoists the new section into place.
w1aw-nsm
With Matt's help from above, the ground crew jockeys the new section into position.
w1aw-osm
The ground crew fits the new section over the pier post at the tower base.
w1aw-psm
The ground crew aligns the new section.
w1aw-qsm
Matt bolts in the new section.
table end
Electric Fence Noise
A Step-By-Step Procedure
An electric fence can generate radio noise, even if it is in otherwise good working order. This noise is not normal however and it almost always can be
corrected. In many cases, this noise is caused by a portion of the fence that may fail as the spark causing the noise weakens the wire. Whenever noise
from an electric fence causes harmful interference to a licensed radio service, Part 15 of the FCC rules require the fence operator to correct the problem
or cease operation of the fence. Fortunately, in most cases, a little maintenance is all that is required. Let's now take a closer look at the problem
of unwanted radio noise from an electric fence, and ways to find and fix it.
Virtually all radio interference originating from an electric fence is caused by a spark or arcing across some fence related hardware. The noise can interfere
with radio and television reception and propagate for a considerable distance. In some cases, the noise can disrupt radio reception for a radius of over
a mile from the fence. The interference is most noticeable on an AM radio and typically heard as a "tick-tick-tick" sound. This is a somewhat unique characteristic
of electric fence noise.
Fortunately, correcting most of these problems is typically a relatively easy and simple process. Many cases can also be corrected at no cost. For example,
it is unlikely for the fence charger to be the culprit and require replacement. Troubleshooting electric fence noise typically involves locating the offending
spark gap and correcting it. Bad splices in the fence wire and gate hooks are two of the more common problems associated with electric fence noise.
Figure 1.
Figure 1 - Electric-fence controllers are not often a source of noise. It is more likely that electric-fence interference is caused by a problem on the
wire itself.
Vegetation can also be a problem. A typical scenario is results noise that will cyclically come and go. First, the weeds grow until they reach the height
of the fence. Once a plant makes contact, a short can occur and noise is generated. After a while, the plant burns back and breaks the connection. The
process doesn't repeat until the weed recovers and grows up to the fence again.
It is also possible for an insulator to go bad, and thereby allowing the fence to arc to one of the fence posts. This is more likely if the problem changes
with weather, either getting better or worse when it rains.
It is unlikely (but possible) that the problem is an arc or other defect inside the fence controller. Since most problems occur along the fence wire and
related hardware, the fence wire can act as an antenna and radiate the radio noise generated by the arc. A filter, such as a brute-force AC line filter,
will only help filter noise being conducted in to and radiated by the AC power lines. In the case of the fence however, such a line filter will unlikely
be of much if any help. The only solution in most cases is to find the source of the arc and correct the defect causing it.
Here is a step-by step approach to troubleshooting a noisy electric fence:
List of 12 items
1. Visually inspect the fence for obvious defects. Remove or cut back any problem vegetation and replace any broken hardware. Look for and take note of
potential problem areas such as splices, gate hooks, turnbuckles and similar hardware. Rust or corrosion at these points is often an indicator that the
splice or gate hook is making radio noise. In some cases you may be able to hear the spark by ear.
2. Confirm the presence of the noise with an AM battery powered portable radio. If you have one, a radio capable of receiving the aircraft band can also
be used. Because of its shorter wavelength, aircraft band frequencies can in some cases be used for troubleshooting purposes. The noise occurs in short
bursts in tempo with the fence charger.
3. Unplug the fence charger to verify the noise goes away. Also confirm the noise also goes away at the affected radio or television receivers -- especially
if your neighbor is involved. If it does not, there may be additional sources of noise causing the problem.
(Note: There are electric blankets and heated mattress pads that cause a pulsed noise, similar to an electric fence. Products made Perfect Fit generate
noise even when turned off. These devices must be unplugged from AC power in order to eliminate the noise.)
4. With the fence controller disconnected from AC power, remove the fence connection to it. Confirm the noise goes away. If it does not, you may have a
bad charger. A brute-force AC line-filter (1) may help in this case. If not, try replacing or using a different charger.
5. Again remove power to the fence charger. Add a short length of fence wire to the charger. Several feet should be adequate. Insulate the wire as appropriate
to ensure that arcing cannot occur. It must not come it contact or be near anything could result in an arc. Spare antenna insulators may serve temporary
duty for this test. Turn on the charger and confirm the noise does not return. If the short "fence" wire appears to radiate noise, you may need to replace
the fence charger. Fortunately, this is not a typical case.
6. Remove power to the charger and reconnect the fence wire. If there are multiple sections, connect one section at a time and turn on the charger. Make
note of which fence sections generate - and do not generate -- noise. This will help narrow down the search. Reconnect all portions of the fence and turn
on power.
7. Walk the perimeter of the fence while listening with the battery portable radio. If you have an aircraft band receiver with a telescoping antenna, use
the minimum length of antenna necessary to hear the noise. You may be able to further isolate the problem by carefully observing the signal strength of
the noise. It will increase as you approach the source. This is not always a reliable test with an AM broadcast receiver however.
8. Turn the radio level down and listen for faint audible sizzling at any and all suspect areas of the fence. Arcing may also be visible. (This may be especially
noticeable at night.) Splices and hardware, such as gate hooks, in fence sections known to be causing the noise require particular attention. Any areas
that look corroded, pitted or frequently fail are particularly suspect. (The spark can eat in to a conductor.) See Figures 2 and 3.
9. Remove power from the charger. Clean and resplice all areas of the fence identified in step 8. It is important to ensure good electrical contact in all
fence circuit connections. Gate hooks may require replacement but may be jumpered as a test or temporarily solution to the problem.
10. Restore power to the fence. If the noise does not go away, repeat steps 8 and 9 as required. As a last resort, try placing a jumper across all connections
with short clip leads. Identify problem areas by removing the jumpers one at a time until the nose returns. Turn off the fence each time you handle a jumper
in order to avoid risk of shock. Correct each problem area as soon as you find it. (Clip leads are short wires with alligator clips at each end. They are
available at Radio Shack.) Alternately, you can redo all splices after careful cleaning of the wire. Steel wool or a wire brush may be helpful for cleaning
connections.
11. Restore power to the fence charger and verify the noise is no longer present. If your neighbor is involved, be sure to have him or her check the affected
radio or television receiver.
12. Additional information may be obtained from the ARRL's Web page on
electric fence noise.
list end
Figure 2.
Figure 2 -- Gate hooks are a potential problem. They often become corroded where they contact the wire, resulting in an arc or spark. The result is a "spark"
transmitter, hooked up to the longwire "antenna" fence. The arc creates radio noise and ultimately wears there the wire -- a problem for the fence owner
as well as anyone affected by the radio noise.
Figure 3.
Figure 3 -- Splices can also create problems, especially if they are between two different types of wire. Splices should be mechanically secure, lessening
the likelihood of poor contact, sparking and wire failure.
Notes:
List of 2 items
1. A "brute-force" AC line filters can help eliminate a radio signal from getting to and being radiated by power-lines. While this is rarely the problem,
it may help in some cases.
2. If the device draws less than 300 watts (about 2.5 A), try using a Radio Shack catalog #15-1111. If not, some of the filters sold by Industrial Communications
Engineers can handle higher current. More information is available
on line.
list end
ORDINANCE NO. 2001-22
TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD IN THE COUNTY OF BURLINGTON
AMENDING THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE BY AMENDING
CHAPTER 203 “DEFINITIONS”, CHAPTER 531 “AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS”, AND CHAPTER
604.A
“HEIGHT LIMITATIONS” TO GOVERN AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNAS AND ANTENNA SUPPORT STRUCTURES WHOSE HEIGHTS EXCEED PREVAILING ZONING ORDINANCE LIMITS.
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America (“FCC”) has issued
and Order declaring a limited preemption over local regulation of amateur radio antenna facilities (known
as “FCC Order PRB-1”) appearing at 101 FCC 2d 952; 50 Fed. Reg. At 38813-38816 (1985)), the policy of
which limited preemption is to require that amateur radio communications be reasonably accommodated by
local regulation and to preempt local land use regulations which unduly restrict effective amateur radio
communications beyond the minimal practical regulation appropriate to accomplish the local authority’s
legitimate purpose and
WHEREAS, in compliance with FCC Order PRB-1 the Township Council intends for the provisions of this
Ordinance to accommodate reasonably such amateur radio communication as may be within the
jurisdiction of the Township, and that to that end, to authorize the Planning Board of the Township to
conduct reviews and impose such specific conditions on construction as the Planning Board in its discretion
deems proper under the terms of this Ordinance and the then existing preemption policy of the FCC; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board shall be both bound and instructed by the promulgated limited preemption
policy of the FCC, including FCC Order PRB-1, and other and future such FCC orders, ruling and
applicable pronouncements of policy; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Township Council of the Township of Medford in the County of Burlington,
that:
SECTION ONE. The Medford Township Land Development Ordinance, together with all amendments
and supplements thereto, shall be and hereby is amended as follows:
A.
The following definitions are added to Section 203, where appropriate:
Amateur Radio Antenna are the arrangement of wires or metal rods used in the sending and receiving of
electro-magnetic waves.
Amateur Radio Station is a radio station operated in the Amateur Radio Service under license by the
Federal Communications Commission.
Amateur Radio Antenna Support Structure is any structure, mast, pole, tripod or tower utilized for the
purpose of supporting an antenna or antennas for the purpose of transmission or reception of electromagnetic
waves (by Federally licensed amateur radio operators).
B.
The following section shall be created and added to the Land Development Ordinance, at Section 531:
Section 531. Amateur Radio Antennas and Antenna Support Structures.
1.
Antenna support structures of amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission may, as a right, have a height not exceeding one
hundred (100) feet above grade, subject to the provisions of this Section. The height shall be measured vertically and shall include the height to any
building upon which the antenna support structure is mounted. Every antenna and antenna support structure shall be located in conformity with this Section,
as same may be amended and
supplemented, and, in any case, to the rear of the front line (or extended front line) of the main
building on the same lot. In addition, no antenna support structure or antenna shall be located between
any principal building and the street line. Every antenna and antenna support structure shall be set
back at least twenty feet (20’) from side and read property lines. In order to obtain a building permit
for the structure, the applicant shall provide a copy of his or her valid Federal Amateur Radio
Operating License.
2.
Antenna may be located above the antenna support structure as reasonably necessary for effective radio communications.
3.
Where the height of the antenna support structure is to exceed the height otherwise permitted in a district, the Planning Board shall review the site plan,
including detail of proposed structures and such other information as may be submitted by the applicant to the Building Inspector, and may impose reasonable
conditions on the proposed construction necessary to protect public health and safety and to serve the purposes of the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A.
40:550-1, et seq., as amended and supplemented) and other applicable law including, to the extent permitted by law, the protection and promotion of aesthetic
interests. The Planning Board shall afford the public an opportunity to be heard as part of the review process, upon such notice to be given as the Planning
Board deems appropriate.
4.
Any existing antenna support structures accommodating only amateur radio communication that were previously approved by permit or variance approval is hereby
permitted under this ordinance as a grandfathered use.
5.
Upon the FCC-licensed operator’s cessation of ownership or leasehold rights in the subject antenna support structures, or upon the loss of his or her Federal
amateur radio operator’s license (whichever shall occur earlier), the operator shall forthwith (but in no case later than 30 days after written notice
to the operator and to the owner of record of the subject lot if known, or if not known, then to the assessed owner, sent by certified mail, return receipt
requested) safely remove all antenna support structures at no expense to the Township.
6.
In the event said operator shall fail during said 30-day period to remove the antenna support structures pursuant to subsection 4 above, it shall be the
duty, responsibility and obligation of the owner of the subject lot upon which any or all of such antenna support structures are located, to remove such
structures forthwith at no expense to the Township.
7.
Nothing set forth herein shall exempt or excuse anyone from compliance with requirements of applicable provisions of the Uniform Construction Code, other
codes, all general law, and other Township ordinances.
C.
The following revisions are made to the end of Section 604.A:
…tower or structure, except in the case of amateur radio antenna support structures which may be located
on a lot in accordance with Section 531 of this Ordinance.
SECTION TWO. In all other respects said Medford Township Land Development Ordinance, as amended
and supplemented, shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION THREE. All other ordinances and parts of ordinances, and resolutions, insofar as they are
inconsistent with any of the terms and provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed to the extent of
such inconsistency only.
SECTION FOUR. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, term, provision or port of this
Ordinance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or inoperative, such
judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation
to the section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, term, provision of part thereof directly involved in the
controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
SECTION FIVE. This Ordinance shall take effect on the earliest date allowed by law following final
passage, adoption and publication, in accordance with the law.
Make Your Own "Rubber Duckies"
Not the bathtub kind . . . the kind you stick on an H-T. For a few dollars and a couple of
hours of fun, you can roll your own 2-meter rubber duckies that will likely perform better
than many commercial units.
By Paul Stump, N0LRF
Getting all the ducks in a row. Here are three homemade duckies shown for physical comparison.
Has the dog chewed up...a car door snapped off...or you simply can’t find that H-T antenna? Not to worry! You can build a
replacement antenna that delivers a lower SWR and more RF output than the one that came with your radio—and you can do it for
$10 or less and a couple of hours of fun! Let me tell you how....
This design is based on using a maximum applied RF power of 5 W at 144 to 148 MHz. The title photo shows three completed
homemade rubber duckies. Figure 1 shows the antenna cross-sections and part dimensions listed in the bill of materials. All
materials are readily available, if not from your junk box, then from Digi-Key, Radio Shack or your local hardware store. [1]
March QST: Make Your Own 'Rubber Duckies' - Page 1
ARRL1998 QST/QEX/NCJCD C i ht(C) 1999b Th A i R di R l L I
Figure 1—Making a replacement H-T antenna is relatively simple. The details show the dimensions and cross-sections of
the coil form (A), whip (B), and the initial and finished stages of antennas (C) made with three types of BNC connectors:
standard, crimped and molded.
1—Male BNC connector equipped with 1/4 inch length of RG-58 coax
1—3/8 inch OD ×
×××× 3/16 inch ID coil form made from water-faucet tubing, CPVC or cross-linked polyethylene; available at
hardware stores.
1—Tip cap, screw protector (Serv-A-Lite #10SP)
1—18-inch length of #24 AWG solid, insulated hook-up wire, or equivalent
1—Assorted heat-shrink tubing (Radio Shack 278-1627B or equivalent)
1—3-inch whip; modified RG-58 coax
1—Glue, CCA, "super" Hot Stuff Super T, or equivalent (available at hobby stores).
Initial Assembly
Refer to Figure 1. Prepare a 3/8 inch OD × 3/16 inch ID coil form from water-faucet tubing, CPVC or cross-linked polyethylene (all
available at hardware outlets) as shown. Use a sharp utility knife to cut the tubing. Deburr the holes and edges. Optionally, bevel the
top edge of the form. [2]
If you’re starting with a bare BNC connector, insert a short piece of coax into the connector. Cut the coax at a distance of 1/4-inch
from the rear of the connector. Remove the coax outer jacket and shield at the end of the plug, leaving 1/4 inch of center conductor
and insulator. Hold the inner conductor and insulation with needle-nose pliers (otherwise, the center insulator can pull out with the
stripping action), then strip and tin the center conductor to a 1/8 inch length.
Insert one end of a length of #24 wire through the bottom coil-form hole and route it out the end of the form. Solder the wire end
to the coaxial cable’s center conductor. Slide the form onto the rear of the BNC connector and "super" glue the form to the plug as
shown in Figure 1. [3] Allow the assembly to dry for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the whip.
Take a three-inch length of RG-58 coaxial cable. Using a small screwdriver, remove (push out) the coax center conductor and its
insulator. Pinch one end of the jacket and shield. Grab the shield with long-nose pliers and remove it. Place the outer jacket over the
center insulator and conductor. Strip and tin the center conductor at one end. Add enough layers of heat-shrink tubing at the base of
the whip to provide a snug fit inside the coil form. [4]
March QST: Make Your Own 'Rubber Duckies' - Page 2
ARRL1998 QST/QEX/NCJCD C i ht(C) 1999b Th A i R di R l L I
Wind 11 turns of wire around the coil form, keeping the turns snug. Pass the free end of the wire through the upper hole in the
form, then outside, and pull the wire snug. Trim the wire about 1/4 inch from the end of the coil form. Strip and tin the wire end.
Solder the whip to the coil-wire end. Gently feed the connection into the coil form with needle-nose pliers. While doing this, hold the
upper turns of the coil against the form and create a loop of wire inside the form as shown in Figure 1. Insert the lower 1/4 inch of
the whip inside the upper end of the coil form.
Final Assembly
For optimal performance, use a VHF SWR/power meter and a field-strength meter to tune the antenna. If you don’t, your
homemade antenna may still work at least as well as the factory antenna. I used a Diawa Model CN-101L meter and a
"homebrewed" multimeter/field-strength meter positioned about eight feet away from the transceiver. Connect your new antenna to
the SWR/power meter using the proper combination of connectors. (A right-angle SO-239 adapter and a PL-259-to-female BNC
adapter worked for me.)
Connect an external power source to your H-T (to avoid battery sag). Attach the radio’s antenna output to the SWR meter’s
transmitter input with a three-foot (or shorter) length of coaxial cable. Attach your homemade antenna to the SWR meter’s antenna
port. Select a transmitter power setting of no more than 5 W. Choose a simplex frequency of 146.0 MHz and check the antenna’s
SWR and field strength.
Adjust the field-strength meter’s location and its antenna for a mid-scale reading. (Now’s a good time to commit adjacent radio
channels to the H-T’s memory: 145.00, 146.00, 147.00 and 147.90 for testing purposes.)
Connect your commercial rubber ducky to the SWR/power meter and check the antenna’s performance on all five frequencies;
log your measurements. Those are the numbers you’re going to beat. We’re looking for minimum SWR, maximum power and
maximum field strength. Don’t move any of the equipment and always key the H-T while standing in the same position (you act as a
ground reflector).
Now, attach your homemade antenna to the SWR meter. Check the antenna’s SWR and field strength. [5] Gently adjust the
vertical position of the whip until there is an improvement in the readings. Try squeezing the coil turns closer to each other. Continue
making adjustments until the readings are optimized. Once you are satisfied, run a bead of glue around the base of the whip. Place
a length of 1/2-inch-diameter heat-shrink tubing over the coil, overlapping both ends of the coil form. Don’t heat the tubing yet.
Recheck the SWR and field-strength readings. I found that the addition of the shrink tubing increased the electrical length of the
antenna and therefore, lowered the antenna’s resonant frequency. If that’s so, carefully trim the whip length in 1/16-inch increments
until the antenna is resonant at the desired center frequency (see Note 2). My antennas generally required two 1/16-inch trim
attempts to resonate them at 146.0 MHz.
Using a heat gun, hair dryer or a match, shrink the tubing while rotating the antenna. Recheck the SWR and field-strength
readings at 145.0, 146.0, 147.0 and 147.9 MHz. If the antenna resonates below 146.0 MHz, clip a little more off the whip. If the
antenna is resonant above 146.0 MHz, you’ll either have to live with it, or try to pull the whip a bit out of the coil. If the antenna is still
too short, you can carefully remove the shrink tubing with a razor or knife and make a new, longer whip. (You’ve got extra materials,
don’t you?)
Next, install the tip cap (which will slightly lower the resonant frequency). Recheck readings and trim the whip, if necessary.
Finally, open the beverage of your choice and admire your work!
Acknowledgments
I thank GARMIN International for allowing the use of their test equipment; Bruce Stucky, NK0Z, for directing the antenna tests,
his proofreading skills and constructive criticism; Sheldon Wheaton, KC0CW, for his technical critiques and encouragement and my
wife, Carla Stump, who encouraged me and tolerates my R&D time.
Paul Stump, N0LRF, was first licensed in 1964 as WN0JWS at the age of 13. He upgraded to Technician in 1966, as WA0JWS.
After years of radio inactivity and license expiration, he started all over again in 1990, as N0LRF, working up to Advanced class that
year.
Paul’s primary Amateur Radio interests now include APRS to send weather data and to track himself and others, and HF phone.
He’s worked in the aerospace, navigational, communication businesses for the past 14 years. Paul is employed by GARMIN
International in mechanical engineering. He’s a charter member of the Kansas City APRS Working Group (KCAWG) at
http://www.kcaprs.org. You can contact Paul at 3575 Hwy 68, Ottawa, KS 66067, e-mail n0lrf@amsat.org; his home-page
March QST: Make Your Own 'Rubber Duckies' - Page 3
ARRL1998 QST/QEX/NCJCD C i ht(C) 1999b Th A i R di R l L I
address is http://www.ott.net/~n0lrf/.
March QST: Make Your Own 'Rubber Duckies' - Page 4
ARRL1998 QST/QEX/NCJCD C i ht(C) 1999b Th A i R di R l L I
THE HELP DESK
The Art of Soldering
Soldering is used in nearly every phase of electronic construction.
A soldering tool must be hot enough to do the job
and lightweight enough for agility and comfort. A 100-W soldering
gun is overkill for printed-circuit work, for example. A
temperature-controlled iron works well, although the cost is
not justified for occasional projects. Get an iron with a small
conical or chisel tip.
You may need an assortment of soldering irons to do a wide
variety of soldering tasks. They range in size from a small
25-W iron for delicate printed-circuit work to larger 100 to
300-W sizes used to solder large surfaces. Several manufacturers
also sell soldering guns. Small “pencil” butane torches
are also available, with optional soldering-iron tips.
Keep soldering tools in good condition by keeping the tips
well tinned with solder. Do not run them at full temperature
for long periods when not in use. After each period of use,
remove the tip and clean off any scale that may have accumulated.
Clean an oxidized tip by dipping the hot tip in sal ammoniac
(ammonium chloride) and then wiping it clean with a
rag. Sal ammoniac is somewhat corrosive, so if you don’t wipe
the tip thoroughly, it can contaminate electronic soldering.
If a copper tip becomes pitted, file it smooth and bright and
then tin it immediately with solder. Modern soldering iron tips
are nickel or iron clad and should not be filed.
The secret of good soldering is to use the right amount of
heat. Many people who have not soldered before use too little
heat, dabbing at the joint to be soldered and making little solder
blobs that cause unintended short circuits.
The secret of good soldering is to use the right
amount of heat. Many people who have not
soldered before use too little heat, dabbing at
the joint to be soldered and making little solder
blobs that cause unintended short circuits.
Solders have different melting points, depending on the ratio
of tin to lead. Tin melts at 450° F and lead at 621° F. Solder
made from 63% tin and 37% lead melts at 361° F, the lowest
melting point for a tin and lead mixture. Called 63-37 (or eutectic),
this type of solder also provides the most rapid solidto-
liquid transition and the best stress resistance.
Solders made with different lead/tin ratios have a plastic
state at some temperatures. If the solder is deformed while it
is in the plastic state, the deformation remains when the solder
freezes into the solid state. Any stress or motion applied
to “plastic solder” causes a poor solder joint.
Never use acid-core solder for electrical work. It should be
used only for plumbing or chassis work. For circuit construction,
only use fluxes or solder-flux combinations that are
labeled for electronic soldering.
The resin or the acid is a flux. Flux removes oxide by
suspending it in solution and floating it to the top. Flux is not
a cleaning agent! Always clean the work before soldering. Flux
is not a part of a soldered connection—it merely aids the soldering
process. After soldering, remove any remaining flux.
Resin flux can be removed with isopropyl or denatured alcohol.
A cotton swab is a good tool for applying the alcohol and
scrubbing the excess flux away. Commercial flux-removal
sprays are available at most electronic-part distributors.
The two key factors in quality soldering are time and temperature.
Generally, rapid heating is desired, although most
unsuccessful solder jobs fail because insufficient heat has been
applied. Be careful; if heat is applied too long, the components
or PC board can be damaged, the flux may be used up
and surface oxidation can become a problem. The solderingiron
tip should be hot enough to readily melt the solder without
burning, charring or discoloring components, PC boards
or wires. Usually, a tip temperature about 100° F above the
solder melting point is about right for mounting components
on PC boards. Also, use solder that is sized appropriately for
the job. As the cross section of the solder decreases, so does
the amount of heat required to melt it. Diameters from 0.025
to 0.040 inches are good for nearly all circuit wiring.
Here’s how to make a good solder joint. This description
assumes that solder with a flux core is used to solder a typical
PC board connection such as an IC pin.
4 Prepare the joint. Clean all conductors thoroughly with
fine steel wool or a plastic scrubbing pad. Do the circuit board
at the beginning of assembly and individual parts such as resistors
and capacitors immediately before soldering. Some
parts (such as ICs and surface-mount components) cannot be
easily cleaned; don’t worry unless they’re exceptionally dirty.
4 Prepare the tool. It should be hot enough to melt solder
applied to its tip quickly (half a second when dry, instantly
when wet with solder). Apply a little solder directly to the tip
so that the surface is shiny. This process is called “tinning”
the tool. The solder coating helps conduct heat from the tip to
the joint.
4 Place the tip in contact with one side of the joint. If you
can place the tip on the underside of the joint, do so. With the
tool below the joint, convection helps transfer heat to the joint.
4 Place the solder against the joint directly opposite the soldering
tool. It should melt within a second for normal PC connections,
within two seconds for most other connections. If it
takes longer to melt, there is not enough heat for the job at hand.
4 Keep the tool against the joint until the solder flows
freely throughout the joint. When it flows freely, solder tends
to form concave shapes between the conductors. With insufficient
heat solder does not flow freely; it forms convex shapes—
blobs. Once solder shape changes from convex to concave,
remove the tool from the joint.
4 Let the joint cool without movement at room temperature.
It usually takes no more than a few seconds. If the joint
is moved before it is cool, it may take on a dull, satin look that
is characteristic of a “cold” solder joint. Reheat cold joints
until the solder flows freely and hold them still until cool.
4 When the iron is set aside, or if it loses its shiny appearance,
wipe away any dirt with a wet cloth or sponge. If it
remains dull after cleaning, tin it again.
4 Soldering equipment gets hot! Be careful. Treat a
soldering burn as you would any other. Handling lead or
breathing soldering fumes is also hazardous. Observe these
precautions to protect yourself and others:
4 Properly ventilate the work area. If you can smell fumes,
you are breathing them.
4 Wash your hands after soldering, especially before handling
food.
4 Minimize direct contact with flux and flux solvents.
From February 2001 QST © ARRL
Discover the Magic
Of
HF Radio
By Norm Fusaro, W3IZ
HF is FUN
With a 100 watt transceiver and a simple wire antenna you
can start to communicate and make friends with other hams
all over the country or the world.
HF is different than FM repeaters.
No “machine” or infrastructure is used.
Allows communication beyond line of sight. Contacts
are generally a couple of hundred miles to over several
thousand miles.
Propagation is strongly effected by solar activity.
Several communication modes are available to use.
SSB, CW, RTTY, SSTV, Digital, AM
When most people hear the term “ham radio” they
generally think of HF or shortwave and long distance
communications.
HF stands for HIGH FREQUENCY
These are the frequencies from 1.8* to 30 MHz or the 160
meter to 10 meter bands.
HF is also known as shortwave
.
*160m is actually a Mid Frequency (MF) band but it is
included in the Amateur HF bands for ease of discussion.
The sun charges particles (ions) in the upper atmosphere. Radio
waves change direction when they enter the ionosphere.
The Layers of the Ionosphere
NVIS - Radio Waves that take off at very high angles are
reflected straight back to Earth.
The gray line or terminator is a transition region between daylight
and darkness. One side of the Earth is coming into sunrise, and the
other is just past sunset.
Building a Station
There are basically two main components involved:
list of 1 items
list of 1 items nesting level 1
list of 1 items nesting level 2
1.A 100 watt Transceiver and
list end nesting level 2
list end nesting level 1
list end
2.An antenna system. The antenna system consists of the radiator,
feedline and matching network.
Transceivers
What makes a good radio?
list of 1 items
·Scanning, memories and other “bells & whistles” are not
the important features that
make a good HF rig.
list end
·The receiver’s ability to hear weak signals and separate the incoming signals are
what makes a good HF rig.
·The numbers to look at when selecting a transceiver are:
list of 1 items
1.sensitivity
(ability to hear signals) and
list end
2.selectivity
(ability to distinguish signals)
Remember, you can’t work them if you can’t hear them.
Physical Safety
NEVER attempt to erect antennas near powerlines.
You will be killed.
Antennas
An antenna system consists of:
list of 1 items
list of 1 items nesting level 1
1.The antenna or radiator
list end nesting level 1
list end
2.The feedline
3.The matching network or tuner
SWR
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·A good SWR is not an indicator of an effective antenna system.
list end
·Think of a dummy load; it has a good SWR but it is not an effective antenna.
The dipole
list of 1 items
·The dipole is the simplest antenna that any amateur can use on HF.
list end
·Whether fed with coax or open wire, dipoles are cheap and easy to build and install.
·A dipole can be made for a single band. The total length of the antenna can be
calculated by using the formula:
468 ÷ freq (MHz) = length in feet
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·Each side, or leg, of the dipole is going to be one half of the total length.
list end
·Fed with 50 or 75 ohm coax, this antenna will be resonant on a single band that it
was cut for.
·A dipole fed with balanced line (twin lead) and a matching network can be used on
multiple bands.
468f (MHz)
FeedlineThe DipoleRadiator, Feedline and
matching networkmatching
network
It is not necessary to install dipoles in a
horizontal straight line.
Inverted “VEE”
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Sloping Dipole or “Sloper”
Beams
list of 1 items
·The tri-band Yagi or beam antenna is popular among a lot of HF operators.
list end
·A modest 3 element model at heights as low as 40 ft can greatly improve your
signal.
·Many hams have earned their DXCC award using a small tri-band beam and 100
watts of power.
Three Element Tri-band Yagi
Physical Safety
NEVER attempt to erect antennas near powerlines.
You will be killed.
Vertical Antennas
list of 1 items
·It is recommended that you read about vertical antennas in the ARRL Antenna
Book before installing one.
list end
·Many hams new to HF can become disappointed by vertical antennas because they
don’t understand how they work or listen to myths about them.
·Once you read and understand about vertical antennas you will find that they are
excellent low angle radiators and are great for DXing. A lot of big gun stations
have verticals in their arsenal of antennas.
•Vertical antennas are
excellent low angle
radiators.
•Ground mounted
verticals require an
extensive radial
system.
•Elevated mono-band
verticals only require 4
radials to be effective.
Physical Safety
NEVER attempt to erect antennas near powerlines.
You will be killed.
Station Grounding
Matching Networks
list of 1 items
·The terms antenna tuner, match box, Transmatch and antenna coupler, are all
synonyms for a matching network.
list end
·A matching network is a combination of inductance and capacitance used to cancel
out unwanted reactance to better couple the transmitter power to the antenna.
·The matching network provides an efficient transfer of power from the transceiver
to the antenna.
·The use of a matching network to achieve low SWR does not make a poor antenna
radiate better.
“L” Network
Pi Network
“T” Network
Keeping a Log Book
(From the ARRL Handbook)
At one time, keeping a log of your contacts was an FCC requirement. The FCC has
dropped this equirement in recent years, but many amateurs, both new and old, still keep
logs.
Why Keep a Log?
If keeping a log is optional, why do it? Some of the more important reasons for keeping a
log include:
Legal protection — If you can show a complete log of your activity, it can help you deal
with interference complaints. Good recordkeeping can help you protect yourself if you are
ever accused of intentional interference, or have a problem with unauthorized use of your
call sign.
Awards tracking — A log helps you keep track of contacts required for DXCC, WAS, or
other awards. Keeping a log lets you quickly see how well you are progressing toward your
goal.
An operating diary — A log book is a good place for recording general information about
your station. You may be able to tell just how well that new antenna is working compared
to the old one by comparing recent QSOs with older contacts. The log book is also a logical
place to record new acquisitions (complete with serial numbers in case your gear is ever
stolen). You can also record other events, such as the names and calls of visiting operators,
license upgrades, or contests, in your log.
Paper and Computer Logs
Many hams, even those with computers, choose to keep their logs on paper. Paper logs still
offer several advantages (such as flexibility) and do not require power. Paper logs also
survive hard-drive crashes!
Preprinted log sheets are available, or you can create your own. Computers with word
processing and publishing software let you create customized log sheets in no time. On the
other hand, computer logs offer many advantages to the serious contester or DXer. For
example, the computer can search a log and instantly tell you whether you need a particular
station for DXCC. Contesters use computer logs in place of dupe sheets to weed out
duplicate contacts before they happen, saving valuable time. Computer logs can also tell
you at a glance how far along you are toward certain awards. Computer logging programs
are available from commercial vendors. Some programs may be available as shareware
(you can download it from a website and pay for the program if you like the way it works).
If you can program your computer, you can also create your own custom logging program,
and then give it to your friends or even sell it!
QSLing
(From the ARRL Handbook)
A QSL card (or just “QSL”) is an Amateur Radio tradition. QSL cards are nearly as old as
Amateur Radio itself, and the practice has spread so that short-wave listeners (SWLs) can
get cards from shortwave and
AM broadcast stations. Most amateurs have printed QSL cards. QSL card printers usually
have several standard layouts from which to choose. Some offer customized designs at
extra cost. If you are just starting out, or anticipate changing your call sign (just think, you
could get a call like “KC4WZK”), you may want to purchase a pack of “generic” QSL
cards available from many ham stores and mail-order outlets.
Filling Out Your Cards
QSL cards must have certain information for them to be usable for award qualification. At
a minimum, the card must have:
• Your call sign, street address, city, state or province and country. This
information should be preprinted on one side of your QSL card.
• The call of the station worked.
• The date and time (in UTC) of the contact.
• The signal report.
• The band and mode used for the contact.
Awards for VHF and UHF operations may also require the grid locator (or “grid square”)
in which your station is located. Current practice is to include your 6-digit grid square on
your QSL card even if you have no plans to operate VHF and UHF, since some HF
competitions and awards require your grid square designator.
Many hams provide additional information on their QSL cards such as the equipment and
antennas used during the contact, power levels, former calls and friendly comments.
Sending and Receiving Domestic QSLs
Although most QSL cards can be sent as post cards within the United States, usually saving
some postage costs, post card style QSL cards often arrive with multiple cancellations and
other unintended markings that can obscure or obliterate the printed and written
information. It is best to send all QSL cards in a protective envelope. Back when postage
was cheap, you could send out 100 post cards for a few dollars and domestic stations would
send QSLs as a matter of course. Currently, if you really need a particular QSL, it is best to
send a selfaddressed stamped envelope along with your card. QSLing for DX stations is
somewhat more involved and is discussed elsewhere in this chapter.
How-to’s of DXCC — Direct QSLs and
DX Bureaus
Since DX stations are often inundated with QSL cards (and QSL requests) from US hams,
it is financially impossible for most of them to pay for the return postage. Hams have hit
upon several ways to lighten the load on popular DX stations.
The fastest, but most expensive, way to get QSL cards is the direct approach. You send
your QSL card, with one or two International Reply Coupons (IRCs) or one or two dollars
and a self-addressed airmail envelope to the DX station. International Reply Coupons are
available from your local post office and can be used nearly anywhere in the world for
return postage. Some DX hams prefer that you send one or two “green stamps” (dollar
bills) because they can be used to defray posting, printing and other expenses. However, it
is illegal in some countries to possess foreign currency. If you’re not sure, ask the DX
station or check DX bulletins available on the DX Cluster System, accessible by either
packet radio or Telnet.
Many DX hams have recruited QSL managers, hams who handle the QSL chores of one or
more DX stations. QSL managers are convenient for everyone. The DX station need only
send batches of blank cards and a copy of the logs; hams wanting that station’s card need
only send a First Class stamp for US return postage and can expect a prompt reply. (In the
case of QSL managers located outside the United States, you must still send IRCs (or
dollars) and a self-addressed return envelope.)
The easiest (and slowest) way to send and receive large batches of QSL cards is through
the incoming and outgoing QSL bureaus. The outgoing bureau is available to ARRL
members. The incoming bureaus are available to all amateurs. Bureau instructions and
addresses are printed periodically in QST; they appear in the ARRL Operating Manual, and
they are available from ARRL Headquarters for an SASE.
Alternatively, you can submit your QSO log electronically to ARRL’s Logbook of The
World. All submissions are free; you only pay when you “redeem” your QSO credits for an
award, such as DXCC. Once you are signed up as a Logbook user, you can submit new
contact records whenever you wish. Your contacts will be matched against the logs of other
Logbook users. Whenever a match occurs, you receive instant credit for the contact. You
can learn more about Logbook of The World by visiting its Web site at
www.arrl.org/lotw/
QSL Card
Some Common Controls Found On
Amateur Radio Transceivers.
The placement of the controls may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or on various
models from the same manufacturer, however, the basic controls perform the same
functions on all radios.
list of 1 items
1.VFO – This is the main tuning knob used to tune in a station. This tunes your
transmit and receive frequency and is shown on the MAIN DISPLAY.
list end
2.METER- The meter in most radios is a multi function meter and shows a lot of
information. Use this like the speedometer in your car; don’t stare at it,
but glance at it to make sure all things are proper.
list of 1 items
·“S” or Signal strength – This indicates the relative strength of a
received signal on a scale of 1 through 9.
list end
·RF POWER – This shows how much power the transmitter is
putting out. MAX is good
·SWR – This shows the Standing Wave Ratio of the antenna or how
much power is being reflected back to the radio. MIN is good.
·ALC – This shows the condition of the Automatic Limiting Control
circuitry. You want to make sure that you are not overdriving your
transmitter. A good reading is when the peaks top the scale and stay
within the range marked on the meter scale.
list of 1 items
3.AF (gain) – This is the VOLUME control for the receiver. Audio Frequency
gain.
list end
list of 1 items
4.RF GAIN – This adjust the gain of the receiver amplifier circuits. It allows you
to make these circuits less sensitive so that you can dampen
really strong signals.
list end
It is normal to see the S METER rise as you decrease the gain of the
receiver by adjusting the RF GAIN.
list of 1 items
5.MIC GAIN- This control the loudness of the microphone in any voice mode. It
is best to adjust this for a good “in range” reading on the
ALC meter.
list end
list of 1 items
6.MODE – This allows you to choose the mode of operation.
list end
CW – Continuous Wave (Morse code)
USB – Upper Sideband
LSB – Lower Sideband
RTTY – Radio Teletype (Also FSK – Frequency Shift Keying)
PKT – Packet (Also AFSK – Audio Frequency Shift Keying)
FM – Frequency Modulation
list of 1 items
7.RIT – This stands for Receive Incremental Tuning and is used to fine tune a
station you are listening to without changing your transmit frequency. It is
sometimes called a Clarifier.
list end
list of 1 items
8.XIT- This is similar to RIT but it adjust your transmit frequency. It is Transmit
Incremental Tuning.
list end
list of 1 items
9.RF PWR – Adjust the amount of transmitter power.
list end
list of 1 items
10.IF SHIFT- This shifts the center of the receiver’s pass band. It allows you to
avoid a signal that is close to yours by not letting it in the
window of the receiver’s pass band.
list end
list of 1 items
11.NOTCH – This is another good filter for reducing nearby interference. Unlike a
window, it acts like a cover and blocks the signal that is in your
window.
list end
list of 1 items
12.DSP – Digital Signal Processing
list end
Imagine looking through a Cracker Jack box and looking at street lights. You can only
view the lights that are in your window. That’s how the receiver’s IF works. It can
only receive signal it it’s window or PASSBAND. If you are looking at the lights and
there is one to either side that you want to avoid then you can SHIFT the window. On
the other hand, if there is a light in your viewing window that is distracting and if you
shifted your window you would loose the light you want to look at, then you could
slide your finger along the front of the viewing window until it just covered the
unwanted light. That’s how the NOTCH works. These two controls will help you pull
out signals in a crowded band.
60 Meter Band
Maximum Power is 50 watts ERP
Maximum Bandwidth is 2.8 KHz
The new 60 meter band is a secondary allocation--federal government users are primary--
and the first on which the only permitted mode will be upper-sideband (USB) phone
(emission type 2K8J3E). The FCC has granted hams access to five discrete 2.8-kHz-wide
channels in the vicinity of 5 MHz.
The NTIA advised in a letter to the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) that
users of 60 meters should set their carrier frequency 1.5 kHz lower than the channel center
frequency, according to this NTIA chart:
table with 2 columns and 6 rows
Channel Center
Amateur Tuning Frequency
5332 kHz
5330.5 kHz
5348 kHz
5346.5 kHz
5368 kHz
5366.5 kHz
5373 kHz
5371.5 kHz
5405 kHz (common US/UK)
5403.5 kHz
table end
Noting that high-frequency audio response can vary considerably from radio to radio, Hare
has suggested a more conservative approach. He suggests restricting audio bandwidth to
200 Hz on the low end, and 2800 Hz on the high end--for a total bandwidth of 2.6 kHz.
Hare notes that some transmitters that the Lab has looked at are capable of bandwidths of
3.0 kHz or greater.
In its letter to the FCC, the NTIA also stipulated that radiated power should not exceed "the
equivalent of 50 W PEP transmitter output power into an antenna with a gain of 0 dBd."
The FCC R&O set the requirement at 50 W ERP (Effective Radiated Power) and said it
would consider a typical half-wave dipole to exhibit no gain.
Publications for the HF operatorOrder Toll-Free 1-888-277-5289
or
order on line at
www.arrl.org/catalog/
ARRL Handbook ARRL Order No. 9760
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9760
ARRL Antenna Book ARRL Order No. 9043
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9043
ON4UN’s Low Band DXing ARRL Order No. 7040
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/7040/
The Complete DX'er -- 3rd Edition - by Bob Locher, W9KNI. ARRL Order No. 9073
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9073
On the Air with Ham Radio - By Steve Ford, WB8IMY. ARRL Order No. 8276
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=8276
RF Exposure and You - by Ed Hare, W1RFI. ARRL Order No. 6621
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=6621
Ham Radio for Dummies - by Ward Silver, N0AX. ARRL Order No. 9392
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9392
ARRL Multi Media Library < www.arrl.org/multimedia>
has additional presentations for
those who may want to learn more about contesting, DXing, NVIS or operating HF mobile.
Here are some NVIS websites of interest
list of 1 items
•http://www.tactical-link.com/field_deployed_nvis.htm
list end
•http://www.qsl.net/wb5ude/nvis/
list of 1 items
•This is the NVIS reflector
list end
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nvis/
ContactNorm Fusaro, W3IZARRL Affiliated Clubs/Mentor
Program Manager225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111860-594-0230w3iz@arrl.org
This article is copyright 2001 by the American Radio Relay League, but may be reproduced by
individuals and groups for promotional and educational purposes. Any other use without the
permission of the ARRL is prohibited. The text "Reprinted from the November 2001 QST,
copyright 2001 ARRL" must be included on any reproductions.
Chasing DX
Across
1.
Old freq. units
4.
HH-land
9.
Fourteen ____ (weight)
14.
Enable, as a weapon
15.
Over
16.
Signs
17.
Expected
18.
John Glenn's ride
19.
"that _____ for the course"
20.
With 22, 55, 56, and 61 across - What you collect for 35 across
22.
See 20-across
23.
The 18 and 21 MHz bands?
24.
"Is that really necessary?"
26.
New fangled rigs (abbr.)
table with 15 columns and 15 rows
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table end
table with 4 columns and 10 rows
27. Work on GUIs and others 30. This began, the July after 24down
58. The word that explains a UK prefix assignment 59. Digital ckt. family
13. DOS background job (remember?) 21. Non-ham pesky visitor on FD
45. Pamper 47. What a birdie in your RX sounds like?
31. An ARRL section official, in
60. Hamshacks, on Field Day
22. C in F-land
48. G-land noblemen
1-land (abbr.)
61. See 20-across
24. A peak year in cycle 19
49. Tower-top antenna supports
33. All but KH6 and KL7 35. You need more than 999 for this award
62. Beam heading to work PY from W2
25. Some Ukraine prefixes 27. It's between the DSP and the speaker
51. Repeated, it's part of FO0land 52. 7O city
38. Power units
Down
28. How some DF antennas look
53. The part of a part you solder
39. One of the things Elmers do 40. School org. 41. One place where the DX might be listening?
1. "... no space ___ ." 2. Trimmed, as a dipole (if not a bush) 3. It moves with a signal
29. Listings for selling small VHF xcvrs 32. MHz predecessor 33. Those in Chile
54. Use 3-Down to give out one of these 55. Cute 1960's mobile hamshack
42. Heading 180 from NC 46. 9H operator, probably 49. Early radio parts manufacturer 50. 1960's TV host, with Martin
4. What an amp also does in the shack 5. Prefix with VOX 6. What an un-keyed transmitter is
34. House current, familiarly, if imprecise 35. Like 38-down, but for (other) digital modes 36. Keeps your rig's rock steady
51. Open wire (line)
7. Some are green, some black, some orange
37. A good signal report, in ancient Rome
54. Equipment reviewer, sometimes
8. Gives a callsign
38. Speed on CW
55. See 20-across 56. See 20-across 57. What many towers are made of
9. Nickels and dimes 10. Org. in charge of 43-down 11. What a DXPedition station spends most of the time doing 12. Non-digital, in G-land
41. Biggest non-amateur user of radio in the early days 43. Awards for performances by hams in space? 44. Warm tubes and solder resin, among others
table end
table with 15 columns and 15 rows
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table end
A Fictional Character Comes to Life
By John Curry, K5IMC
January 25, 2004
After a successful visit to an elementary school to talk about Amateur Radio, one ham makes an unexpected connection with the inspiration for a ham radio
children's book.
It was an unusually warm winter evening in Hallandale Beach, Florida, just north of Miami, as my wife and I pulled into the driveway of a large condominium
building by the ocean and spotted a distinguished-looking man standing by the entrance. In response to my inquiry, he confirmed that he was, indeed, Bob
Marx. I was eager to meet Bob after two months of phone calls and e-mails because, to me, he was a fictional character who had come to life.
Curry_Classroom
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT, leads a classroom discussion on the Amateur Radio children's book Radio Rescue, by Lynne Barasch. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
The story of our meeting began in November 2002, when I accompanied two other members of the Heart of Texas Amateur Radio club in Waco--Ed Middlebrook,
KC5NT, and John Chamberlain, AC5CV--to the elementary school in West, Texas, for an afternoon of Amateur Radio demonstrations for about 120 third-graders.
Most of the students had recently read a children's book called Radio Rescue, by Lynne Barasch. Radio Rescue is a fun book that generated a great deal
of interest in Amateur Radio among the children, and the school librarian asked Ed to make a radio presentation. You may be wondering how a radio demonstration
for elementary school students in Texas led to a visit to a new friend in Florida some three months later. Well, as I read Radio Rescue in preparation
for our visit to the school, I had no idea what was about to happen.
Radio to the Rescue
Barasch, an artist and author of several children's books, wrote and illustrated Radio Rescue. It's a story about a boy who obtains his Amateur Radio license
and has a series of ham radio-related adventures that should appeal to all children, regardless of the level of their interest in radio. The book has been
nominated for numerous awards for children's literature and was the winner of several, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2002-03, an
honor that ensures that the book is on a recommended reading list for children in Texas. The book was reviewed in the January 2001 issue of QST. Although
it's is a work of fiction, the story is true--the story of Lynne's father, Bob Marx. What makes the story especially appealing is that Bob was first licensed
as 2AZK at age 10--in 1923.
When Ed, John and I arrived at the elementary school in West, we first met with the students in large groups for Ed to lead a discussion about Radio Rescue,
which most of them indicated they had read. Ed asked questions about the book and received knowledgeable and thorough answers from the children. We then
divided them into smaller groups of about 20 to rotate among three simultaneous hands-on radio exercises.
Curry_Keyer
Students crowd around a paddle and code practice oscillator to try their hand at Morse code. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
In one classroom, I demonstrated Morse code using a memory keyer and allowed the children to send code with the keyer and to try their hand at an old straight-key-on-board
that I had brought. To my surprise the code, which some believe is no longer useful, was a hit with the children, several of whom described it as "cool."
Some of the children were also quite adept at sending a few letters on their first try. In the school library, John demonstrated voice communications and
the public service aspect of ham radio by having the children use hand-held Family Radio Service radios to call into a base station and report weather
"emergencies." Ed's part of the program included a demonstration of ham radio contacts on 10 meter SSB. We had set up the station on a porch just outside
the school, as the November day was quite warm, and raised a dipole antenna about 15 feet into the air using a telescoping painter's pole. The students
were able to talk with several amateur stations around the United States, including students at a college in California.
Our three demonstrations related to the radio themes of the book: communications, public service and Morse code. Most of the children seemed to be attentive
in all the sessions and interested in the content of our presentations. We learned that they were excitedly telling their teacher in a later class about
what we had shown them.
Curry_Drill
Two boys work together at an "emergency weather station," sending and receiving drill data using FRS radios. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
An Unexpected Call
Because I was favorably impressed with Radio Rescue and with the success the three of us had with our school presentations, I wrote a letter to Barasch,
who lives in New York City, to tell her about the experience and about the interest her book was stimulating in Amateur Radio. I mentioned in the letter
that I was able to identify with her father's early experiences with Amateur Radio because I was licensed at age 11, although that was 33 years after Bob
received his ticket. I did not ask about her father in the letter, however. I thought it possible that Bob had become a silent key because he was not in
the FCC database of licensed amateurs and because he wouldn't exactly be a youngster any more.
Exactly one month later, two days before Christmas, the phone rang in the evening. My wife handed me the phone, saying it was "Bob Marx, a ham operator
in Florida." I still did not realize who was calling until I picked up the phone and heard a few words of introduction. I responded that I was glad to
hear from him and, impolitely I'm sure, said that I did not know he was still alive. Bob replied in a strong voice, "I'm 89 and well."
His daughter Lynne had mailed him a copy of my letter and a copy of her reply to me, which I received a few days later. He was calling to say how pleased
he was to learn about our experience with the book. We had a nice conversation, and at some point, I mentioned that my wife and I were planning a trip
to Florida in the winter. Bob suggested that we visit him, so we added a stop in Hallandale Beach to our itinerary. In a later phone conversation, we set
a tentative date of February 28 for our side trip to south Florida to meet Bob.
Retaining the Code
As Bob ushered us to the 11th floor of his building and into his home, I was impressed with his youthful appearance and demeanor. I had thought he had sounded
much younger than his 89 years over the phone, and he was the same in person. Those of us who were licensed at a young age might be tempted to think, upon
meeting Bob, that early exposure to Amateur Radio has some sort of continued rejuvenating effect. My wife and I were also pleased to meet Bob's wife, Elaine.
The four of us spent an enjoyable evening getting to know one another and had dinner at an excellent Chinese restaurant nearby. Of course, Bob and I spent
most of our time discussing Amateur Radio, although he has not been licensed for many years. I presented Bob with the January 2003 issue of QST, which
had several articles about vintage radio. I had to admit that what is considered vintage now may be newfangled to him because most of the equipment described
in that issue was developed after he left the hobby.
Because Bob is still interested in Morse code, I took along an MFJ memory keyer. He used a straight key, bug and sideswipe key in his day, but he had never
seen a simple electronic keyer, much less the memory version. I sent some code and also played some messages I had programmed into the machine for Bob.
He took to the code right away and was able to copy over 20 WPM, as well as send some code on a machine that he had never seen--after almost 70 years of
inactivity. He recalled that his speed was about 30 WPM at one time.
Curry_2AZK
At left, Bob Marx, ex-W2AZK, goes through a book with John Curry, K5IMC. Marx is the father of Lynne Barasch, who authored Radio Rescue, a children's book
based in part on some of Marx's experiences as a young ham in the 1920s. [Photo courtesy of John Curry, K5IMC]
Memories of Eighth-Floor DX
Bob had some interesting experiences in the early days of Amateur Radio, some of which are covered in the book. He had quite an impressive array of equipment
and says he operated CW rather than spark, as spark had pretty much died out from the ham bands by 1923. Bob was licensed at one of the most exciting times
in Amateur Radio, just as the first two-way transatlantic contacts were made between the United States and France in 1923. During his ham career, Bob made
a number of DX contacts, working all continents except Asia. He was even able to communicate with the first Byrd Antarctic expedition in 1928 until it
was near Brazil, and passed information about Byrd's progress to The New York Times when the Times radio operators could not get through.
No doubt Bob was a sharp operator and it didn't hurt that he was able to string his antenna between the roof of his building and the roof of the building
across the street at about the eighth floor level. Bob continued to experience the joys of having a big signal until the New York public works department
decided that his antenna had to go. He maintains, however, that he still was able to get out well with a rooftop antenna on that building and, later, on
another building after he and his mother moved.
After Bob finished school, he started a career in textiles, which he calls "the thread business," and married Elaine shortly afterward in 1936. In his late
50s, an age when most people are thinking about retirement, Bob bought a new textile agent business in Florida. After about three years of commuting from
New York, he and Elaine moved to Florida, where they have lived for the past 30 years. He is still working at age 90, although he doesn't stay very busy
because most textile work has moved overseas.
Bob left Amateur Radio behind in 1935 and he no longer has any of his equipment. He retains fond memories of his radio days, however, and is pleased that
he still knows the code. As for me, getting to know a real life fictional character who was a ham in the early days of radio has been a wonderful experience
that I won't forget, either.
John Curry, K5IMC, was first licensed in 1956. Retired from the US Office of Personnel Management, Curry is a member of the Heart of Texas Amateur Radio
Club in Waco and the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club in Alexandria, Virginia. He can be reached via e-mail at
k5imc@arrl.net.
SSB, Radar Pioneer Mike Villard, W6QYT, SK
villard
O.G. "Mike" Villard, W6QYT, pioneered Amateur Radio SSB in the late 1940s. [Stanford University NewsPhoto]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 27, 2004--Renowned RF engineer, Stanford University researcher and author Oswald Garrison "Mike" Villard Jr, W6QYT, of Palo Alto, California,
died January 7. He was 87. A pioneer of Amateur Radio single sideband (SSB) and meteor-scatter techniques, Villard authored some two dozen
QST articles
between 1946 and 1994. They covered topics ranging from SSB, supermodulation, meteor detection and long-delayed echo (LDE) phenomena to VHF and microwave
experimentation, antenna construction and fox hunting. He also was the author of more than 60 technical papers and held a half-dozen patents.
"His technical achievements were legendary," Dave Leeson, W6NL, a consulting professor of electrical engineering in Stanford`s Space, Telecommunications
and Radioscience Laboratory (STARLab), told
Stanford University News Service. "
Stanford and the entire engineering community were enriched by his person and his accomplishments."
Born in Dobbs Ferry, New York, the son of O.G. Villard Sr, a noted publisher and editor (The New York Evening Post and The Nation), Mike Villard developed
an interested in radio while still a youngster. He was first licensed as W1DMV in 1932, while living in Connecticut.
Since his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps, the younger Villard earned a bachelor's degree in English from Yale in 1938, but then headed to
Stanford University to pursue his first love, electrical engineering. While at Stanford, he studied under Professor Frederick Terman (ex-6FT and 6AE)--later
regarded as the "father of Silicon Valley."
During World War II, Villard followed Terman to work at Harvard University's Radio Research Laboratory on enemy countermeasures research. He returned to
Stanford after the war, joined the school's electrical engineering faculty in 1946 and completed his PhD in 1949. He taught and carried out research at
Stanford for five decades, and he headed STARLab's predecessor--The RadioScience Laboratory--from 1958 until 1972.
While a student at Stanford, Villard found mentors in Russell and Sigurd Varian, David Packard and William Hewlett, William Webster Hansen and other luminaries.
Villard later repaid the favor by aiding them as they developed the klystron--the basis of radar.
Among his Amateur Radio accomplishments, he experimented with and championed single-sideband, suppressed-carrier modulation in 1947, and the Stanford Amateur
Radio Club's
W6YX
is said to have been the first ham station to use SSB transmission. While a student, he also served as the club's president, and from the 1950s through
the early 1980s he was the trustee of W6YX. An ARRL member for many years, Villard was also a past scientific advisor to the Northern California DX Foundation.
During his career at Stanford (and later at Stanford Research Institute--SRI), Villard pioneered the concept and development of a program to design and
build an over-the-horizon radar system to detect incoming military aircraft and high-altitude missiles. In addition, he demonstrated the feasibility of
the "stealth aircraft" concept by using specially treated low-impedance surfaces.
Among his awards for contributions to the military were the Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Air Force and the Secretary of
Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.
Another accomplishment was the design of a simple, small
high-frequency receiving antenna
that aided in nulling out signals that jammed broadcasts of the Voice of America, the BBC and others. Villard's design has remained in use around the world
for several decades.
Villard was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the International Scientific Radio Union. He was a fellow
of SRI, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Survivors include two sons and a daughter. His wife Bobbie died in 1996. A private graveside service will be held this spring in New York. Plans are pending
for a West Coast memorial service.
The family requests donations in support of the Mike Villard Memorial Fund to SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, AD-114, Menlo Park, CA 94025.--some
information from Stanford News Service
The Big Project's Ranks, Enthusiasm Expand
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 27, 2004--Since coming onboard as
ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program
Coordinator some six months ago, Mark Spencer, WA8SME, has seen the number of "Big Project" pilot schools rise from 50 to 70. Fourteen schools came aboard
last fall, while another three schools already in the program received progress grants of up to $500 to help them continue their Big Project activities.
"The new schools coming onboard are approaching this program with a lot of enthusiasm that I hope will continue," Spencer said. He also hopes their upbeat
attitude will be infectious, and that other schools will follow the lead of the ones that have experienced the greatest success.
TBP-Stehekin-1
Youngsters at Stehekin School in Stehekin, Washington, get an introduction to Amateur Radio from Dick Bingham, W7WKR. The remote, one-room school employs
ham radio as a primary connection with the "outside world." Stehekin School has been a Big Project school since May 2002.
TBP-Gowanda-1
This young man is a student at Gowanda Middle-High School in Gowanda, New York--a Big Project school since May 2002. The Gowanda Central School District
Amateur Radio Club's call sign is KC2KJN.
TBP-IowaSt-2
Two youngsters at Iowa Street School in Fallbrook, California, show off their handheld transceivers. Iowa Street has been a Big Project school since February
2002.
TBP-Lawrenceville-1
Bill Carter KG4FXG (right), helps students at J. E. Richards Middle School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, get acquainted with wireless technology via Amateur
Radio.
"The success of a project school boils down to the teacher, community and administration support and local Amateur Radio club support," Spencer says. "Those
schools that can get all these things together are really doing well."
The Big Project subsidizes the cost of an Amateur Radio station for each participating school--typically about $2800, Spencer says. To better spell out
the League's expectations, lead teachers and principals now must agree in writing to make a good-faith effort to integrate Amateur Radio and wireless technology
into their curricula for at least three years.
"This is not a giveaway," Spencer said. "We have a responsibility to our donors."
Spencer sees his role as supporting project schools by helping teachers to integrate the Education and Technology Program's
curriculum--
available on the League's Web site--into their classroom pursuits. "This has to be a grassroots activity," he says. What he looks for is a plan from the
school that provides hands-on learning for the students that's realistic and optional.
On the other hand, he recognizes that schools in recent months have faced heavy budget cuts that have compelled school administrators to pull back on enrichment
activities. "Our program has mitigated the costs for schools," said Spencer, who has experience himself in using Amateur Radio in the classroom. But since
the ARRL cannot provide much more than the initial seed money for equipment, an affiliation with a local club becomes all the more essential.
Not just money but time is at a premium for today's educators, especially when it comes to managing extra-curricular activities. "Teachers are already stretched
too thin," he says. That's where local Amateur Radio clubs come in. "Sometimes the clubs do a better job than we can do from here in supporting a participating
school's program." Spencer points out that some clubs cooperating with Big Project schools also have provided additional equipment to the schools. Even
more important: Club members often offer their ham radio experience and expertise to mentor youngsters in Big Project Schools. Spencer says it's hard to
put a price tag on that kind of contribution.
The Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program is an after-school program at most schools, but Spencer says more and more schools are integrating Amateur
Radio into their science curriculum. "There's some movement in that direction," he said, "and I think it's positive." He also notes that more private schools
are applying to participate--and even home-schooled youngsters are making use of the Big Project curriculum.
"Making the curriculum available on the Web has been a positive thing," Spencer said. He reports more than 1200 downloads so far.
A third factor is a movement in many states toward more rigid standards of learning and standardized testing. "Amateur Radio and wireless technology can
fit into this trend because it's hands-on," Spencer asserts. "The kids really do learn better than if you teach to the test."
While licensing students is not a primary goal of the program, many youngsters have become Amateur Radio operators as a result of their involvement in the
Big Project. The number varies from school to school, and Spencer says the trend is encouraging. More important in his mind is the exposure to technology
the program provides--an average of 3500 contact hours per school each year. "They're spending an average of five hours per week talking about wireless
technology and Amateur Radio," he says.
The Big Project will start placing more emphasis on teacher training in the future. "Teachers are really the backbone of this program," Spencer said, although
he notes that not all of them are amateur licensees. He envisions a five-day ARRL Education and Technology Program in-service teacher-training opportunity
at ARRL Headquarters, if funds can support the endeavor.
"We're going to teach teachers how to teach wireless technology in the classroom," he said.
Launched in 2001 as an initiative of ARRL President Jim Haynie, the ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program employs ham radio to enhance student
learning through the application of mathematical and scientific concepts. The project emphasizes integration of math, science, writing and speaking, geography,
technology and social responsibility within a global society.
There's more information about the
ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program
on the ARRL Web site. The ARRL Development Office invites
support
for this initiative.
The American Radio Relay League is proud to honor those individuals and organizations whose 2006 contributions of $1000 or more support programs not
funded by member dues, including the ARRL Diamond Club, the Spectrum Defense Fund, the Education & Technology Fund, and the W1AW Endowment.
Alicia W. Abell, KG6LJ
and David A. Abell, K6XG
Peter G. Adely Sr, W2HP
and Katherine Adely, W2YSF
Charles P. Alter, W9UC
Lester A. “Andy” Anderson, WØAFQ
Merit R. Arnold, W6NQ *
Paul J. Azar, Jr., N5AN
C.
Dwight Baker, W4IJY Baker Family Foundation (W5IZ)
Mary Banks, K4MRY
and Sherman Banks, W4ATL
Don Barber, K8GV
Bob Barden, N2BB/MDØCCE
Glen Barney, NY3E
William L. Bartels, N6YZ*
Dave Bell, W6AQ
and Alice L. Bell, W6QLT*
Bergen Amateur Radio Association, Inc
Mark A. Behrens, W4GP
David W. Brandenburg, K5RQ/
Brandenburg Life Foundation*
Vern J. Brownell, W1VB
J.
Bruce Burnette, K5PX Bruce Butler, W6OSP
Frank M. Butler, Jr., W4RH*
Randall J. Bynum, NR6CA
Carlson Family Trust
Vivian A. Carr
Lathan “Bud” Clarke, W6OYV
Combined Federal Campaign
Joseph A. Cloutier, KC9JAC
Robert L. Conder, Jr., K4RLC
Corporation for National & Community Service
Stephen H. Cornell, K4AHA
Carter Craigie, N3AO
and Kay Craigie, N3KN*
Dayton Amateur Radio Association
Leland M. Deane, AA2LD
Lawrence J. De George, W1ISV
Denver Radio Club, Inc.
James A. Dicso, K2SZ*
Dick Dievendorff, K6KR*
Frank Donovan, W3LPL
Robert A. Duris, N1TSL
DX Engineering, Paul D. Sergi, NO8D*
Martin S. Ewing, AA6E
ExxonMobil Foundation
Frank Fallon, N2FF
Kenneth A. Fath, N4KF*
Harry T. Flasher, AC8G*
James C. Garland, W8ZR
Craig D. Goldman, K2LZQ
Itice R. Goldthorpe, K4LVV
and Ted F. Goldthorpe, Jr., W4VHF
B.
Whitfield Griffith, Jr., N5SU
Elliot A. Gross, KB2TZ*
The Gryphon Fund*
Thomas J. Hutton, N3ZZ
George R. Isely, W9GIG*
Marion L. Jackson, Jr., N4JJ
W.
R. Jackson, Jr., W3EZ
James L. Jaeger, K8RQ*
Robert W. Johnson, W3RZR
Jon E. Kannegaard, K6JEK
David H. Kaplan, WA1OUI*
Timothy A. Kearns, NN6A
Stacy S. Klein, N3NHU
John R. Kludt, K7SYS
Alfred A. Laun III, K3ZO
Eric G. Lemmon, WB6FLY
Don Lisle, K6IPV*
James N. Long, W4ZRZ*
Willis C. Mack, N1HAI
Bruce S. Marcus, N1XG*
Willis McDonald IV, KD7NZG
Stephen M. Meer, KØSCC
Barry W. Merrill Jr., W5GN
and Judith S. Merrill, KA5PQD*
Daniel J. Meyer, NØPUF
Microsoft Corporation
Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK
Frank P. Morrison, KB1FZ
William C. Mueller, AA5WM
Tod Olson, KØTO
Nat Ostroff, W3JXY
Kurt B. Pauer, W6PH
Permian Basin Amateur Radio Club
Malcolm M. Preston, NP2L
Dr. Larry E. Price, W4RA*
Peter Radding, W2GJ
Michael M. Raskin, M.D., J.D., W4UM
and Sherry L. Raskin, W4SLR*
Robert B. Ravenscroft, W7JZZ
Stan Reubenstein, WA6RNU
Paul L. Rinaldo, W4RI*
Eric L. Scace, K3NA
Claudie and Herb Schuler, K2HPV
C.
Wayne Schuler, AI9Q Edward H. Seeliger, Jr., KD5M Dr. Beurt R. SerVaas, W9WVO
Raleigh L. Shaklee, W6BH
L.
Dennis Shapiro, W1UF* Ted Sisco, WB5UJR
Don P. Smith, W8KGL
Robert W. Smith, WB9BER
Steven L. Somers, AE6SS
Carl R. Stevenson, WK3C
Roger A. Strauch, KD6UO
Temple Amateur Radio Club
Robert W. Ter Maat, WA5SCP
Sparky Terry, KD4KL
Craig A. Thompson, K9CT
Stephen R. Tillett, K7KOT
Dave Topp, W5BXX*
Bill Tynan, W3XO
Verizon Foundation
Mabs Vierthaler-Buttschardt
David H. Walker, KØCOP
Joseph F. Walsh, WB6ACU*
Estate of Robert W. Walstrom, WØEJ
Dick Weber, K5IU*
Steven West, W7SMW
and Donna Karam, KC5FTN*
John K. Williams, K8JW
Owen Wormser, K3CB
Brian F. Wruble, W3BW
YASME Foundation Inc.
Michael J. Zak, W1MU*
Edward D. Zimmer, NØOKW
Allen J. Zimmerman, K3WGR
Anonymous - 18
The ARRL Legacy Circle
honors individuals who have
included ARRL in their will
or other estate plans.
Robert M. Ahmann, W7SC
Alan Applegate, KØBG
Richard L. Baldwin, W1RU
Andrew J. Barbour, AG4XN
Marcia E. Baulch, WA2AKJ
Dave Bell, W6AQ
and Alice L. Bell, W6QLT*
Alvin C. Borne, W6IVO
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
John J. Bryant III, K9QLS
Frank M. Butler, Jr., W4RH*
Carla M. Chaet, N7OPU
and Joseph G. Chaet, W1RGH
Charles K. Epps, W6OAT
Kenneth M. Gleszer, W1KAY
Itice R. Goldthorpe, K4LVV
and Ted F. Goldthorpe, Jr., W4VHF
Walter G. Groce, AJ1L
Fried Heyn, WA6WZO
and Sandra M. Heyn, WA6WZN
Douglas S. Hilton, AG4FL
and Diane S. Hilton, KI4LMO
Thomas H. Hodgson, W3DNN
Ronald Jansen, KB9WTB
Robert M. Kares, K3SUH
David L. Kersten, N8AUH
Don Lisle, K6IPV*
Eugene W. McPherson, NØMHJ
Loretta Milnes
and Greg Milnes, W7OZ, SK
Richard J. Mondro, K4FQT
Theodore A. Morris, WB8VNV
Dennis R. Motschenbacher, K7BV
Jack V. O’Keefe, W9MAD
Art Pahr, K9XJ
Benjamin F. Poinsett, K3BP
Keith D. Pugh, W5IU
Lawrence Quinn
and Wendy Quinn, W1DY
Barbara Race, WB8UWX
and George E. Race, WB8BGY
Michael M. Raskin, M.D., W4UM
and Sherry L. Raskin, W4SLR*
John P. Rautenstrauch, N2MTG
Alfred C. Rousseau, W1FJ
Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr., W9JUV
Claudie and Herb Schuler, K2HPV
Arnold I. Shatz, N6HC
and Sheryl G. Shatz, KA6DOW
Mary C. Stinson, KØZV
and Walton L. Stinson, WØCP
John L. Swartz, WA9AQN
John J. Thornton, W6HD
and Jane M. Thornton, KF6QHP
James E. Weaver, K8JE
and Janice E. Weaver
John L. Welch, KE6K
Clarence W. Wenzel, W9ILM
Lee R. Wical, KH6BZF
Anonymous - 20
*ARRL is also very proud to honor Maxim
Society donors whose lifetime donations
exceed $10,000.
The American Radio Relay League is proud to honor those individuals and
organizations whose 2005 contributions of $1,000 or more support programs not funded
by member dues, including the ARRL Diamond Club, the Spectrum Defense Fund, the
Education &Technology Fund, and the W1AW Endowment.
ARRL is also very proud to honor Maxim Society donors whose lifetime donations
exceed $10,000.
Alicia W. Abell, KG6LJ
and David A. Abell, K6XG
Merit R. Arnold, W6NQ
Dr. Paul J. Azar, Jr., N5AN
Baker Family Foundation (W5IZ)
Mary Banks, K4MRY
and Sherman Banks, W4ATL
Glen Barney, NY3E
Mark A. Behrens, W4GP
Dave Bell, W6AQ*
Arlan L. Bowen, N4OO
David W. Brandenburg, K5RQ/Brandenburg
Life Foundation*
Vern J. Brownell, W1VB
Thomas M. Browning, WA1ELQ (SK)
and June F. Browning, N1AQA
Bruce Burnette, K5PX
Frank M. Butler, W4RH*
Randall J. Bynum, NR6CA
Robert L. Conder Jr., K4RLC
Stephen H. Cornell, K4AHA
Corporation for National
and Community Service
Carter Craigie, N3AO*
and Kay Craigie, N3KN*
Dayton Amateur Radio Association
Lawrence J. De George, W1ISV
The Delmarva Hamfest Committee
James A. Dicso, K2SZ*
Dick Dievendorff, K6KR*
Elizabeth Lombardi Doane, K1EIC
Frank Donovan, W3LPL
DX Engineering*
Eaton Amateur Radio Society
Arthur C. Erdman, W8VWX
Martin S. Ewing, AA6E
The ExxonMobil Foundation
Kenneth A. Fath, N4KF*
James C. Garland, W8ZR
Estate of Winkler C. Gosch, W1CUX
B.
Whitfield Griffith, N5SU Elliot A. Gross, KB2TZ The Gryphon Fund* Ham-Com, Inc. Heil Sound, Ltd. Thomas J. Hutton, N3ZZ George R. Isely, W9GIG Dick Jackson,
W3EZ Marion L. Jackson Jr., N4JJ Andrew C. John, MD, JD, W8OU* Glenn Kaufman, KA3GLY George J. Kelly, WA2SQO Estate of Steven C. Klenc, KCØACQ John R.
Kludt, K7SYS Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club Don Lisle, K6IPV Robert F. Loll, WA6UPX James. N. Long, W4ZRZ* Willis C. Mack, N1HAI Bruce S. Marcus, N1XG* Stephen
M. Meer, KØSCC Barry W. Merrill Jr., W5GN*
and Judith S. Merrill, KA5PQD*
Microsoft Matching Gifts Program
William C. Mueller, AA5WM
Dan L. Osborne, WB5AFY
Charles A. Ottinger, AF5L
Malcolm M. Preston, NP2L
Dr. Larry E. Price, W4RA
Peter Radding, W2GJ
Michael M. Raskin, M.D., W4UM*
and Sherry Raskin, W4SLR*
Bob Ravenscroft, W7JZZ
The ARRL Legacy Circle honors individuals who have included
Paul L. Rinaldo, W4RI* ARRL in their will or other estate plans.
Ed Robinson, W5XT
Wayne W. Santos, N1CKM
Eric L. Scace, K3NA
Claudie and Herb Schuler, K2HPV
C.
Wayne Schuler, AI9Q Edward H. Seeliger Jr., KD5M Dr. Beurt SerVaas, W9WVO
L.
Dennis Shapiro, W1UF* Ted Sisco, WB5UJR Joseph Speroni, AHØA David S. Topp, W5BXX Kent W. Trimble, K9ZTV United Technologies Corporation Michael D. Valentine,
W8MM* David H. Walker, KØCOP Joseph F. Walsh, WB6ACU* Robert W. Walstrom, WØEJ Dick Weber, K5IU Steve West, W7SMW
and Donna Karam, KC5FTN
Burton B. Witham Jr., W4CNZ
Sarah B. Wood, KC9AYT
Owen Wormser, K3CB
Brian F. Wruble, W3BW
YASME Foundation Inc.
Edward D. Zimmer, NØOKW
Allen J. Zimmerman, K3WGR
Anonymous - 27
*
Member of the ARRL Maxim Society
Robert M. Ahmann, W7SC
Ann B. Backys, K9ANN
and Donald J. Backys, K9UQN
Andrew Barbour, AG4XN
Marcia E. Baulch, WA2AKJ
Michael E. Beck, W7EDO
Dave Bell, W6AQ*
Alvin C. Borne, W6IVO
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
Frank M. Butler, W4RH*
Carla M. Chaet, N7OPU
and Joseph G. Chaet, W1RGH
Charles K. Epps, W6OAT
Ed L. Fowler Jr., W5CML
Kenneth M. Gleszer, W1KAY
Itice R. Goldthorpe, K4LVV
and Ted F. Goldthorpe Jr, W4VHF
Fried Heyn, WA6WZO
and Sandra M. Heyn, WA6WZN
Douglas S. Hilton, AG4FL
Ronald Jansen, KB9WTB
Robert M. Kares, K3SUH
Robert J. Kelemen, W1US
David L. Kersten, N8AUH
James Joseph Kleis, WB4WGH
Don Lisle, K6IPV
Gene W. McPherson, NØMHJ
Gregory E. Milnes, W7OZ (SK)
Richard J. Mondro, K4FQT
Jack V. O’Keefe, W9MAD
Lawrence Quinn, N1LCV
and Wendy Quinn, W1DY
Barbara Race, WB8UWX
and George E. Race, WB8BGY
Michael M. Raskin M.D., W4UM*
and Sherry Raskin, W4SLR*
John B. Rautenstrauch, N2MTG
Alfred C. Rousseau, W1FJ
Jane M. Thornton, KF6QHP
and John J. Thornton, W6HD
Joseph J. Schroeder Jr., W9JUV
Claudie and Herb Schuler, K2HPV
Rev. Leslie J. Shattuck Sr., K4NK
Arnold I. Shatz, N6HC
and Sheryl G. Shatz, KA6DOW
Mary C. Stinson, KØZV
and Walton L. Stinson, WØCP
James E. Weaver, K8JE
and Janice E. Weaver
Lee R. Wical, KH6BZF
Anonymous-20
*
Member of the ARRL Maxim Society
ARLD025: DX news
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD025
ARLD025 DX news
ZCZC AE25
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 25 ARLD025
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT June 13, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD025
ARLD025 DX news
This weeks bulletin was made possible with information provided by
Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, SM5AJV, WA7BNM, The Daily DX, QRZ
DX, 425DXnews, The DXNL and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all.
TUNISIA, 3V. A number of Italian amateurs are QRV as 3V8KO from
Kuriat Island until June 16. Activity is on all bands. QSL via
I5JHW.
GUINEA, 3X. 3XA8DX is active on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB and
RTTY. QSL CW QSOs via DJ6SI and all other modes via DL1QW.
ANGOLA, D2. Joan, D2U has been QRV on 10 meters around 1545z. QSL
via CT1BFL.
ST PIERRE AND MIQUELON, FP. K1TOL and N1RZ are QRV as FP/homecalls
on 6 meters until June 24. QSL to home calls.
TROMELIN ISLAND, FR/T. Jacques, FR5ZU/T has been QRV on 15 meters
around 1300z and 20 meter RTTY around 1800z. QSL via JA8FCG.
GUERNSEY, GU. Look for Terry, W6/G3MHV and Mady, KP3YL/W6 to be QRV
as GU3MHV and GU4WHV, respectively, from June 17 to 25. Activity
will be on 40 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL both calls via
KP3YL.
THAILAND, HS. Look for E21EIC to be a Single Op/All Band High Power
entry in the All Asian DX CW Contest. QSL to home call.
ITALY, I. Special event station IQ9YL will be active June 18 to 26
in connection with the International YL Meeting that will take place
in Palermo, IOTA EU-025, from June 21 to 23. QSL via operators'
instructions.
SARDINIA, IS0. Freddy, IZ1EPM will be active as IS0/homecall from
Santa Teresa di Gallura, IOTA EU-024, from June 15 to 23. Activity
will be on 20 to 6 meters, including 17 and 12 meters. QSL to home
call.
MARIANA ISLANDS, KH0. KH0/JH4RLY and KH0/JA4RED are QRV from
Saipan, IOTA OC-086, until June 17. They are active on 40 meters
using SSTV, PSK31 and RTTY. QSL to home calls. Meanwhile, Tony,
JA6CNL and Asa, JA6AGA are also QRV as KH0N and WH0C, respectively.
They will participate in the All Asian DX CW Contest. Outside of
the contest they will be active on the newer bands and 6 meters.
QSL to home calls.
MARKET REEF, OJ0. SM5AJV, SM0GNS, SM5HJZ and SM0HPL are QRV as
OJ0SM until June 16. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW and
SSB. There may also be some RTTY and PSK31 activity as well. QSL
via SM5HJZ.
EGYPT, SU. SU9BN is a new operator and has been QRV on 20 meters
around 1600 and 1900z.
INDIA, VU. Jose, VU2JOS is QRV as AT0J for all his contest
activities this year. QSL to home call.
AFGHANISTAN, YA. Chris, YA/G0TQJ has been QRV using RTTY just after
1600 to 1730z. QSL to home call.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The All Asian DX CW Contest, SMIRK
Contest, AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, West Virginia QSO Party and the Kid's
Day Contest are all scheduled for this weekend. Please see June
QST, page 90 and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar website for details.
NNNN
/EX
ARLD026: DX news
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD026
ARLD026 DX news
ZCZC AE68
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 26 ARLD026
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 23, 1996
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD026
ARLD026 DX news
This week's bulletin was made possible with info provided by CT1ENQ,
CT1EEB, CT1FUF, the Northern Portugal DX Group, Hamad, 9K2HN, Gary,
NH2G, Frank, AH0W/OH2LVG, Uwe, DL9GOA, Bob, DL7VOA, Ted, NH6YK,
Ramon, XE1KK, and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all.
MIDWAY ISLAND, KH4. Bill, NH6D, is still on Midway and will be
active in the WPX contest this weekend. He will also be
concentrating more on 160 and 80 meter work. Hams in W6, W7 and JA
lands may catch him on RS12. His primary purpose for being on the
island is US Navy business, so time for DXing is limited. QSL via
KL7H/W6.
ANNOBON ISLAND, 3C0. Teo, EA6BH, plans to return to Equatorial
Guinea and operate from this island, too.
TUNISIA, 3V. Listen for YT1AD operating from 3V8BB May 23 to 30.
SENEGAL, 6W. N2WCQ/6W1 will be active until May 29. QSL via
PA3BUD.
NEPAL, 9N. 9N1KY should remain active until sometime in July.
COMOROS, D6. DL4XS, DL6ET and DL3KDV plan an all band effort,
including 160 meters, from August 22 to September 4.
ETHIOPIA, ET. Peter, ET3BN, has been on 20 meter RTTY, usually from
1800 to 1900z on 14085 kHz. QSL to PO Box 150194, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.
MEXICO, XE. Ramon, XE1KK, has put a beacon on 50.0225 MHz, located
in grid EK09ik. It is reportedly the only such beacon in the first
call area of Mexico. XE1KK/B runs 20 watts to an omni-directional
antenna. Listen for T T T DE XE1KK/B EK09. Ramon welcomes reception
reports.
MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. JG8NQJ/JD1 has wrapped up operations but
will return for a three month stay starting July 15. QSL via
JA8CJY.
JAN MAYEN, JX. LA7DFA is active on 14008 kHz CW signing JX7DFA.
Listen for his 20 meter RTTY from 1000 to 1400z Fridays.
COCOS KEELING ISLAND, VK9C. Bill, VK4FW, will start working 12
meters at VK9CT on May 24 around 0200z. He will run 400 watts to a
vertical. QSL via VK4CRR.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND, VK9X. Gerben, PA0GAM, will activate VK9GA May 23
to 27, with plans to work 80 through 10 meter CW. QSL via PA0GIN.
DODECANESE, SV5. Manfred, DL8SET, will be QRV June 6 to 20 on 20 to
6 meter CW and SSB. QSL via DL8SET.
CORSICA, TK. Falk, DK7YY, ex DL7UTA, will be active as TK/DK7YY
through May 30. He will be in the WPX contest using 100 watts to a
vertical. Before and after the contest he will concentrate on the
WARC bands, and if conditions permit, 10 meters.
TOGO, 5V. Roy, DL7UBA, and Lars, DL7ALM, will be QRV from June 3 to
18. They hope to obtain the calls 5V7HR and 5V7ML, respectively, on
all bands, CW and SSB. QSL via home calls.
GUAM, KH2. Gary, NH2G will operate Single Operator All Band in the
WPX contest from Guam.
SAINT KITTS, V47. Jimmy, W6JKV, and Mike, K6MYC, will arrive on the
island the night of June 29 and depart on July 9. They plan to
operate EME on 50.144 and 432 MHz. Six meter sporadic E is also on
their agenda, as well as two meter E-skip to Europe with their EME
array.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HI. Frank, DL5PV, is on 17, 20 and 30 meters
signing DL5PV/HI7. QSL via DL5PV.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The CQ WW WPX CW and CQ Vikings
contests, and the World Telecommunications Day CW are all this
weekend. For more info on the WPX contest check page 97 of March
QST, page 100 of May QST for the other events.
NNNN
/EX
Antenna Height
and
Communications Effectiveness
Second Edition
A Guide for City Planners and Amateur Radio Operators
By R. Dean Straw, N6BV, and Gerald L. Hall, K1TD
Senior Assistant Technical Editor and Retired Associate Technical Editor
Copyright ©1999
The American Radio Relay League, Inc.
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Executive Summary
Amateur radio operators, or “hams” as they are called, communicate with stations located all
over the world. Some contacts may be local in nature, while others may be literally halfway
around the world. Hams use a variety of internationally allocated frequencies to accomplish their
communications.
Except for local contacts, which are primarily made on Very High and Ultra High
Frequencies (VHF and UHF), communicating between any two points on the earth rely primarily
on high-frequency (HF) signals propagating through the ionosphere. The earth’s ionosphere acts
much like a mirror at heights of about 150 miles. The vertical angle of radiation of a signal
launched from an antenna is one of the key factors determining effective communication
distances. The ability to communicate over long distances generally requires a low radiation
angle, meaning that an antenna must be placed high above the ground in terms of the wavelength
of the radio wave being transmitted.
A beam type of antenna at a height of 70 feet or more will provide greatly superior
performance over the same antenna at 35 feet, all other factors being equal. A height of 120 feet
or even higher will provide even more advantages for long-distance communications. To a
distant receiving station, a transmitting antenna at 120 feet will provide the effect of
approximately 8 to 10 times more transmitting power than the same antenna at 35 feet.
Depending on the level of noise and interference, this performance disparity is often enough to
mean the difference between making distant radio contact with fairly reliable signals, and being
unable to make distant contact at all.
Radio Amateurs have a well-deserved reputation for providing vital communications in
emergency situations, such as in the aftermath of a severe icestorm, a hurricane or an earthquake.
Short-range communications at VHF or UHF frequencies also require sufficient antenna heights
above the local terrain to ensure that the antenna has a clear horizon.
In terms of safety and aesthetic considerations, it might seem intuitively reasonable for a
planning board to want to restrict antenna installations to low heights. However, such height
restrictions often prove very counterproductive and frustrating to all parties involved. If an
amateur is restricted to low antenna heights, say 35 feet, he will suffer from poor transmission of
his own signals as well as poor reception of distant signals. In an attempt to compensate on the
transmitting side (he can’t do anything about the poor reception problem), he might boost his
transmitted power, say from 150 watts to 1,500 watts, the maximum legal limit. This ten-fold
increase in power will very significantly increase the potential for interference to telephones,
televisions, VCRs and audio equipment in his neighborhood.
Instead, if the antenna can be moved farther away from neighboring electronic devices—
putting it higher, in other words—this will greatly reduce the likelihood of interference, which
decreases at the inverse square of the distance. For example, doubling the distance reduces the
potential for interference by 75%. As a further benefit, a large antenna doesn’t look anywhere
near as large at 120 feet as it does close-up at 35 feet.
As a not-so-inconsequential side benefit, moving an antenna higher will also greatly reduce
the potential of exposure to electromagnetic fields for neighboring human and animals.
Interference and RF exposure standards have been thoroughly covered in recently enacted
Federal Regulations.
Page 1
Antenna Height and Communications
Effectiveness
By R. Dean Straw, N6BV, and Gerald L. Hall, K1TD
Senior Assistant Technical Editor and Retired Associate Technical Editor
The purpose of this paper is to provide general information about communications
effectiveness as related to the physical height of antennas. The intended audience is amateur
radio operators and the city and town Planning Boards before which a radio amateur must
sometimes appear to obtain building permits for radio towers and antennas.
The performance of horizontally polarized antennas at heights of 35, 70 and 120 feet is
examined in detail. Vertically polarized arrays are not considered here because at short-wave
frequencies, over average terrain and at low radiation angles, they are usually less effective than
horizontal antennas.
Ionospheric Propagation
Frequencies between 3 and 30 megahertz (abbreviated MHz) are often called the “shortwave”
bands. In engineering terms this range of frequencies is defined as the high-frequency or
HF portion of the radio spectrum. HF radio communications between two points that are
separated by more than about 15 to 25 miles depend almost solely on propagation of radio
signals through the ionosphere. The ionosphere is a region of the Earth’s upper atmosphere that
is ionized primarily by ultraviolet rays from the Sun.
The Earth’s ionosphere has the property that it will refract or bend radio waves passing
through it. The ionosphere is not a single “blanket” of ionization. Instead, for a number of
complex reasons, a few discrete layers are formed at different heights above the earth. From the
standpoint of radio propagation, each ionized layer has distinctive characteristics, related
primarily to different amounts of ionization in the various layers. The ionized layer that is most
useful for HF radio communication is called the F layer.
The F layer exists at heights varying from approximately 130 to 260 miles above the earth’s
surface. Both the layer height and the amount of ionization depend on the latitude from the
equator, the time of day, the season of the year, and on the level of sunspot activity. Sunspot
activity varies generally in cycles that are approximately 11 years in duration, although shortterm
bursts of activity may create changes in propagation conditions that last anywhere from a
few minutes to several days. The ionosphere is not homogeneous, and is undergoing continual
change. In fact, the exact state of the ionosphere at any one time is so variable that is best
described in statistical terms.
The F layer disappears at night in periods of low and medium solar activity, as the ultraviolet
energy required to sustain ionization is no longer received from the Sun. The amount that a
passing radio wave will bend in an ionospheric layer is directly related to the intensity of
ionization in that layer, and to the frequency of the radio wave.
A triangle may be used to portray the cross-sectional path of ionospheric radio-wave travel,
as shown in Fig 1, a highly simplified picture of what happens in propagation of radio waves.
The base of the triangle is the surface of the Earth between two distant points, and the apex of the
triangle is the point representing refraction in the ionosphere. If all the necessary conditions are
Page 2
met, the radio wave will travel from the first point on the Earth’s surface to the ionosphere,
where it will be bent (refracted) sufficiently to travel to the second point on the earth, many
hundreds of miles away.
Fig 1—A simplified cross-sectional representation of
ionospheric propagation. The simple triangle goes from
the Transmitter T up to the virtual height and then back
down to the Receiver R. Typically the F layer exists at a
height of 150 miles above the Earth at mid-latitudes. The
distance between T and R may range from a few miles to
2500 miles under normal propagation conditions.
Of course the Earth’s surface is not a flat plane, but instead is curved. High-frequency radio
waves behave in essentially the same manner as light waves—they tend to travel in straight lines,
but with a slight amount of downward bending caused by refraction in the air. For this reason it
is not possible to communicate by a direct path over distances greater than about 15 to 25 miles
in this frequency range, slightly farther than the optical horizon. The curvature of the earth
causes the surface to “fall away” from the path of the radio wave with greater distances.
Therefore, it is the ionosphere that permits HF radio communications to be made between points
separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles. The range of frequencies from 3 to 30 MHz is
unique in this respect, as ionospheric propagation is not consistently supported for any
frequencies outside this range.
One of the necessary conditions for ionospheric communications is that the radio wave must
encounter the ionosphere at the correct angle. This is illustrated in Fig 2, another very simplified
drawing of the geometry involved. Radio waves leaving the earth at high elevation angles above
the horizon may receive only very slight bending due to refraction, and are then lost to outer
space. For the same fixed frequency of operation, as the elevation angle is lowered toward the
horizon, a point is reached where the bending of the wave is sufficient to return the wave to the
Earth. At successively lower angles, the wave returns to the Earth at increasing distances.
Page 3
Fig 2—Behavior of radio waves encountering the
ionosphere. Rays entering the ionized region at angles
above the critical angle are not bent enough to return to
Earth and are lost to space. Waves entering at angles
below the critical angle reach the Earth at increasingly
greater distances as the angle approaches the
horizontal. The maximum distance that may normally
be covered in a single hop is 2500 miles. Greater
distances may be covered with multiple hops.
If the radio wave leaves the earth at an elevation angle of zero degrees, just toward the
horizon (or just tangent to the earth’s surface), the maximum distance that may be reached under
usual ionospheric conditions is approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers). However, the
Earth itself also acts as a reflector of radio waves coming down from the ionosphere. Quite often
a radio signal will be reflected from the reception point on the Earth back into the ionosphere
again, reaching the Earth a second time at a still more distant point.
As in the case of light waves, the angle of reflection is the same as the angle of incidence, so
a wave striking the surface of the Earth at an angle of, say, 15º is reflected upward from the
surface at the same angle. Thus, the distance to the second point of reception will be
approximately twice the distance of the first. This effect is also illustrated in Fig 2, where the
signal travels from the transmitter at the left of the drawing via the ionosphere to Point A, in the
center of the drawing. From Point A the signal travels via the ionosphere again to Point B, at the
right. A signal traveling from the Earth through the ionosphere and back to the Earth is called a
hop. Under some conditions it is possible for as many as four or five signal hops to occur over a
radio path, but no more than two or three hops is the norm. In this way, HF communications can
be conducted over thousands of miles.
Page 4
With regard to signal hopping, two important points should be recognized. First, a significant
loss of signal occurs with each hop. Lower layers of the ionosphere absorb energy from the
signals as they pass through, and the ionosphere tends to scatter the radio energy in various
directions, rather than confining it to a tight bundle. The earth also scatters the energy at a
reflection point. Thus, only a small fraction of the transmitted energy actually reaches a distant
receiving point.
Again refer to Fig 2. Two radio paths are shown from the transmitter to Point B, a one-hop
path and a two-hop path. Measurements indicate that although there can be great variation in the
ratio of the two signal strengths in a situation such as this, the signal power received at Point B
will generally be from five to ten times greater for the one-hop wave than for the two-hop wave.
(The terrain at the mid-path reflection point for the two-hop wave, the angle at which the wave is
reflected from the earth, and the condition of the ionosphere in the vicinity of all the refraction
points are the primary factors in determining the signal-strength ratio.) Signal levels are
generally compared in decibels, abbreviated dB. The decibel is a logarithmic unit. Three decibels
difference in signal strengths is equivalent to a power ratio of 2:1; a difference of 10 dB equates
to a power ratio of 10:1. Thus the signal loss for an additional hop is about 7 to 10 dB.
The additional loss per hop becomes significant at greater distances. For a simplified
example, a distance of 4,000 miles can be covered in two hops of 2,000 miles each or in four
hops of 1,000 miles each. For illustration, assume the loss for additional hops is 10 dB, or a 1/10
power ratio. Under such conditions, the four-hop signal will be received with only 1/100 the
power or 20 dB below that received in two hops. The reason for this is that only 1/10 of the twohop
signal is received for the first additional (3rd) hop, and only 1/10 of that 1/10 for the second
additional (4th) hop. It is for this reason that no more than four or five propagation hops are
useful; the received signal eventually becomes too weak to be heard.
The second important point to be recognized in multihop propagation is that the geometry of
the first hop establishes the geometry for all succeeding hops. And it is the elevation angle at the
transmitter that sets up the geometry for the first hop.
It should be obvious from the preceding discussion that one needs a detailed knowledge of
the range of elevation angles for effective communication in order to do a scientific evaluation of
a possible communications circuit. The range of angles should be statistically valid over the full
11-year solar sunspot cycle, since the behavior of the Sun determines the changes in the nature of
the Earth’s ionosphere. ARRL did a very detailed computer study in the early 1990s to determine
the angles needed for propagation throughout the world. The results of this study will be
examined later, after we introduce the relationship between antenna height and the elevation
pattern for an antenna.
Horizontal Antennas Over Flat Ground
A simple antenna that is commonly used for HF communications is the horizontal half-wave
dipole. The dipole is a straight length of wire (or tubing) into which radio-frequency energy is
fed at the center. Because of its simplicity, the dipole may be easily subjected to theoretical
performance analyses. Further, the results of proper analyses are well borne out in practice. For
these reasons, the half-wave dipole is a convenient performance standard against which other
antenna systems can be compared.
Because the earth acts as a reflector for HF radio waves, the directive properties of any
antenna are modified considerably by the ground underneath it. If a dipole antenna is placed
horizontally above the ground, most of the energy radiated downward from the dipole is
Page 5
reflected upward. The reflected waves combine with the direct waves (those radiated at angles
above the horizontal) in various ways, depending on the height of the antenna, the frequency, and
the electrical characteristics of the ground under and around the antenna.
At some vertical angles above the horizon, the direct and reflected waves may be exactly in
phase—that is, the maximum signal or field strengths of both waves are reached at the same
instant at some distant point. In this case the resultant field strength is equal to the sum of the two
components. At other vertical angles the two waves may be completely out of phase at some
distant point—that is, the fields are maximum at the same instant but the phase directions are
opposite. The resultant field strength in this case is the difference between the two. At still other
angles the resultant field will have intermediate values. Thus, the effect of the ground is to
increase the intensity of radiation at some vertical angles and to decrease it at others. The
elevation angles at which the maxima and minima occur depend primarily on the antenna height
above ground. (The electrical characteristics of the ground have some slight effect too.)
For simplicity here, we consider the ground to be a perfectly conducting, perfectly flat
reflector, so that straightforward trigonometric calculations can be made to determine the relative
amount of radiation intensity at any vertical angle for any dipole height. Graphs from such
calculations are often plotted on rectangular axes to show best resolution over particularly useful
ranges of elevation angles, although they are also shown on polar plots so that both the front and
back of the response can be examined easily. Fig 3 shows an overlay of the polar elevationpattern
responses of two dipoles at different heights over perfectly conducting flat ground. The
lower dipole is located a half wavelength above ground, while the higher dipole is located one
wavelength above ground. The pattern of the lower antenna peaks at an elevation angle of about
30º, while the higher antenna has two main lobes, one peaking at 15º and the other at about 50º
elevation angle.
Fig 3–Comparison of elevation responses for two
dipoles: one ½-wavelength high, and the other
1-wavelength high.
In the plots shown in Fig 3, the elevation angle above the horizon is represented in the same
fashion that angles are measured on a protractor. The concentric circles are calibrated to
represent ratios of field strengths, referenced to the strength represented by the outer circle. The
circles are calibrated in decibels. Diminishing strengths are plotted toward the center.
Page 6
You may have noted that antenna heights are often discussed in terms of wavelengths. The
reason for this is that the length of a radio wave is inversely proportional to its frequency.
Therefore a fixed physical height will represent different electrical heights at different radio
frequencies. For example, a height of 70 feet represents one wavelength at a frequency of
14 MHz. But the same 70-foot height represents a half wavelength for a frequency of 7 MHz and
only a quarter wavelength at 3.5 MHz. On the other hand, 70 feet is 2 wavelengths high at
28 MHz.
The lobes and nulls of the patterns shown in Fig 3 illustrate what was described earlier, that
the effect of the ground beneath an antenna is to increase the intensity of radiation at some
vertical elevation angles and to decrease it at others. At a height of a half wavelength, the
radiated energy is strongest at a rather high elevation angle of 30º. This would represent the
situation for a 14-MHz dipole 35 feet off the ground.
As the horizontal antenna is raised to greater heights, additional lobes are formed, and the
lower ones move closer to the horizon. The maximum amplitude of each of the lobes is roughly
equal. As may be seen in Fig 3, for an antenna height of one wavelength, the energy in the lowest
lobe is strongest at 15º. This would represent the situation for a 14-MHz dipole 70 feet high.
The elevation angle of the lowest lobe for a horizontal antenna above perfectly conducting
ground may be determined mathematically:
− 0.25
θ= sin 1
h
Where
θ = the wave or elevation angle
h = the antenna height above ground in wavelengths
In short, the higher the horizontal antenna, the lower is the lowest lobe of the pattern. As a
very general rule of thumb, the higher an HF antenna can be placed above ground, the farther it
will provide effective communications because of the resulting lower radiation angle. This is true
for any horizontal antenna over real as well as theoretically perfect ground.
You should note that the nulls in the elevation pattern can play an important role in
communications—or lack of communication. If a signal arrives at an angle where the antenna
system exhibits a deep null, communication effectiveness will be greatly reduced. It is thus quite
possible that an antenna can be too high for good communications efficiency on a particular
frequency. Although this rarely arises as a significant problem on the amateur bands below
14 MHz, we’ll discuss the subject of optimal height in more detail later.
Actual earth does not reflect all the radio-frequency energy striking it; some absorption takes
place. Over real earth, therefore, the patterns will be slightly different than those shown in Fig 3,
however the differences between theoretical and perfect earth ground are not significant for the
range of elevation angles necessary for good HF communication. Modern computer programs
can do accurate evaluations, taking all the significant ground-related factors into account.
Beam Antennas
For point-to-point communications, it is beneficial to concentrate the radiated energy into a
beam that can be aimed toward a distant point. An analogy can be made by comparing the light
Page 7
from a bare electric bulb to that from an automobile headlight, which incorporates a built-in
focusing lens. For illuminating a distant point, the headlight is far more effective.
Antennas designed to concentrate the radiated energy into a beam are called, naturally
enough, beam antennas. For a fixed amount of transmitter power fed to the transmitting antenna,
beam antennas provide increased signal strength at a distant receiver. In radio communications,
the use of a beam antenna is also beneficial during reception, because the antenna pattern for
transmission is the same for reception. A beam antenna helps to reject signals from unwanted
directions, and in effect boosts the strength of signals received from the desired direction.
The increase in signal or field strength a beam antenna offers is frequently referenced to a
dipole antenna in free space (or to another theoretical antenna in free space called an isotropic
antenna) by a term called gain. Gain is commonly expressed in decibels. The isotropic antenna is
defined as being one that radiates equally well in all directions, much like the way a bare
lightbulb radiates essentially equally in all directions.
One particularly well known type of beam antenna is called a Yagi, named after one of its
Japanese inventors. Different varieties of Yagi antennas exist, each having somewhat different
characteristics. Many television antennas are forms of multi-element Yagi beam antennas. In the
next section of this paper, we will refer to a four-element Yagi, with a gain of 8.5 dBi in free
space, exclusive of any influence due to ground.
This antenna has 8.5 dB more gain than an isotropic antenna in free space and it achieves that
gain by squeezing the pattern in certain desired directions. Think of a normally round balloon
and imagine squeezing that balloon to elongate it in one direction. The increased length in one
direction comes at the expense of length in other directions. This is analogous to how an antenna
achieves more signal strength in one direction, at the expense of signal strength in other
directions.
The elevation pattern for a Yagi over flat ground will vary with the electrical height over
ground in exactly the same manner as for a simpler dipole antenna. The Yagi is one of the most
common antennas employed by radio amateurs, second in popularity only to the dipole.
Putting the Pieces Together
In Fig 4, the elevation angles necessary for communication from a particular transmitting
site, in Boston, Massachusetts, to the continent of Europe using the 14-MHz amateur band are
shown in the form of a bargraph. For each elevation angle from 1º to 30º, Fig 4 shows the
percentage of time when the 14-MHz band is open at each elevation angle. For example, 5º is the
elevation angle that occurs just over 12% of the time when the band is available for
communication, while 11º occurs about 10% of the time when the band is open. The useful range
of elevation angles that must accommodated by an amateur station wishing to talk to Europe
from Boston is from 1º to 28º.
In addition to the bar-graph elevation-angle statistics shown in Fig 4, the elevation pattern
responses for three Yagi antennas, located at three different heights above flat ground, are
overlaid on the same graph. You can easily see that the 120-foot antenna is the best antenna to
cover the most likely angles for this particular frequency, although it suffers at the higher
elevation angles on this particular propagation path, beyond about 12°. If, however, you can
accept somewhat lower gain at the lowest angles, the 70-foot antenna would arguably be the best
overall choice to cover all the elevation angles.
Page 8
Fig 4—Elevation response patterns of three Yagis at
120, 70 and 35 feet, at 14 MHz over flat ground. The
patterns are overlaid with the statistical elevationangles
for the path from Boston to continental Europe
over the entire 11-year solar sunspot cycle. Clearly, the
120-foot antenna is the best choice to cover the low
angles needed, but it suffers some at higher angles.
Other graphs are needed to show other target receiving areas around the world. For
comparison, Fig 5 is also for the 14-MHz band, but this time from Boston to Sydney, Australia.
The peak angle for this very long path is about 2º, occurring 19% of the time when the band is
actually open for communication. Here, even the 120-foot high antenna is not ideal. Nonetheless,
at a moderate 5° elevation angle, the 120-foot antenna is still 10 dB better than the one at 35 feet.
Fig 4 and Fig 5 have portrayed the situation for the 14-MHz amateur band, the most popular
and heavily utilized HF band used by radio amateurs. During medium to high levels of solar
sunspot activity, the 21 and 28-MHz amateur bands are open during the daytime for longdistance
communication. Fig 6 illustrates the 28-MHz elevation-angle statistics, compared to the
elevation patterns for the same three antenna heights shown in Fig 5. Clearly, the elevation
response for the 120-foot antenna has a severe (and undesirable) null at 8°. The 120-foot antenna
is almost 3.4 wavelengths high on 28 MHz (whereas it is 1.7 wavelengths high on 14 MHz.) For
many launch angles, the 120-foot high Yagi on 28 MHz would simply be too high.
The radio amateur who must operate on a variety of frequencies might require two or more
towers at different heights to maintain essential elevation coverage on all the authorized bands.
Antennas can sometimes be mounted at different heights on a single supporting tower, although
it is more difficult to rotate antennas that are “vertically stacked” around the tower to point in all
the needed directions. Further, closely spaced antennas tuned to different frequencies usually
interact electrically with each other, often causing severe performance degradation.
Page 9
Fig 5—Elevation responses for same antennas as Fig 4,
but for a longer-range path from Boston to Sydney,
Australia. Note that the prevailing elevation angles are
very low.
Fig 6—Elevation angles compared to antenna responses
for 28-MHz path from Boston to Europe. The 70-foot
antenna is probably the best overall choice on this path.
Page 10
During periods of low to moderate sunspot activity (about 50% of the 11-year solar cycle),
the 14-MHz band closes down for propagation in the early evening. A radio amateur wishing to
continue communication must shift to a lower frequency band. The next most highly used band
below the 14-MHz band is the 7-MHz amateur band. Fig 7 portrays a 7-MHz case for another
transmitting site, this time from San Francisco, California, to the European continent. Now, the
range of necessary elevation angles is from about 1° to 16°, with a peak statistical likelihood of
about 16% occurring at an elevation of 3°. At this low elevation angle, a 7-MHz antenna must be
very high in the air to be effective. Even the 120-foot antenna is hardly optimal for the peak
angle of 3°. The 200-foot antenna shown would be far better than a 120-foot antenna. Further,
the 35-foot high antenna is greatly inferior to the other antennas on this path and would provide
far less capabilities, on both receiving and transmitting.
Fig 7—Comparison of antenna responses for another
propagation path: from San Francisco to Europe on
7 MHz. Here, even a 120-foot high antenna is hardly
optimal for the very low elevation angles required on
this very long path. In fact, the 200-foot high antenna is
far better suited for this path.
What If the Ground Isn’t Flat?
In the preceding discussion, antenna radiation patterns were computed for antennas located
over flat ground. Things get much more complicated when the exact local terrain surrounding a
tower and antenna are taken into account. In the last few years, sophisticated ray-tracing
computer models have become available that can calculate the effect that local terrain has on the
elevation patterns for real-world HF installations—and each real-world situation is indeed
different.
Page 11
For simplicity, first consider an antenna on the top of a hill with a constant slope downward.
The general effect is to lower the effective elevation angle by an amount equal to the downslope
of the hill. For example, if the downslope is −3° for a long distance away from the tower and the
flat-ground peak elevation angle is 10° (due to the height of the antenna), then the net result will
be 10°− 3° = 7° peak angle. However, if the local terrain is rough, with many bumps and valleys
in the desired direction, the response can be modified considerably. Fig 8 shows the fairly
complicated terrain profile for Jan Carman, K5MA, in the direction of Japan. Jan is located on
one of the tallest hills in West Falmouth, Massachusetts. Within 500 feet of his tower is a small
hill with a water tower on the top, and then the ground quickly falls away, so that at a distance of
about 3000 feet from the tower base, the elevation has fallen to sea level, at 0 feet.
Fig 8—Terrain profile from location of K5MA, Jan
Carman, in West Falmouth, MA, towards Japan. This
is a moderately complicated real-world terrain on one
of the highest hills on Cape Cod.
The computed responses toward Japan from this location, using a 120- and a 70-foot high
Yagi, are shown in Fig 9, overlaid for comparison with the response for a 120-foot Yagi over flat
ground. Over this particular terrain, the elevation pattern for the 70-foot antenna is actually better
than that of the 120-foot antenna for angles below about 3°, but not for medium angles! The
responses for each height oscillate around the pattern for flat ground all due to the complex
reflections and diffractions occurring off the terrain.
At an elevation angle of 5°, the situation reverses itself and the gain is now higher for the
120-foot-high antenna than for the 70-foot antenna. A pair of antennas on one tower would be
required to cover all the angles properly. To avoid any electrical interactions between similar
antennas on one tower, two towers would be much better. Compared to the flat-ground situation,
the responses of real-world antenna can be very complicated due to the interactions with the
local terrain.
Page 12
Fig 9—Computed elevation responses of 120- and 70-foot
high Yagis, at the K5MA location on Cape Cod, in the
direction of Japan and over flat ground, for comparison.
The elevation response of the real-world antenna has
been significantly modified by the local terrain.
Fig 10 shows the situation for the same Cape Cod location, but now for 7 MHz. Again, it is
clear that the 120-foot high Yagi is superior by at least 3 dB (equivalent to twice the power) to
the 70-foot high antenna at the statistical elevation angle of 6°. However, the response of the
real-world 120-foot high antenna is still up some 2 dB from the response for an identical antenna
over flat ground at this angle. On this frequency, the local terrain has helped boost the gain at the
medium angles more than a similar antenna 120 feet over flat ground. The gain is even greater at
lower angles, say at 1° elevation, where most signals take off, statistically speaking. Putting the
antenna up higher, say 150 feet, will help the situation at this location, as would adding an
additional Yagi at the 70-foot level and feeding both antennas in phase as a vertical stack.
Although the preceding discussion has been in terms of the transmitting antenna, the same
principles apply when the antenna is used for reception. A high antenna will receive low-angle
signals more effectively than will a low antenna. Indeed, amateur operators know very well that
“If you can’t hear them, you can’t talk to them.” Stations with tall towers can usually hear far
better than their counterparts with low installations.
The situation becomes even more difficult for the next lowest amateur band at 3.5 MHz,
where optimal antenna heights for effective long-range communication become truly heroic!
Towers that exceed 120 feet are commonplace among amateurs wishing to do serious 3.5-MHz
long-distance work.
Page 13
Fig 10—Elevation response on 7 MHz from K5MA
location towards Japan on 7 MHz. The 120-foot high
Yagi is definitely superior to the one only 70-feet high.
The 3.5 and 7-MHz amateur bands are, however, not always used strictly for long-range
work. Both bands are crucial for providing communications throughout a local area, such as
might be necessary in times of a local emergency. For example, earthquakes, tornadoes and
hurricanes have often disrupted local communications—because telephone and power lines are
down and because local police and fire-department VHF/UHF repeaters are thus knocked out of
action. Radio amateurs often will use the 3.5 and 7-MHz bands to provide communications out
beyond the local area affected by the disaster, perhaps into the next county or the next
metropolitan area. For example, an earthquake in San Francisco might see amateurs using
emergency power providing communications through amateurs in Oakland across the San
Francisco Bay, or even as far away as Los Angeles or Sacramento. These places are where
commercial power and telephone lines are still intact, while most power and telephones might be
down in San Francisco itself. Similarly, a hurricane that selectively destroys certain towns on
Cape Cod might find amateurs in these towns using 3.5 or 7.0 MHz to contact their counterparts
in Boston or New York.
However, in order to get the emergency messages through, amateurs must have effective
antennas. Most such relatively local emergency situations require towers of moderate height, less
than about 100 feet tall typically.
Antenna Height and Interference
Extensive Federal Regulations cover the subject of interference to home electronic devices. It
is an unfortunate fact of life, however, that many home electronic devices (such as stereos, TVs,
telephones and VCRs) do not meet the Federal standards. They are simply inadequately designed
to be resistant to RF energy in their vicinity. Thus, a perfectly legal amateur-radio transmitter
may cause interference to a neighbor’s VCR or TV because cost-saving shortcuts were taken in
Page 14
the design and manufacture of these home entertainment devices. Unfortunately, it is difficult to
explain to an irate neighbor why his brand-new $1000 stereo is receiving the perfectly legitimate
transmissions by a nearby radio operator.
The potential for interference to any receiving device is a function of the transmitter power,
transmitter frequency, receiver frequency, and most important of all, the proximity of the
transmitter to the potential receiver. The transmitted field intensity decreases as the inverse
square of the distance. This means that doubling the height of an antenna from 35 to 70 feet will
reduce the potential for interference by 75%. Doubling the height again to 140 feet high would
reduce the potential another 75%. Higher is better to prevent interference in the first place!
Recently enacted Federal Regulations address the potential for harm to humans because of
exposure to electromagnetic fields. Amateur-radio stations rarely have problems in this area,
because they use relatively low transmitting power levels and intermittent duty cycles compared
to commercial operations, such as TV or FM broadcast stations. Nevertheless, the potential for
RF exposure is again directly related to the distance separating the transmitting antenna and the
human beings around it. Again, doubling the height will reduce potential exposure by 75%. The
higher the antenna, the less there will any potential for significant RF exposure.
THE WORLD IS A VERY COMPLICATED PLACE
It should be pretty clear by now that designing scientifically valid communication systems is
an enormously complex subject. The main complications come from the vagaries of the medium
itself, the Earth’s ionosphere. However, local terrain can considerably complicate the analysis
also.
The main points of this paper may be summarized briefly:
The radiation elevation angle is the key factor determining effective
communication distances beyond line-of-sight. Antenna height is the
primary variable under control of the station builder, since antenna
height affects the angle of radiation.
In general, placing an amateur antenna system higher in the air
enhances communication capabilities and also reduces chances for
electromagnetic interference with neighbors.
Page 15
W1AW Propagation Bulletins for 2008
W1AW Schedule
·
Bulletins via email
30-May-2008
ARLP023
Propagation de K7RA
23-May-2008
ARLP022
Propagation de K7RA
16-May-2008
ARLP021
Propagation de K7RA
09-May-2008
ARLP020
Propagation de K7RA
02-May-2008
ARLP019
Propagation de K7RA
25-Apr-2008
ARLP018
Propagation de K7RA
18-Apr-2008
ARLP017
Propagation de K7RA
11-Apr-2008
ARLP016
Propagation de K7RA
04-Apr-2008
ARLP015
Propagation de K7RA
28-Mar-2008
ARLP014
Propagation de K7RA
20-Mar-2008
ARLP013
Propagation de K7RA
17-Mar-2008
ARLP012
Propagation de K7RA
14-Mar-2008
ARLP011
Propagation de K7RA
07-Mar-2008
ARLP010
Propagation de K7RA
29-Feb-2008
ARLP009
Propagation de K7RA
22-Feb-2008
ARLP008
Propagation de K7RA
15-Feb-2008
ARLP007
Propagation de K7RA
08-Feb-2008
ARLP006
Propagation de K7RA
01-Feb-2008
ARLP005
Propagation de K7RA
25-Jan-2008
ARLP004
Propagation de K7RA
18-Jan-2008
ARLP003
Propagation de K7RA
11-Jan-2008
ARLP002
Propagation de K7RA
04-Jan-2008
ARLP001
Propagation de K7RA
W1AW Propagation Bulletins for 2001
W1AW Schedule
·
Bulletins via email
31-Dec-2001
ARLP056
Propagation de K7VVV
28-Dec-2001
ARLP055
Propagation de K9LA
21-Dec-2001
ARLP054
Propagation de K7VVV
14-Dec-2001
ARLP053
Propagation de K7VVV
07-Dec-2001
ARLP052
Propagation de K7VVV
03-Dec-2001
ARLP051
Propagation de K7VVV
30-Nov-2001
ARLP050
Propagation de K7VVV
26-Nov-2001
ARLP049
Propagation de K7VVV
21-Nov-2001
ARLP048
Propagation de K7VVV
16-Nov-2001
ARLP047
Propagation de K7VVV
09-Nov-2001
ARLP046
Propagation de K7VVV
02-Nov-2001
ARLP045
Propagation de K7VVV
26-Oct-2001
ARLP044
Propagation de K7VVV
19-Oct-2001
ARLP043
Propagation de K7VVV
12-Oct-2001
ARLP042
Propagation de K7VVV
05-Oct-2001
ARLP041
Propagation de K7VVV
28-Sep-2001
ARLP040
Propagation de K7VVV
21-Sep-2001
ARLP039
Propagation de K7VVV
14-Sep-2001
ARLP038
Propagation de K7VVV
07-Sep-2001
ARLP037
Propagation de K7VVV
31-Aug-2001
ARLP036
Propagation de K7VVV
24-Aug-2001
ARLP035
Propagation de K7VVV
17-Aug-2001
ARLP034
Propagation de K9LA
10-Aug-2001
ARLP033
Propagation de K7VVV
03-Aug-2001
ARLP032
Propagation de K7VVV
27-Jul-2001
ARLP031
Propagation de K7VVV
20-Jul-2001
ARLP030
Propagation de K7VVV
13-Jul-2001
ARLP029
Propagation de K7VVV
06-Jul-2001
ARLP028
Propagation de K7VVV
29-Jun-2001
ARLP027
Propagation de K7VVV
22-Jun-2001
ARLP026
Propagation de K7VVV
15-Jun-2001
ARLP025
Propagation de K7VVV
08-Jun-2001
ARLP024
Propagation de K7VVV
01-Jun-2001
ARLP023
Propagation de K7VVV
25-May-2001
ARLP022
Propagation de K7VVV
18-May-2001
ARLP021
Propagation de K7VVV
11-May-2001
ARLP020
Propagation de K7VVV
04-May-2001
ARLP019
Propagation de K7VVV
27-Apr-2001
ARLP018
Propagation de K7VVV
20-Apr-2001
ARLP017
Propagation de K7VVV
12-Apr-2001
ARLP016
Propagation de K7VVV
06-Apr-2001
ARLP015
Propagation de K7VVV
30-Mar-2001
ARLP014
Propagation de K7VVV
27-Mar-2001
ARLP013
Propagation de K7VVV
23-Mar-2001
ARLP012
Propagation de K7VVV
16-Mar-2001
ARLP011
Propagation de K7VVV
09-Mar-2001
ARLP010
Propagation de K7VVV
02-Mar-2001
ARLP009
Propagation de K7VVV
23-Feb-2001
ARLP008
Propagation de K7VVV
16-Feb-2001
ARLP007
Propagation de K7VVV
09-Feb-2001
ARLP006
Propagation de K7VVV
02-Feb-2001
ARLP005
Propagation de K7VVV
26-Jan-2001
ARLP004
Propagation de K9LA
19-Jan-2001
ARLP003
Propagation de K7VVV
12-Jan-2001
ARLP002
Propagation de K7VVV
05-Jan-2001
ARLP001
Propagation de K7VVV
Those New QST Propagation
Charts
With LUF curves now shown in the monthly graphs, you can
intelligently choose the bands and the times of day for the best
probable propagation conditions to the DX areas of your choice.
By Jerry Hall, K1TD
Associate Technical Editor (Retired)
181 Brimfield Rd
Wethersfield, CT 06109-3309
B
B
eginning with this issue, the propagation-
prediction graphs appearing
in the How’s DX? column convey
some different information than has appeared
in the past. You should find the new
information very helpful when you’re
choosing the bands and the times to use
during a contest, for going after that DX
country you’ve been trying to snag, for
making a schedule, or for just making a
general contact with a particular distant
area.
As anyone who frequently uses the HF
bands knows, propagation conditions
change with the time of day and often from
one day to the next. Propagation also
changes from month to month and with the
so-called 11-year solar cycle. Soon we’ll
see the close of Solar Cycle 22, which began
in September 1986; present indications
are that it will bottom out and end late in
1995 or sometime in 1996. With the decline
in solar activity, band openings on 10,
12 and 15 meters will become fewer and
farther between. During the solar minimum,
bands at the higher end of the HF
spectrum may never come alive for weeks
on end. In these coming times, information
from QST’s How’s DX? charts will help
answer the recurring question, “Is the band
dead, or is there just no one out there transmitting?”
Propagation Predictions
Short-term changes in propagation cannot
be accurately predicted far in advance,
and that’s where listening to WWV or
WWVH will bring you up to date on current
conditions. How to use that information
is discussed in more detail later in this
article. Long-term changes—variances
with month and with the level of solar activity—
are taken into account by each of
many computer programs that are available.
IONCAP, one of the most sophisticated
programs, is used at ARRL Headquarters
to prepare the How’s DX? charts.1
1Notes appear on page 30.
Figure 1—Curves showing propagation
probabilities from Mid-USA to Central Asia
during the period from mid-October to mid-
November 1994. The vertical axis
indicates frequency in MHz, and the
horizontal axis, Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC). The curves at A (HPF/median
MUF/FOT) are those appearing in
previous issues of QST, while those at B
(HPF/median MUF/LUF) appear beginning
with this issue. See text for details on
these and other changes.
All IONCAP results are based on probabilities.
Propagation charts have appeared in
QST since January 1977.2 See Figure 1A,
depicting the style of charts that were
adopted in September 1977. This chart
shows propagation estimations for the path
from Mid-USA (Kansas City) to Central
Table 1
Path Terminal Points
table with 2 columns and 15 rows
General Location
Actual Location*
West Coast
San Francisco, CA
Mid-USA
Kansas City, MO
East Coast
Washington, DC
South America
Asuncion, Paraguay
Central Asia
New Delhi, India
Southern Africa
Lusaka, Zambia
Western Europe
London, England
Eastern Europe
Kiev, Ukraine
Japan
Tokyo
Australia
Sydney
South Pacific
Pago Pago, Samoa
Alaska
Anchorage
Hawaii
Honolulu
Caribbean
San Juan, Puerto Rico
table end
*Latitudes and longitudes used for the actual
locations are those appearing in Table 4-3 of
The ARRL Operating Manual, 4th edition.
Asia (New Delhi, India). The uppermost
curve shows the highest possible frequency
or HPF. Based on probabilities, the ionosphere
will support these frequencies on
10% of the days of the propagation period,
or about 3 days of the mid-October to mid-
November prediction period. The middle
curve shows the median maximum usable
frequency or median MUF. The ionosphere
will likely support these frequencies on
50% of the days, about 15 days of the splitmonth
period. (A word of caution here:
Don’t be misled when the word median is
dropped in referring to this curve, as is often
done. The median or 50% MUF is not
the same as the true MUF, which is the
maximum frequency that will be propagated
via the ionosphere between the two
end-points of a given path at a given time.)
The lower curve in Figure 1A shows the
frequency of optimum transmission or
FOT. Propagation at these frequencies will
probably be supported by the ionosphere
for 90% of the days, about 27 days of the
period. By implication, you should almost
be guaranteed a QSO if you attempt con-
From October 1994 QST© ARRL
tacts at times and frequencies indicated by
the FOT curve, right? This is the “optimum”
frequency, so how can you go
wrong? Let’s follow up on this idea while
referring to Figure 1A; it looks as if a great
opportunity to work Central Asia from
Mid-USA is on 40 meters between 0400
and 1000 UTC (10 PM to 4 AM CST). The
FOT curve is relatively flat during this time
period, and it hugs the broken line representing
the 40-meter amateur band all the
while.
Lowest Usable Frequency, the LUF
But have we overlooked something? Is
40 meters from 0400 to 1000 really the best
choice of band and time? As we’ll see
shortly, NO! (Actually, it’s about the worst
choice!) Why is this? To comprehend the
reason, we need to understand that the three
curves of Figure 1A tell us only that, based
on probabilities, the various frequencies
will be supported by ionospheric propagation
when indicated. But those curves tell
us nothing of signal strengths. To get another
piece of the best-propagation puzzle,
we also need to consider the path losses
between the transmitter and the receiver. A
big contributor to losses is absorption in
the ionosphere, particularly the D region.
Some other losses are from dispersion of
the transmitted energy in space and signal
scattering at intermediate reflection and/or
refraction points. When all these losses are
added up, they can knock the signal from a
1500-W transmitter down to an S-1 level
and even lower. So while the signal may be
propagated via the ionosphere, it might be
too weak to be heard at the receiving end of
the path.
This means that at times, especially on
longer paths, signals at the FOT or “optimum”
frequency may be unusable because
of path losses. The lowest usable frequency
or LUF indicates the frequency below
which signals will be too weak to be usable.
The LUF may be calculated by taking many
variable factors into account, such as all
the path losses, the transmitter power, the
transmitting and receiving antenna gains,
the noise level at the receiver site, and even
the bandwidth of the signal. To illustrate
how some of these variables affect the LUF,
consider that a weak signal from a 1.5-kW
transmitter can get through the noise at
times when the signal from a 1.5-W rig
would never make it. Similarly, a CW signal
will often get through the noise when an
SSB signal will not.3
The New QST Charts
IONCAP and a few other computer programs
support LUF calculations by taking
all the path losses and many other variable
factors into account. Figure 1B shows the
new style for the QST charts. You’ll see
right away that the FOT curve of Figure 1A
has been replaced by a heavy broken line.
This is the LUF curve, shown as heavy and
broken for distinction. The chart of Figure
Table 2
Parameters Used for IONCAP Calculations
Transmitter power: 1500 W
Antennas at each end of the path:
Data is read from an external binary antenna file created especially for preparing these
QST propagation charts. The data is based on dipole and Yagi antenna elevation
patterns, modified for a constant gain at elevation angles above the peak response of
the lowest lobe in the patterns. (Of course the peak angle changes with frequency and
with antenna height.) The constant-gain characteristic at the higher angles avoids
“holes” in the data that occur because of nulls in the patterns of real antennas. From the
standpoint of gain and antenna height, this file emulates 8 separate monoband
antennas.
The basic antennas for each amateur band are:
80, 40 and 30 m: Horizontal half-wave dipoles, 100 ft high
20 and 17 m: 3-element Yagis, free-space gain 5.5 dBd, 100 ft high
15, 12 and 10 m: 4-element Yagis, free-space gain 7 dBd, 60 ft high
Ground characteristics at each end of path: “Average” ground
Dielectric constant: 13
Conductivity: 5 millisiemens per meter
Minimum radiation angle: 1.0°
Manmade noise level in a 1-Hz bandwidth at 3 MHz at receiver site:
–148 dBW (typical for rural areas)
Required reliability: 50%, half the days of the month
Required SNR: 30 dB, for CW bandwidth (10 log 100 + 10 = 30). For SSB the required
SNR would be 10 log 2100 + 10 = 43 dB, 13 dB higher.
1B is actually one of the 30 How’s DX?
charts appearing in this issue, but shown at
a larger size. At first the curves that cross
over each other in Figure 1B may appear
confusing, but the explanation that follows
should eliminate any confusion.
To use the new charts effectively, it is
important to keep one thing in mind—the
old adage that frequencies slightly below
the MUF are always the best to use. That’s
because the signals are reflected back at
shallow angles from the ionosphere, giving
them a longer skip distance, and because
they suffer the least absorption, yielding
stronger signals. Depending on the day-today
propagation conditions, the actual
MUF may be near the HPF curve of the
chart, it may be near the median-MUF
curve of the chart, or it may be below the
chart’s median-MUF curve.
If you go lower in frequency from the
actual MUF, the path losses increase, and
with this the received signals will become
weaker (all else being held equal). The
lower you go in frequency, the weaker the
signals become, until eventually you reach
the LUF. This means that there is a frequency
window for making contacts on a
given path at a given time. That window
includes all frequencies between the MUF
and the LUF.
As propagation changes during the day
the frequency window changes, and often
even closes for a time on the longer paths.
This happens when the MUF equals or goes
below the LUF, indicated by a crossover
of the curves. When the frequency window
is closed, it will be difficult or impossible
to make contacts on any frequency. In
Figure 1B the median MUF goes below
the LUF during two time periods, 0300 to
1100 and 1700 to 1900 UTC. So now, what
about 40 meters between 0400 and 1000,
as we originally selected from Figure 1A?
No good at all, as we can now realize from
Figure 1B! The LUF is higher than the
median MUF for the entire period. It’d be
better to get some sleep, and try at another
time.
As the MUF depends on day-to-day
propagation conditions, so does the LUF.
As solar activity increases, so do path
losses from absorption, and the lowest usable
frequency becomes higher. In other
words, on exceptionally good days when
propagation conditions support the HPF,
the LUF will also rise somewhat. So the
frequency windows can shift up and down
as propagation conditions change from one
day to the next. But the MUF and the LUF
do not always “track” each other. Another
factor that greatly affects the LUF is the
earth’s geomagnetic activity, indicated by
the K and A indices broadcast by WWV
and WWVH. As these values increase, the
LUF also increases. The QST charts assume
the earth’s geomagnetic activity is low.
QSO Windows
Refer again to Figure 1B. With the preceding
information, we now see that on an
average propagation day there will be two
frequency windows during the forecast
month for the Mid-USA to Central Asia
path, from 1100 to 1600 and from 1900 to
0300 UTC. With the new charts, finding
the best times and amateur bands for making
schedules or for seeking DX contacts is
simply a matter of selecting a big frequency
window from the chart (a large separation
From October 1994 QST© ARRL
Figure 2—Curves showing propagation
probabilities from Hawaii to the West
Coast for mid-October to mid-November.
The horizontal axis indicates Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC) and the vertical axis
frequency in MHz. The curves at A show
HPF/median MUF/FOT, while B shows the
new chart style with HPF/median MUF/
LUF curves. Note in B that the frequency
window is open around the clock. See text
for determining the FOT from the new
chart style.
between the median-MUF and the LUF
curves) and choosing the band nearest the
median MUF—a QSO window, if you will.
We see in Figure 1B that on average there
will be a brief 20-meter band opening
around 1400 UTC. (On exceptionally good
days this may develop into a 17-meter band
opening from 1400 to 1800.) We also see
that the chances for a 30-meter band opening
are good from 2200 to 0200 UTC. The
best propagation during the 24-hour period
is likely to be during the brief 20-meter
QSO window at 1400, as the LUF is below
12 MHz.
If you’re looking for a longer QSO window,
then try 30 meters from 2300 to 2400;
the median MUF is not far above 10 MHz
and the predicted LUF is below 9 MHz. If
you are making a schedule, it’d be wise to
have alternative bands to allow for shortterm
propagation changes. Twenty meters
between 2300 and 2400 would be a good
second choice, as the HPF is above the
20-meter frequencies.
Among all the charts in the How’s DX?
column you’ll see several paths where the
frequency window is open all day long. The
Hawaii to West Coast path is one example,
shown in Figure 2B. Choosing the best band
for use at a particular time of day is simple;
just take the one nearest the median-MUF
curve, keeping in mind that day-to-day
changes may have some effect.
FOT Values from the New Charts
Just because the FOT curves will no
longer be appearing in QST, you should not
assume the FOT information has no value.
Indeed, the FOT will almost always provide
consistent “armchair copy” on short
paths, and on any path when the FOT is
significantly above the LUF. The FOT information
is very helpful in point-to-point
communication where 90% or higher reliability
is required. Say that you live on the
West Coast (San Francisco) and want to
maintain continuous reliable contact with
Hawaii (Honolulu) for an extended period
of time. Figure 2 shows the probabilities
for this path. Figure 2B indicates the frequency
window is open all day long with
the LUF significantly below the median
MUF, so amateur bands near the FOT
would be a wise choice.
Even though the FOT data is not included
in the new chart, you can still obtain
FOT values to a good approximation by
taking 80% of the median MUF.4 For example,
note the median MUF in Figure 2B
at 0600 UTC. The value there is 13.0 MHz.
Taking 80%, FOT = 13.0 ´ 0.8 = 10.4 MHz.
For comparison of this result, see the
FOT value plotted in Figure 2A. At
0600, IONCAP predicts the FOT will be
10.0
MHz.
Let’s look at another time, 1600 UTC.
The median MUF is 14.0 MHz. The approximation
is FOT = 14.0 ´ 0.8 = 11.2
MHz, whereas the value from IONCAP is
about 11.5 MHz. Although there may be
some slight difference between this approximation
and more precise calculations,
the appropriate amateur band should be
easy to discern from the approximations.
For this path, Hawaii to West Coast, the
FOT results indicate the 30-meter band
should provide communications for at least
90% or 27 days of the prediction period
from about 0400 to 1600 UTC.
Specific Path Terminal Points
The 30 charts in the How’s DX? column
cover as many paths as possible within a
reasonable amount of page space for all the
readers of QST. For a particular geographic
area, the number of those to use is reduced.
If you’re in the western, central or eastern
part of the US you’ll find charts to South
America, Central Asia, Southern Africa,
Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan
and Australia. There are two charts to South
Pacific from the US, Mid-USA and East
Coast, and one chart from the West Coast
to the Caribbean. In addition, there are two
charts for Alaska showing probabilities for
the East Coast and Western Europe, and
three charts for Hawaii to the West Coast,
East Coast, and Western Europe. A chart
for the East Coast to West Coast completes
the set.
In earlier issues of QST a chart was included
for the West Coast to the South
Pacific. Beginning with this issue, that
chart has been replaced by the popular path,
Hawaii to the West Coast. If you are interested
in data for the the West Coast to the
South Pacific, you can linearly interpolate
the sets of curves for Hawaii to the West
Coast and the West Coast to Australia. The
results will be quite accurate, as the bearings
are essentially identical and Pago Pago
(the South Pacific terminal point) is very
close to being halfway between Hawaii and
Australia.
Another change in the charts is the terminal
point in Australia. Now the charts
use Sydney, rather than the former
Melbourne. This change better covers New
Zealand, and also facilitates the interpolation
for West Coast to South Pacific, mentioned
in the previous paragraph. Another
minor change is a name change only for the
path from the Caribbean to the West Coast,
formerly shown as Puerto Rico to the West
Coast.
From these statements it becomes obvious
that the labels for the charts give generalized
geographic areas. The actual locations
for all terminal points are listed in
Table 1. If you are located some distance
from an actual terminal point, you can make
some correction based on latitude. The general
rule is that the higher the latitude, the
lower will be the median MUF.
IONCAP Data
The results from all IONCAP calculations
pertain to a calendar month that is
specified when the program is run. Because
the QST prediction period straddles two
calendar months, some extra steps are taken
at ARRL Headquarters to provide information
for the QSTprediction period. Two sets
of calculations are run—one for the first
calendar month and one for the second. The
means of the results (averages, in common
parlance) from the two months are then
used to prepare the charts.
The technical data that goes into
IONCAP for the calculations are summarized
in Table 2. The legal power limit
(1500 W) for the calculations is used, not
because everyone will be running this
power, but because the LUF can be adjusted
upward for lower levels. Similarly for the
antenna gains; the LUF can be adjusted
upward if you have antennas with lower
gains than those used for the calculations,
or adjusted downward if you have super
antennas with greater gains.
Short-Term Propagation Changes
As mentioned previously, the actual
MUF may be near the HPF curve of the
chart, it may be near the median-MUF
curve of the chart, or it may be below
the chart’s median-MUF curve. To get a
report of current propagation conditions,
listen to the WWV propagation broadcasts
at 18 minutes past the hour or WWVH
From October 1994 QST© ARRL
at 45 minutes past.5 Daily observed
2800-MHz solar flux values are given in
the broadcasts. Compare this number with
that in the caption for the How’s DX?
curves. If the flux number for the day is
higher than that used to prepare the charts,
the frequency windows will generally shift
to higher frequencies. The higher frequency
bands will usually open earlier and
close later than predicted. Conversely, if
the daily flux value is lower than that used
for the charts, the frequency windows will
be lower; the higher frequencies will open
later and close earlier than indicated.
Higher frequency bands showing only brief
openings in the charts may not open at all.
Also pay attention to the A and K indices,
indicators of the Earth’s geomagnetic
activity as measured at Boulder, Colorado.
The A index is calculated from the previous
day’s K index values,6 so it tells you
mainly how yesterday was. As the A index
rises, so does the LUF. The K index is updated
every 3 hours in the WWV/WWVH
broadcasts. The absolute values are meaningful,
with values of 3 or 4 and above indicating
unsettled geomagnetic conditions,
but the trend of the 3-hour periods also
conveys useful information. Rising values
mean the LUF will be going higher still,
while falling values mean the LUF will be
dropping.
Another way to learn about current
propagation conditions is to spend a few
moments tuning the bands and comparing
what you hear against appropriate charts in
QST. Observations for paths to not-too-dis
tant locations from your area can be applied
to the really long-haul paths. Listen
for areas where there is usually a lot of
amateur activity.
If a chart says you should have a good
QSO window to an area less than roughly
5000 miles away and signals are booming
in from that area, this means conditions at
the time are close to those predicted in the
charts. On the other hand, if you hear only
a few weak signals from there, chances are
that the LUF is higher than predicted. If
you hear no signals at all from there, then
either the LUF is significantly higher or
else the MUF is lower than predicted. A
way to help determine which is to listen on
the next-higher frequency band. If you hear
any signals from the same area on this band,
then the LUF is higher; if you again hear
nothing from the area, the MUF could be
lower, but also the LUF could be considerably
higher because of geomagnetic activity.
This all assumes the QST chart indicates
a good QSO window. If you hear very
little or no activity on any bands at times
when the charts indicate good QSO windows,
then the LUF is considerably higher
than predicted.
In Summary
With the LUF curves present in the
monthly How’s DX? charts, it’s easy to see
the very best times and bands for making
schedules or for seeking DX contacts—just
pick the time when the widest gap or frequency
window exists between the MUF
and the LUF curves (with the LUF curve on
the bottom!), and choose the band nearest
the MUF.
It’s also easy to see what paths will be
difficult, no matter what the time of day or
what band is used. Knowing when none of
the amateur bands may be usable becomes
important on the longer paths.
Is the band dead, or is there simply no
activity? With QST’s new monthly propagation
charts and a knowledge of current
propagation conditions, now you can determine
the answer to that question.
Notes
1IONCAP was written by the Institute for Telecommunication
Sciences and its predecessors
in the US Department of Commerce. For
more information see J. Hall, “Propagation
Predictions and Personal Computers,” Technical
Correspondence, QST, Dec 1990, pp
58-59.
2See D. Sumner, “Chart Your Way to Better
DX,” QST, Jan 1977, pp 58-60. (HPF curves
were not included during the first 8 months of
chart appearance in QST.)
3For additional information on the LUF and
some practical examples, see J. Hall, “Propagation
Predictions for HF—A New Look,”
QST, Feb 1992, pp 48-50.
4The rule for earlier manual methods of predicting
propagation was to take 85% of the predicted
MUF to obtain the FOT, but taking 80%
of the median MUF from the QST charts produces
results closer to those of IONCAP.
5For additional information on interpreting the
data from the broadcasts, see R. Healy,
“Propagation Broadcasts and Forecasts
Demystified,” QST, Nov 1991, pp 20-24.
6G. Jacobs and T. J. Cohen, The Shortwave
Propagation Handbook, 2nd ed. (Hicksville,
NY: CQ Publishing, Inc, 1982), p 110.
From October 1994 QST© ARRL
An Analysis of Stress in Guy-Wire
Systems (Mar/Apr 2006)
Doug,
On page 42 of my article, the pressure on
a round cross-section is defined as
P = 0.0025 V2. I shouldn¡¯t have stated that
FW = Area ¡Á Pressure ¡Á Coefficient of Drag
= WW ¡Á RD ¡Á P ¡Á Cd, since the coefficient
of drag (0.0025) is already incorporated into
the pressure value. In fact, that is true wherever
the pressure appears in an equation. The
attendant computer program is correct.
In an equation on page 43, one character
was omitted. The equation is dT = y ¡Á dF = y
¡Á P ¡Á dA = lever arm ¡Á pressure ¡Á width ¡Á y
(the last term should be dy rather than y). I
missed that on the proof copy.
¡ª
73, Bill Rynone, Ph.D., P.E., PO Box 4445, Annapolis, MD, 21403
RF Power Amplifier Output
Impedance Revisited
(Jan/Feb 2005; Letters, Mar/Apr 2006)
Hello Doug,
This letter is in response to your challenge
to the readers of Letters to the Editor in the
March/April issue of QEX, and to the two contributors
in that issue debating the topic of RF
power amplifier output impedance for solidstate
PAs, that certain assertions previously
advanced on these pages remain unchallenged,
and that further experiments are needed. I
would like to remind you that an overwhelming
series of experiments to convince readers
that when a PA tuned for maximum power
output, and operating within the design recommendations
by the manufacturer of the
tubes used, is indeed conjugately matched to
its load.1 My response refers to your comments
on the load variation method to measure the
output impedance of a power amplifier, refuted
by Warren Bruene, W5OLY, ¡°Letters to the
Editor¡±, Jan/Feb 2001 QEX, pp 59-61.
I do not intend to rebut that letter. My purpose
is to convince you that Mr. Bruene is
wrong, based on experiments previously reported.
Tom Rauch, W8JI, (a co-author of the
referenced paper) improved the test procedure
devised by W5OLY, which is involved
with feeding a small reverse generator signal
back into an operating amplifier via a
high-power attenuator, and measuring the
reverse generator¡¯s voltage level along a
50-ohm transmission line. This test once
again agreed with the results I obtained using
the test setup identical to Mr. Bruene¡¯s,
but the new test¡¯s ability to determine the
direction of change resulted in conclusions
very much contrary to Bruene¡¯s earlier measurements.
Mr. Rauch¡¯s measurements revealed that,
for some 14 amplifiers of widely varying types,
maximum efficiency could be obtained by tuning
the output network while solely observing
the reverse mismatch change! As the tank network
was adjusted to present a 50-¦¸ load to
the reverse power generator (reverse generator
voltage equal at every point along the
50-¦¸ line), maximum efficiency and output
power was obtained. As a matter of record,
Rauch noted it was much more difficult to obtain
optimum efficiency using the meters on
the amplifier and the power output indicator
than it was by watching the mismatch for the
reverse power generator (RPG).
Amplifier output impedance (referenced to
the output terminals of the PA) is certainly nondissipative;
power generated is available for
transfer. Assuming a low-loss transmission
line, the impedance of the transmission line is
a non-dissipative impedance. The antenna
itself has a measured (or calculated) input impedance,
which for efficient antennas is a nondissipative
impedance. Power is not absorbed
by the resistive component of this impedance,
power input to the antenna is transferred to the
propagation medium. Finally, since the input
impedance of antenna systems measured at the
input to the transmission line feeding the antenna
is generally not a resistive impedance
equal to 50 ¦¸, an antenna system tuning unit
(ASTU) is used, the purpose of which is to
provide a conjugate at the output terminals of
the ASTU, and hence a conjugate match referenced
to the input terminals (the transmitter
side of the ASTU).
¡ª
John S. (Jack) Belrose, VE2CV, ARRL Technical Advisor, john.belrose@crc.ca
Hi Jack,
Thanks for your letter. We had to shorten
it a bit so we could focus on two fundamental
assertions you mention that appear to us
to be mutually incompatible.
You¡¯ve consistently stated that maximum
power transfer occurs when a conjugate match
is achieved. Yet, you indicate that under the
conditions you claim to constitute such a
match, no power is dissipated at the tube end
of a network from the reverse power injected
during the Bruene experiment (non-dissipative
resistance), even though Mr. Rauch measures
the s22 of the amplifier to be 50 + j0 ¦¸.
In that case, you imply on the one hand
that no power transfer is occurring from load
to source and on the other, that no reflections
occur anywhere. We just don¡¯t see how you
can have it both ways.
Were amplifier output impedance com
pletely non-dissipative, you would not measure
an s22 of 50 + j0 ¦¸. You would instead
measure a pure reactance. If you say that the
s22 isn¡¯t the same as the amplifier output impedance,
then you don¡¯t have a conjugate
match by definition.
¡ª
Doug Smith, KF6DX, QEX Editor,
kf6dx@arrl.org
In Search of New Receiver
Performance Paradigms
(Empirical Outlook, May/June 2006)
Dear Doug:
Your plaints concerning measured IMD
shortcomings are well understood if not
widely recognized. More specifically:
The voltage gain of nonlinear, black-box
components (such as receivers, transmitters,
A/D converters, etc) can be expanded in a
power series when input level does not cause
significant change in component operating
point. For typical low-distortion components,
that power series can often be truncated, retaining
terms only up to the third order.
Straightforward trigonometric expansions of
two-tone response then yield the often useful
concepts of second- and third-order ¡°intercept
points.¡± These points permit a rapid
estimation of useful black-box dynamic
range. It is quite easy to show that these estimates
are seriously in error when:
1) More than two sinusoids are applied to
the input (complex waveforms, multiple interferers,
etc).
2) Truncated terms above third order are
significant (such as A/D converters, class-C
transmitters, etc).
3) Black-box operating point is a function
of input level.
In those instances, detailed and often messy
calculations are required, based upon both the
actual voltage-gain function and the phase relationships
among the multiple input
sinsusoids. I know of no simple ways of overcoming
these inherent drawbacks to the use of
IMD in characterizing black-box performance.
¡ª
Neal Eddy, fneddy@charter.net
Hi Neal,
Thanks for your comments. My main
point, of course, was that we continue to report
figures that don¡¯t comply with the defining
equation. Something has to give.
¡ª
Doug Smith, KF6DX, QEX Editor,
kf6dx@arrl.org
1J. S. Belrose, W. Maxwell and C. T. Rauch,
¡°Source Impedance of HF Tuned Power
Amplifiers and the Conjugate Match,¡±
Fall 1997 Communications Quarterly,
pp 25 - 40.
Jul/Aug 2006 61
Measuring Height With a Poor Man¡¯s
Gizmo (Tech Notes, May/June 2006)
Doug:
Last week, I mused (honestly!) about the
many times I have heard hams state the
heights of their antennas. All of them apparently
used the elusive ¡°eyeball algorithm¡± to
establish their measurements. I¡¯ve never
heard anyone say that the height was measured
with an instrument of known accuracy.
Kudos to William Rynone and QEX for
the ¡°Poor Man¡¯s Gizmo.¡± Print and sell a
bunch of reprints and publicize the gizmo in
QST and on the ARRL Web site. Finally, reflect
on the wisdom of Henry St. John (1716):
¡°Truth lies within a little and certain compass,
but error is immense.¡±
¡ª
73 de Jim Olsen, Jr, W3KMM,
w3kmn@aol.com
Uniform Current Loop Radiators
(May/June 2006)
Editor,
NP4B has written an interesting article.
What a novel idea to segment a piece of twinlead
like this ¡ª very clever. I don¡¯t think the
theoretical explanation is correct though.
First, the sinusoidal distribution of current
along a conventional wire antenna is not due
to wire inductance as the article says. It is due
to propagation delay, and reflection from the
ends of the wire in the case of a dipole. The
current distribution is a standing wave along
the antenna, caused by the interaction of forward
and reverse waves. That is covered in The
ARRL Antenna Book and elsewhere.
Also, the model for the segmented line
shown in Figure 2B doesn¡¯t seem to be correct.
It appears that the inductors represent the
alternating wire segments and the capacitors
represent the overlap between the segments.
The overlap is almost the entire portion of the
line, however, and not only is there capacitance
in this region but the wires are magnetically
coupled, too. For the entire overlap, in fact,
the structure remains the original transmission
line with its original distributed capacitive and
inductive coupling between the wires.
I think the model for the segmented line
is more complex than the author has indicated.
The results are interesting and obviously
the antenna works, but I don¡¯t think
the explanation is correct.
¡ª
Gerrit Barrere, KJ7KV, gerrit@exality.com
Dear Doug,
I accept the criticism of KJ7KV on my
simplistic explanation as due to wire inductance
alone. The model of Figure 2B is a
lumped model of a distributed system. The
Figure 1 ¡ª Detailed EZNEC modeling of the uniform current loop antenna with closely
spaced overlapping wire segments. For ease of modeling, eight sections are used in this
model.The driving source is in the center (current maximum) of element #1.
Figure 2 ¡ª This diagram shows how a resonant section of the loop is split in the center
to accept the feed line.
complete distributed system has been modeled
on EZNEC as in Figure 1 of this
letter. Note the (essentially) triangular distribution
of current on each wire segment;
summing the current in adjacent wires yields
a net uniform current, as proposed and realized.
While KJ7KV is technically correct in that
the wire segments are also magnetically
coupled, this coupling is lower than the electrical
coupling by a factor of ¦Ì0 (approximately)
and may be ignored.
I look forward to further discussion in QEX
regarding this antenna.
By the way, my article contained an error
in Figure 9, the SWR plot. The vertical scale
should be corrected to run from 1.0 to 6.0.
Also, several readers wrote to ask how the
feed line is connected and where. Figure 2 in
this letter shows how a resonant section is split
in two to accept the feed line.
¡ª
73, Bob Zimmerman, NP4B,
zimmo2@juno.com
Dual Directional Wattmeters (May/
June 2006)
Doug:
There were a few minor errors in my
DDW article, and I would like to issue a correction
or clarification in an upcoming issue.
In Figure 6B the wattmeter readings
should have been 43.5 W and 143.5 W for
PREF and PFWRD, and in Figure 6C they should
read 5.5 W and 105.5 W.
In Figures A1, A2, and A3, I used an alternate
notation for the forward and reverse
voltage with V+ used for VFWD and V¨C for
VREV.
¡ª
73, Eric von Valtier, K8LV,
EVonvaltie@aol.com
62 Jul/Aug 2006
Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Jamboree On The Air 2001!
By Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT
Contributing Editor
October 2, 2001
Scouting's major Amateur Radio event--Jamboree On The Air--is the weekend of October 20-21. It's a great opportunity for amateurs to expose young people
to ham radio.
2001 JOTA Patch/Logo
Logo and patch design of the 2001 Jamboree On The Air
Amateur Radio operators, clubs, scout groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies and all other scout groups around the globe) and thousands of
youth not yet involved in scouting are gearing up for Amateur Radio's best opportunity to expose our awesome hobby to the younger generations! This all
takes place in an event called Jamboree On The Air--or JOTA.
The purpose of Jamboree On The Air is to teach youth all about Amateur Radio through fun activities, including allowing them to contact other young people
all over the world on the various bands and modes we enjoy. Ultimately, I believe this event should leave younger participants wanting to study and get
their own Amateur Radio license!
Jamboree On The Air 2001 always takes place on the third weekend of October. This year's event will begin at 0001 local time on Saturday, October 20, and
continue through 2359 local time Sunday, October 21. As many as 400,000 Scouts, Scout leaders and other young people took to the bands during the 2000
Jamboree On The Air, and more are bound to do the same this year!
We need to point out that JOTA is not a contest. There are no points, no scorekeeping--JOTA is just a fun, educational and relaxed weekend experience. Stations
participating should call "CQ Jamboree" (or "CQ JOTA" on CW) and answer stations doing the same. JOTA calling frequencies have been established (see JOTA
calling frequencies, below), and activity tends to cluster around those frequencies, but any frequency for which the control operator has privileges will
work too.
If you do make contact on or very close to one of the JOTA calling frequencies, however, you should move off to another clear frequency to continue your
QSO. Please be courteous and lead by example!
Youth Participants Needed for JOTA
JOTA is the perfect opportunity to expose youth to our hobby
Jamboree On The Air is the perfect opportunity to expose youth to our hobby. Mark your calendar now.
Whether or not you are a Scout or a licensed ham radio operator, you are encouraged to participate in JOTA. Imagine spending time during a weekend learning
about ham radio and what it has to offer in the way of fun and enjoyment. Imagine talking to another Scout or young person a world away and sharing ideas
and stories with him or her. Imagine meeting new and interesting people who will help you get your ham radio license afterwards, or if you are already
licensed, your upgrade.
This is what Jamboree On The Air has to offer every October. You can get involved with JOTA in your area by first calling either your Scout council office
(or equivalent) or
nearby ham radio club
and asking if they are planning on hosting JOTA in your area. If they aren't, tell them about Jamboree On The Air and ask them if they would be willing
to put together a JOTA program for the community. If they are planning to take part in JOTA, bring along all of your friends, and get ready for a great
time.
For those who collect and trade patches, the traditional JOTA patch is available for ordering only within the United States from the Boy Scouts of America.
Each patch is $3.25 (plus applicable sales tax) and must be ordered after the event by sending a request and a check to Jamboree On The Air Patches, S221,
1325 West Walnut Hill Ln, PO Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. You and your friends or fellow scouts will certainly enjoy them for their memories.
I look forward to seeing you on the air during JOTA 2001.
Amateurs and Amateur Radio Clubs Needed for JOTA
Table with 3 columns and 9 rows
JOTA Calling Frequencies
Band
SSB (Voice)
CW (Morse code)
80 meters
3.740/3.940 MHz
3.590 MHz
40 meters
7.270 MHz
7.030 MHz
20 meters
14.290 MHz
14.070 MHz
17 meters
18.140 MHz
18.080 MHz
15 meters
21.360 MHz
21.140 MHz
12 meters
24.960 MHz
24.910 MHz
10 meters
28.390 MHz
28.190 MHz
table end
We all know that Amateur Radio needs more young operators within its ranks. As the average age of radio operators continues to creep upward, it's becoming
more and more important to get youth involved in our hobby. Every ham and every ham club should consider this one of their priorities, and JOTA is a perfect
opportunity to follow through.
The idea behind JOTA is to give youth a positive experience with ham radio. For this to happen, those young folks need a place to go to get on the air.
This is where all hams and especially ham clubs everywhere can play a part.
There's Still Time to Get Ready!
During JOTA 2000, Donald Village, K6PBQ, in San Diego, California, entertained both Boy Scouts and these Girl Scouts at his shack, including these representatives
from Girl Scout troop 1025.
Start today (there's still time) to plan a Jamboree On The Air weekend (either one or both days) for the Scouts and youth in your area. Decide on a convenient
location for the event, which can either be at your ham shack or your club station--even outdoors. Then begin putting together activities that will be
held during JOTA. These activities can include teaching the youth about ham radio, what its uses are for fun and during times of need, letting the participants
get on the ham bands to make contacts, showing off satellite operations, transmitter hunts, ATV, APRS and digital modes, and more.
If a Scout leader is on hand, let him sign off Radio merit badge requirements for any Boy scouts on hand, as appropriate. To take it all a step further,
offer a weekend ham radio class sometime shortly after JOTA, so those fired-up youth can learn what they need to know to get their own Amateur Radio licenses.
No matter what you or your club decides to do, keep in mind that the youth are looking for nonstop fun and excitement. Try to limit the lengthy lectures,
and make sure that the youth are the ones actually getting on the air. You are there to help them make the best of their unique Amateur Radio event and
to be a guide. (Remember that international third-party traffic agreements apply when unlicensed individuals speak with individuals in other countries.
Visit the ARRL Web site for a list of countries with which the US has a
third-party agreement.
Step in as needed, but for the most part you can simply sit back and enjoy it along with your young guests. You are watching members of the future generation
of ham radio operators have the time of their lives.
The Jackson Amateur Radio Club
The Jackson Amateur Radio Club, Jackson, Mississippi, operated in 1998's JOTA as W5PFC from the Camporee site of the Eastern District, Andrew Jackson Council.
The picture shows KC5ZJE at left helping a group of Scouts work other Scouts around the country.
The next step is to promote, promote, promote. Extend an invitation to any young person you know (everyone reading this knows at least one young person).
Visit scouting units and other youth groups in your area and tell them about the fun they'll have at JOTA. You may have planned an excellent JOTA program,
but nobody will show up without good promotion.
You or your club can obtain an excellent Jamboree On The Air information packet from ARRL. Send a request to JOTA, ARRL Field and Educational Services,
225 Main St, Newington CT, 06111-1494 USA; 860-594-0200;
jota@arrl.org.
Some of this information is available on the
ARRL Web site.
Have Fun During JOTA!
Whether you are a young person looking forward to learning about the wonders of ham radio, or an adult getting ready to host a fun weekend for the youth,
have a great time during Jamboree On The Air! Some 400,000 others certainly will.
After JOTA 2001 has come and gone, please send the ARRL any photos and a small report of the fun you and your group had. These go to Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS,
ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 0611;
wb3ios@arrl.org.
Some of your pictures might show up in a future issue of QST or on the Web site. In addition, I'd enjoy seeing your pictures and notes about your experience
and I'll pick one or most to post in next month's
Youth@HamRadio.Fun
column.
Please
e-mail me
with your topic ideas and suggestions. I'm eager to have them. Now, I know I promised you a column on preparing a youth forum for your club or hamfest,
and I have not forgotten.
Until next time, 73.
Editor's note: ARRL Life Member Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. A 21-year-old senior in electrical engineering at the University
of New Mexico, he was the 1999 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award winner as well as the 1997 winner of the Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award. He was first
licensed in 1992 at age 12 and holds an Amateur Extra class license. Brian enjoys CW, QRP transmitter hunting, satellite operation, digital modes and,
of course, just speaking into the microphone. He's active in the Boy Scouts of America as an assistant scoutmaster and a Vigil Honor member of the Order
of the Arrow. Brian welcomes visitors to his
Web site.
Readers may contact him via e-mail,
n5zgt@arrl.net.
Salvation Army Still Needs Ham Volunteers in New York City
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 2, 2001--Although the Salvation Army has cut one shift of radio operators to support the organization's World Trade Center relief operation
in New York City, it still needs fresh Amateur Radio volunteers. "We are still short of people," said Jeff Schneller, N2HPO--who's coordinating the Salvation
Army Team Emergency Response Network, or SATERN, operation.
Schneller said the midnight to 8 AM shift has been suspended, but SATERN still needs six Amateur Radio operators per shift--a total of 12 per day--for the
indefinite future. He said he appreciates the volunteers who have turned out so far to assist the Salvation Army effort, but those there the longest now
"are getting weary," he said.
SATERN needs operators at the Kennedy Airport warehouse with their own base station set up from about 8 AM until about 9 PM--possibly broken into shifts.
In addition, SATERN needs operators to ride with trucks to provide communication. He said the Salvation Army now has three trucks running from morning
till night. He said this effort also can be broken into shifts, but determining exact shift times is difficult because of traffic and loading and unloading
delays. "They try for 4 PM as a shift change time," he said. Operators start and end these shifts at Salvation Army Division HQ on 14th Street in Manhattan,
where SATERN also needs operators.
Schneller said that, if sufficient additional operators are available, they may be deployed to check on canteen sites and/or ride with other vehicles that
are providing Ground Zero support or relief.
"Radio usage is becoming less emergency-oriented and more long-term logistical support oriented as time goes by," Schneller said. "Response from around
the nation and the world has been heart-warming, especially those amateur operators who were willing to put their life on hold, so that they could come
help out for a few days or weeks in NYC."
Schneller said the word he has from Salvation Army is that the organization is happy with the Amateur Radio support they've been getting. "They want us
to keep going," he said. So far, he said, some 40 Amateur Radio operators have turned out to help support the Salvation Army relief effort--some from the
New York City area but others from as far away as Missouri, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Schneller requested that potential volunteers contact him directly:
Home: 718-461-0370
Cell : 917-226-1339
Page: 718-939-3939 (give message to operator)
Ham radio: Call N2HPO on the 147.270 repeater (141.3 or 127.3 CTCSS).
FCC Enforcement Case Highlights FCC Amplifier Certification Rules
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 2, 2001--The FCC's Riley Hollingsworth used the occasion of a recent Warning Notice to hammer home the FCC's position on the sale of
RF amplifiers that have not received FCC certification--formerly called "type acceptance." In a September 19 letter to Extra licensee Sidney Lee Martin,
KD4YBC, Hollingsworth reiterated an earlier FCC warning to Martin that he cease commercial marketing of non-certificated external RF amplifiers and amplifier
kits capable of operating below 144 MHz.
In 1978, the FCC banned the manufacture and sale of any external RF amplifier or amplifier kit capable of operating below 144 MHz without a grant of certification
from the FCC. The rules specifically prohibit manufacture and sale of amps that operate between 24 and 35 MHz as a means to stem the flow of illegal Citizens
Band amplifiers.
The case arose from a February 11, 2000, warning to Martin from the FCC's Detroit office as a result of a classified ad Martin had run in QST. The ad featured
the sale of external Amateur Radio RF amplifier kits for HF and 6 meters. The FCC letter admonished Martin that selling or offering such units for sale
violated §2.815 of the FCC's rules.
Martin--who operated a one-man business called RF Electronics in South Carolina--countered with his interpretation that he was allowed, under FCC Part 97
Amateur Service rules, to sell such kits as one amateur to another under an exception to the certification rules. Martin argued that §97.315 of the Amateur
Service rules permitted his licensed customers to purchase from him--as another licensee--and construct or modify one model of a non-certificated RF power
amp or kit per calendar year for that licensee's personal use.
The FCC rejected that analysis, however. Hollingsworth emphasized that §2.815(c) of the FCC's rules requires all external RF power amplifier kits that can
operate below 144 MHz after assembly be FCC-certificated before they can be made, sold, leased, marketed, imported, shipped or distributed. He noted that
other provisions of §2.815 apply only to certain already fabricated amplifiers and do not exempt amplifier kits, particularly those capable of operating
between 24 and 35 MHz after assembly.
Hollingsworth said §97.315 also "specifically prohibits the use in the Amateur Service of an amplifier that the operator had constructed from a non-certified
kit." He also noted that, in addition to kits, Martin's RF Electronics Web site had been selling non-certificated, assembled RF power amplifiers for use
below 144 MHz. Hollingsworth said at least three of the assembled models were advertised as operational between 24 and 35 MHz.
Hollingsworth said FCC rules permit an individual amateur to construct or modify a non-certificated RF power amplifier once per calendar year for use at
that amateur's own station--although the unit may not be built from a kit--and the amateur may then sell the amplifier to another licensee or dealer. The
rules do not provide for mass marketing or manufacturing and marketing kits or assembled amplifiers as part of a business, Hollingsworth said.
"Any and all marketing of external RF power amplifiers or amplifier kits capable of operation below 144 MHz must be in strict compliance with §2.815 of
the Commission's rules," Hollingsworth warned. He said the FCC would prosecute any violations and take enforcement action against Martin's amateur license.
Martin's Web site no longer offers any RF amplifiers for sale.
FCC Inquiries Focus on 160-Meter Band Plan
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 4, 2001--The FCC recently asked three amateurs to respond to complaints alleging that they deliberately transmitted SSB on top of CW
stations operating in the vicinity of 1820 to 1825 kHz. The FCC has never designated mode-specific subbands in the 160-meter amateur band, so operation
on "Top Band" continues to be governed by a voluntary band plan. The current ARRL band plan, revised this past summer, recommends a lower limit of 1.843
for SSB operation.
In the wake of the complaints, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote George Wehrung, W5TZ, and Dennis Clauder, KT5S--both
of Texas--and Derrick Vogt, WA4TWM, of Kansas in mid-September. Hollingsworth asked each to respond to allegations from several other operators that their
SSB transmissions deliberately interfered with attempts by others to operate on CW between 1820 and 1830 kHz. Copies of the complaints were sent to all
three operators.
"Band plans are voluntary in nature," Hollingsworth acknowledged in each of the similarly worded letters. He said the FCC depends upon voluntary compliance
because it minimizes the necessity for the Commission to be called in to resolve amateur problems. "Where interference results from band plans not being
followed," Hollingsworth continued, "the Commission expects substantial justification to be shown by the operators ignoring the band plans."
One complainant reported that the SSB operators "started moving up and down the band between 1822 and 1825," ignoring CW operators' pleas that the frequency
was occupied, failing to identify and, at one point, mocking the CW operators. Some complainants sent tape recordings to the FCC.
Hollingsworth requested that Wehrung, Clauder and Vogt each reply to the complaints within 20 days.
Michigan Hams Activated Due to Storms and Tornado
Fred Moses, Sr, KC8UMP, of Holly, Michigan, does ARES duty at the Fenton fire station. [Fred Moses, Jr, W8FSM, Photo]
The parking lot at Deerfield Center had lots of downed trees due to the storm. [Fred Moses, Jr, W8FSM, Photo]
On Friday, August 24 at 5:15 PM (EDT), the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Genesee County. This storm produced two tornados
in the mid-Michigan area that caused severe damage to several towns. The greatest damage occurred in the City of Fenton located just south of Flint. The
NWS confirmed that an EF2 tornado had touched down and had torn a path 26 miles long and up to 0.5 miles wide through Livingston, Oakland, Genesee and
Lapeer County, damaging at least 250 homes and businesses. An EF2 tornado, using the enhanced Fujita scale, is a wind estimate of 110-135 MPH in a three-second
gust. More than 12,000 people lost power due to the storms.
ARES and SKYWARN Activated
Michigan's Genesee County
ARES
and
SKYWARN
were activated due to a severe thunderstorm watch. The storm moved into the county with such heavy rain that visibility dropped down to zero at several
points. Funnel clouds were seen in the western part of the county, but these could not be confirmed. The NWS issued a
Tornado Warning
based on confirmed sightings in the adjacent counties to the west, as well as reports from their Doppler radar.
As spotters continued to watch the storm, Randy Bond, N8VDS, spotted the funnel heading for Fenton and reported it to the NWS via his ham radio; Fred Moses
Jr, W8FSM, confirmed the sighting. Moments later, the Genesee County 911 central dispatch center received a call that the roof on the brand new Tractor
Supply Company store in Fenton had caved in and that the tornado had touched down. About half of the Fenton Community Center's roof was blown off, and
debris from the building blew across the road to Fenton United Methodist Church.
Genesee County 911 called out the fire departments and activated their Fire Coordination Plan. Ham radio spotters have an agreement with Genesee County
fire departments to provide supplemental communications for the departments. Hams were providing communications via the SKYWARN net and the Fire Coordination
net.
As the county's fire departments started to move toward the building collapse in Fenton, hams were already on the scene. Bond and Mike Schafer, KB8RVP,
shifted gears from weather spotters to Fire Coordination operators. At the request of the fire chief at the scene, Bond went to the Fenton City fire station
and, using ham radio, assisted their dispatch center; the storm had damaged their radio fire communications tower, so Bond and Schafer started working
dispatch for them using their ham radios until the dispatch center was able to resume normal fire communications.
Jerry Baker, KD8AYL, was next to arrive on the scene at the collapsed building and after meeting with the Incident Commander, Baker was assigned the task
to set up radio communications with more ARES volunteers in the Flint region.
As more reports of damage came in, the Fenton City and Township Fire Department became overloaded; their crippled communications tower did not help matters.
ARES Emergency Coordinator for Genesee County Greg Ybarra, N8HXQ, coordinated the response during this incident and put out a call for help to District
3 Emergency Coordinator Greg Allinger, WA8OGJ. Allinger contacted other ARES units in the state, and Amateur Radio operators from nine Michigan counties
responded to the Fenton area to help.
Evaluation of the damage started immediately after the storm. Baker was reassigned to a relief shelter to aid the Red Cross. What would normally have been
a drive of less then 10 minutes took almost an hour due to trees and power lines down everywhere. "Trees as much as 36 inches in diameter and more than
100 years old had been ripped out of the ground by the storm; regular electric power was out and the damage reports just never seemed to end," he said.
The Genesee County Office of Emergency Management activated their Mobile Command Unit. The MCU has an Amateur Radio station in it, as well as radios for
all public service organizations. The city set up a command post in the parking lot of the Fenton City fire department and began operations from there.
Michigan State Police responded to the area and instituted an 8 PM curfew for everyone. State and local police set up road blocks. Access was restricted
to police, fire, National Guard, Red Cross, Salvation Army or ARES.
ARES volunteers worked with all aspects of the incident. Damage reports and assessments continued until 1:30 AM Saturday morning when the Incident Commander
determined everyone should break until 5:30 AM to get some rest.
Wearing Two Hats
The following morning presented a dilemma for the ARES personnel: They were asked to continue assisting with communications in the clean-up of the tornado,
but they also needed to take care of a prior commitment.
The Crim Festival of Races
was scheduled that day, and ARES traditionally has supplied the communications support, as well as Amateur Radio Television (
ARTV)
for the Race. "The 'Crim,' as it is known locally, is a festival of races that appeals to just about anyone from the world class runners to little tikes
that enjoy the Teddy Bear trot. Each year, ARES volunteers serve in the Med Tent, Command Center, Start and Finish Line, and up to 120 positions through
out the course," Baker said.
In the tradition of Amateur Radio, the ham volunteers found ways to cover both activities. The race went on, with hams manning as many stations as possible
and supplying ARTV pictures both for the race and County and City 911 dispatch. Those not working the Crim (after only a couple of hours' sleep) were back
at the clean-up efforts in Fenton.
The clean-up efforts in Fenton began again at 5:30 AM with ham radio operators joining with fire department members and local utility crews split into eight
task force units that went throughout the city, cleaning up the fallen trees and down power lines. Clean-up efforts continued all day Saturday until 8
PM. By then, the great majority of roads through out Fenton and the immediate neighborhoods had been cleared by the team effort of ARES personnel, power
company workers and the fire department personnel.
One of the informal mottos of Amateur Radio is "Semper Gumby!" -- always flexible. The flexibility of the Amateur Radio volunteers, using their own equipment,
allowed them to respond to the call beginning with a SKYWARN operation, then changing to a Fire Coordination activity, to 911 coverage, then damage assessment
and finally to a clean-up operation. -- Information supplied by Jerry Baker, KD8AYL, Public Information Officer for Genesee County ARES
ARRL CONTINUES EFFORTS ON INTERFERENCE TO PAVE PAWS RADAR SITES
On August 13, the ARRL began sending "specific mitigation reduction numbers" to 122 repeater owners, recommending that they reduce their signal anywhere
from 7 dB to 56 dB, according to ARRL Regulatory Information Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. These reductions, requested by the US Air Force and the
Department of Defense, only concern those repeaters identified by the DoD as affecting the PAVE PAWS radar system.
"Some reductions are going to be attainable," Henderson said. "You can do 7 dB, but 54?" He said such a reduction would "not be realistic to achieve. While
many of the affected repeater owners may not be able to achieve the required reductions, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to meet the goal. Everyone
involved needs to continue trying to meet the DoD's requirements. This gives us the best chance to keep as many of these machines as possible on the air."
Henderson stressed that any order to shut down a repeater will come from the Federal Communications Commission, at the request of the DoD. "This situation
only affects those repeaters on the DoD's list in Massachusetts and California. It does not affect the everyday, casual user of 70 cm. This is not a wide-spread
threat to the 70 cm band."
Citing an increasing number of interference complaints, the US Air Force has asked the FCC to order dozens of repeater systems to either mitigate interference
to the PAVE PAWS radars or shut down. The ARRL has been working with the DoD to develop a plan to mitigate alleged interference from 70 cm ham radio repeaters
to this military radar system on both coasts. According to the DoD, the in-band interference from Amateur Radio fixed FM voice repeaters has increased
to an unacceptable level. PAVE PAWS radars are used for national security functions, including early detection of water-launched missiles. They are critical
to our national defense and are in use 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
The Amateur Radio Service is a secondary user in the 420-450 MHz (70 cm) band, both by the Table of Frequency Allocations and the FCC Part 97 regulations.
As such, Amateur Radio licensees, jointly and individually, bear the responsibility of mitigating or eliminating any harmful interference to the primary
user, which in this case is the Government Radiolocation Service that includes the DoD PAVE PAWS systems.
Minnesota Hams Respond to Area Flooding
a_sm
Cascade Creek in Rochester, Minnesota.
b_sm
Silver Lake Dam in Rochester, Minnesota.
c_sm
West River Parkway in Rochester, Minnesota.
d_sm
Cascade Creek meets the Zumbro River in Rochester, Minnesota.
Record rainfall and resultant flooding and mudslides in southeastern Minnesota over the past week disrupted communications and prompted emergency response
officials to call upon Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) groups for communications assistance.
Olmsted County ARES was among the first to respond. Their members were rapidly deployed throughout the disaster area. As conditions deteriorated, the call
for additional ARES assistance was made, and Scott County ARES was notified shortly after noon on Sunday, August 26. They were able to send three members
to the disaster area to assist local emergency responders with communications.
Bob Minor, W0NFE, was dispatched to a Red Cross shelter set up in a church in Rochester, Olmstead County’s county seat. He provided a link to the emergency
operations center (EOC) that was operating from an area near the Rochester airport. The shelter was able to suspend operations later Sunday evening.
Jeff Forseth, AC0DH, was sent to Rushford where he set up his radio equipment at the Rushford EOC. Jeff provided communications with the local shelter in
Rushford, as well as a link to another Red Cross shelter at St Mary’s University in Winona. The river flowing though Rushford had jumped its banks and
effectively split the town in two, with the EOC on one side and the shelter on the opposite bank of the flooded river. The staff at the EOC received anxious
inquiries about family and friends and used the Amateur Radio link with the shelters to provide information to calm worried relatives.
Steve Kickert, W0GXO, was asked to go to Winona to help with communications in the Red Cross shelter. In response to a request from the Mayor of St Charles,
he was diverted to provide additional Amateur Radio help -- the city needed to communicate between the EOC set up at the fire station, where Kickert was
assigned, City Hall where disaster planning occurred and the shelters in St Charles and Winona.
Howard went to St Charles to assist with the Red Cross shelter that had been set up in the high school. After checking in with the Red Cross, he set up
operations in his jeep and kept in touch with the Rochester repeater. “When the Mayor of St Charles requested amateur assistance, Howard contacted two
hams to help him out. Kickert went to the fire station and Steve Huntsman, AA0P, went to City Hall,” Howard said. “We set up a simplex net on 146.595 between
us, and I continued to maintain contact with Rochester and Winona. The Mayor was grateful for our presence and said his main concern was that we could
stay in contact with Winona in case he needed help from Winona Police.” – Information provided by Bob Reid, N0BHC, Scott County ARES, and Steve Howard,
AB0XE, Dakota County ARES
All photos by Robert Hart, KC0GND
VoIP Hurricane Net Active as Hurricane Felix Makes Landfall in Northeastern Nicaragua
Hurricane Felix
made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane causing significant damage in northeastern
Nicaragua
and heavy rainfall into southeastern
Honduras.
The threat from Felix will be moving from significant wind damage to major flooding over the course of the day Tuesday. The
VoIP Hurricane Net
has been active since 0800 UTC Tuesday to gather reports for
WX4NHC,
the Amateur Radio station at the
National Hurricane Center.
According to the NHC, Felix is now a Category 2 storm and is expected to be downgraded even further soon.
"We have received reports of significant damage in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua to many structures with phone and power outages. The Puerto Cabezas hospital
has been evacuated due to significant flooding, and two ships and 35 fishermen on those ships are missing," said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Director of Operations
for the VoIP Hurricane Net.
Reports are being relayed form various sources. Carlos Guzman, XE2WCG, of Tampico, Mexico, is relaying reports from the Nicaragua Emergency Net on 40 meters;
he has assisted with Spanish translation of those reports for the Net. Francisco Diaz-Gonzalez, NP3OD, from the VoIP Hurricane Net Control team, and Andoni
Axpe Soto, EB1FGO, from the International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (
IRESC),
helped translate and monitor other sources such as Nicaraguan television for information. "We are trying to relay reports from any means that cannot be
monitored directly from the National Hurricane Center," Macedo said.
WX4NHC has been monitoring the Net and other systems to gather reports and information. Felix is expected to weaken and should be below hurricane strength
by Tuesday night. As Felix weakens, heavy rain will fall over Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize, posing a potential flash flood and
landslide threat to the region. Tropical Storm Warnings are now in effect over much of the area.
"We would appreciate any Amateur Radio operators in the affected area to come on the EchoLink *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 to give us weather
and damage reports. Amateur operators who have contacts in the affected area that can relay information, as well as amateurs who have propagation on 40
and 75 meters to emergency Nets in the affected area that can get the information to our Net would also help greatly," Macedo said.
Assistant WX4NHC Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, said, "We request all land-based stations, as well as ships at sea, in the areas affected by Hurricane
Felix to send us weather data (measured or estimated) and damage reports. If you are in the affected area and normally monitor on a local Net on VHF, 40
or 80 meters, we would appreciate your checking into the HWN Net (14.325 MHz) or EchoLink/IRLP Net once per hour to receive the latest hurricane advisories
and to report your local conditions."
ARLP013: Propagation de K7RA
SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP013
ARLP013 Propagation de K7RA
ZCZC AP13
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 13 ARLP013
From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA March 20, 2008
To all radio amateurs
SB PROP ARL ARLP013
ARLP013 Propagation de K7RA
ARRL Headquarters is closed for Good Friday on March 21, so this
bulletin is coming out a day early, and on the Vernal Equinox.
We had a few more days with visible sunspots over the past week.
Sunspot numbers on March 15-17 were 12, 12 and 11. Over the past
month we seem to have a single sunspot appear for a few days, then
fade away or rotate out of view, then another pop up after four or
five days. Take a look at sunspot numbers since January 1 at,
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/quar_DSD.txt.
Dale Drake, W7GMY of Lake Helen, Florida asks, "Just a curious
question on the cycle numbers. How do they come up with cycle
numbers? Cycle 24 would indicate at 11 years per cycle that it is
253 years in recording the cycles."
Dale was surprised to learn that daily sunspot records do stretch
way back over hundreds of years, and Cycle 1 in fact peaked a
quarter century prior to America's Revolutionary War. Check the
WM7D web site at,
http://wm7d.net/hamradio/solar/historical.shtml
to
see graphs of Cycles 1-23.
Paul Kiesel, K7CW of Tahuya, Washington sent a fascinating article
translated from the September 2006 issue of Japanese radio magazine
CQ Ham Radio. JE1BMJ wrote about surprising long distance 6-meter
polar propagation from Japan to Europe with sporadic-E at the summer
solstice. He doubts this is multi-hop propagation, even though the
long distance suggests this, because the signals don't seem to be as
dispersed or scattered as one would expect from multiple hops.
Instead, JE1BMJ posits that the mechanism is PMSE, or Polar
Mesosphere Summer Echo, a radar echo phenomenon. Rather than taking
several hops, the signal would be refracted through the E-layer for
a long distance following the curvature of the earth, before exiting
and being heard in Europe.
There was a great deal of mail this week on possible auroral-E
propagation in the summer on 6 meters, when the K index is high and
there is backscatter via aurora. But while the normal auroral
communications sound distorted, E-layer propagation will arise which
is not at all distorted.
K7CW reports an opening from the Pacific Northwest on 6 meters to W4
and W5 on October 20, 2007. There was aurora, but at the same time
this propagation over long distance that did not seem to be via
aurora, sounding very strong and clear. K7CW wonders if this might
be an example of Snell's Law, which addresses refraction along an
interface between two mediums.
Ray Perrin, VE3FN of Ottawa, Ontario wrote about possible auroral-E
propagation while operating from the arctic in Iqaluit, on Baffin
Island at Frobisher Bay in Nunavut at 63.75 degrees north latitude,
68.52 degrees west longitude. Ray made several business trips there
in 1999-2002. Iqaluit is where the VE8BY 6 meter beacon is located,
in grid square FP53.
For 6 meters Ray used a wire dipole tied to a rock thrown from his
bedroom window in his temporary housing, and another dipole made
from two telescoping antennas mounted on his porch.
Ray writes, "I worked many stations in North America using these
simple antennas. For example, during 2 weeks in July and August of
2001, I worked into VO1, VE1, VE2, VE3, W1, W2, W3 and W4 as far
south as NC. I also worked some in W8 and W9 and one station in
Colorado. There didn't appear to be a distinct skip zone. And
about 40% of the evenings, I heard the OX3SIX beacon (on 50.012 MHz
or so) for about 45 minutes at 0000Z. It would roll in on auroral E
-- no distortion. I always called CQ when I heard the beacon, but
no QSOs. I later received a report from a station in northern
Scotland saying he thought he had heard me. It is likely he did as
I was calling CQ at the time. Again, this was all auroral E -- no
'buzz'. In Feb 2002, I worked SP2NA on F layer using the wire
dipole."
Ray's last trip to Iqaluit was November 2002. He used a 2-element
Yagi for 6 meters. He says, "During that trip I worked OX3SA on
auroral E. Later, I also worked into VE6 (DO33) on auroral E. BTW,
the evening I worked VE6 (a Saturday), I was hearing beacons in VE6,
VE4 and northern W0 for about 3 hours, but I was only able to dig up
one QSO! I was simultaneously calling CQ on 144 MHz, but nothing
heard. At noon the next day (Sunday) the band opened briefly on F
layer to southern Florida -- about 3000 miles."
Ray continues, "Except for a few QSOs on F-layer, all my contacts
appear to have been on auroral E. The signals were not distorted as
they would have been on straight aurora. I would typically wait for
a day when the K index went up to 5 and the band would often open in
the evening -- especially in the summer. I have heard the VE8BY
beacon many times from Ottawa on auroral E, but never when the band
was open on 'buzz' aurora. And when we do have 'buzz' auroral
signals coming in on 6 meters, I have never heard VE8BY/b."
Ray goes on to say, "So what is the cause of auroral E? Is there
any relationship to the occurrence of auroral E and the sunspot
cycle? Some have suggested that auroral E may occur when the aurora
becomes weaker. If this were so, then one would expect to hear
auroral E on, say, 50 MHz when there is 'buzz' aurora on 28 MHz. In
other words, as the MUF rises, one would first experience auroral E
and then straight 'buzz' aurora. But if this were true, one would
expect to hear auroral E frequently on 50 MHz (at mid latitudes)
when, in fact, I believe it is quite rare at mid latitudes. And one
would expect to observe auroral E quite frequently on 144 MHz when
50 MHz is open on 'buzz' aurora, but it isn't intense enough to
propagate 'buzz' aurora on 144 MHz. Once again, this doesn't wash
as auroral E on 144 MHz seems to be very rare at mid latitudes. I
once thought that ordinary 'buzz' aurora was related to paths that
were more or less east - west whereas my QSOs from FP53 (auroral E)
were predominantly north - south. However, my QSO with OX3SA and
frequent reception of the OX beacon involve east - west paths -- and
they were all auroral E."
K9LA sent a lot of great material about auroral E propagation, but
there isn't room to address it in this bulletin.
But go to Carl's web site at,
http://mysite.verizon.net/k9la/id4.html
and click on the titles
"Alaska to EU on 6m," "More Alaska to EU on 6m" and "Summer 6m Es
Probabilities" to download PDF documents he wrote for his
propagation column in World Radio.
Also, K7CW recommends for 6 meters
http://dxworld.com/50prop.html
and the UK Six Meter Group at,
http://www.uksmg.org/index_cs.php.
Also check out a revised article from NASA last week on solar cycle
prediction at
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml.
Finally, no room to talk about a very important development for HF
propagation, the first day of Spring, which is today. This is a
great time for worldwide HF propagation, as all of the earth is
receiving a maximum amount of solar radiation, the same in both
southern and northern hemispheres.
Projection for the near term is a planetary A index of 5 for March
20-24, then 10, 20, 25, 20 and 8 for March 25-29. There are similar
returns to a planetary A index of 25 predicted for April 5, April 23
and May 2, but otherwise quiet.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions
for March 21, quiet March 22-24, unsettled March 25, and active
March 26-27.
If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,
email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.
For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL
Technical Information Service web page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.
For a detailed
explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/k9la-prop.html.
An archive of past
propagation bulletins is at
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.
Monthly
propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas
locations are at
http://www.arrl.org/qst/propcharts/.
Sunspot numbers for March 13 through 19 were 0, 0, 12, 12, 11, 0,
and 0 with a mean of 5. 10.7 cm flux was 69.5, 69.9, 69.5, 70.3,
69.8, 69.6, and 69 with a mean of 69.7. Estimated planetary A
indices were 14, 13, 11, 5, 4, 8 and 6 with a mean of 8.7.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 11, 12, 7, 4, 3, 7 and 5, with
a mean of 7.
NNNN
/EX
ARLP040: Propagation de K7RA
SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP040
ARLP040 Propagation de K7RA
ZCZC AP40
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 40 ARLP040
From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA September 23, 2005
To all radio amateurs
SB PROP ARL ARLP040
ARLP040 Propagation de K7RA
Solar activity quieted down this week after a recent tumultuous
period marked by aurora and geomagnetic storms. Average daily
sunspot numbers were down over 25 points from the previous week to
46. Average daily solar flux declined by over 9 points to 100.3.
Sunspot numbers are expected to stay low, rising again after October
3. Geomagnetic conditions should also stay low, with unsettled
conditions possible around September 27-29. Geophysical Institute
Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions September 23-24, quiet
on September 25-26, active conditions September 27, and unsettled
conditions September 28-29. Autumn has now begun, and despite the
low solar activity, conditions are more seasonally favorable for HF
propagation. The lower geomagnetic activity is a plus for HF
conditions.
We received more mail on 80 meter propagation at the bottom of the
solar cycle. David Beckwith, W2QM of Delray Beach, Florida believes
that "seemingly better conditions during the low point of the cycle
may be due more to more activity because the higher bands are so
poor." Good point! David should know. He's been on the air since
1938--even during World War II, when he was an infantry radio
operator in Europe. According to his bio at
http://www.qrz.com/detail/W2QM
he has worked 380 countries,
including all except North Korea on the current DXCC list.
Ed Douglass, AA9OZ wrote in again about 80 meter propagation, this
time mentioning the John Devoldere, ON4UN book, "ON4UN's Low-Band
DXing." Ed writes, "ON4UN's explanation for good propagation on 80
and 160 during sunspot minima is that with less solar UV radiation,
there is less density in the D-layer in the earth's atmosphere.
Furthermore, the formation of the D-layer is slower, particularly
during the winter months in either hemisphere.
He continues, "As you know, it is the D-layer that tends to absorb
lower HF signals, most notably preventing the propagation of signals
during local daylight hours. So, in addition to your explanation
that a less active sun will produce less intense disturbances in the
ionosphere and therefore propagation through the auroral zones will
be better, propagation on East-West paths will be better because
there will be longer periods when there is no D-layer.
Ed goes on to say, "Devoldere goes into this much more thoroughly so
his book is worth understanding and following if one is serious
about DXing on the lower bands. And, as thunderstorm activity drops
in the northern hemisphere as we go into winter, the weaker DX
signals can once again be heard."
John Shannon, K3WWP, wrote, "I run 100% CW and 100% QRP here. My
antenna for 80 and 160 is a random wire in my attic. In the two big
160M contests, ARRL and CQ, with my simple setup it was fairly easy
for me to work around 250 QSOs during the sunspot minimum back in
the 90's. That included working WC USA stations. At sunspot maximum
I had to STRUGGLE to make 50 or 60 QSOs and usually gave up out of
frustration at no one hearing me or having to repeat my info many
times over to virtually every station. I couldn't work anyone west
of the Mississippi River at the maximum. On 80 meters I can usually
work EU near the minimum but it is rough near a maximum. So based
on personal experience, I would say low band conditions are
definitely better at or near a minimum."
John has a personal web site devoted to his ham radio interests at,
http://home.alltel.net/johnshan/.
Russell Hunt, WQ3X wrote in to say that he is still working DX on 10
meters. He writes, "Last night (9/15/05) on 10M SSB I worked CN8KD,
CT4GO and EA1CBX starting at 2200Z. Local time over there was 11PM!
Signals were amazingly strong but the opening only lasted about a
half hour. It was incredible! I was able to hear most of the USA
stations working the DX also."
I ran some path projections using a popular propagation program
mentioned in past bulletins, and found that from his location in
Pennsylvania to Spain, Morocco and Portugal there is still good
likelihood of 10 meter openings ending around the time John made his
contacts. On the web, be sure to check out John's web site devoted
to some work he's done refurbishing classic radio gear at,
http://www.relic-tronics.com/.
Last, we hear from Bill Clark, N0MAM. He writes, "I became licensed
in 1996 when many experienced hams were complaining about the bands.
At that time I had the call KB0TNM. I began working 40 meters on the
novice CW band and many experienced hams complained that it was too
noisy a band to work. I was on every night making domestic contacts.
I worked 30 states that summer and winter, mostly eastern and
western states.
He continues, "I worked Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, and many Canadian
contacts. It put me well on the way to getting WAS 40 Meter CW. I
didn't know what all the complaints about 40 meters being noisy were
about until 1998 when the bands came up and all the Latin American
AM stations created so much whine that I had to abandon. It was a
lot of fun and good experience for me as a new operator and I didn't
even know that I wasn't supposed to be enjoying myself because the
band was 'down."'
If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.
For more information concerning radio propagation and an explanation
of the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical
Information Service propagation page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.
An archive of past
bulletins is found at,
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.
Sunspot numbers for September 15 through 21 were 77, 51, 59, 50, 43,
23 and 19 with a mean of 46. 10.7 cm flux was 119.4, 112, 103.9,
102.2, 91.1, 87.8, and 86, with a mean of 100.3. Estimated planetary
A indices were 43, 18, 12, 12, 8, 6 and 5 with a mean of 14.9.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 22, 11, 10, 8, 8, 3 and 3,
with a mean of 9.3.
NNNN
/EX
The Transatlantic on
2200 Meters
Joe Craig, VO1NA and Alan Melia, G3NYK
T
T
here has been much excitement
below our so-called top
band at 1.8 MHz. At less than
one-tenth this frequency, near
136 kHz, you will find many amateurs enjoying
QSOs using a variety of modes. Although
US and Canadian amateurs need
special permission to transmit here, there is
a 2200 meter amateur band in many
European countries and in New Zealand.
Aside from its low frequency, the most striking
thing about the 135.8-138.8 kHz band is
its narrow width—only 2.1 kHz, barely wide
enough to admit a single SSB transmission.
Huge sources of interference are present
in the band. In Greece, the Navy transmitter
SXV operates on 135.8 kHz, and in Canada
another Navy transmitter (CFH) is on 137.0
kHz. Just outside the band is the German
station DCF39 on 138.83 kHz. These stations
have effective radiated power (ERP)
levels in the tens of kilowatts and can be
heard on receivers thousands of miles away.
At 100 kHz, there are the megawatt LORAN
(long range aid to navigation) transmitters
with their perpetual clatter, and above 150
kHz we have the commercial long wave
band with powerful megawatt plus stations.
How then can this band be of any use to the
amateur experimenter?
Amateurs have traditionally overcome
many obstacles in achieving their goals.
When regulators restricted us to the “useless
wavelengths” below 200 meters, we
spanned the globe. Now that we’re slowly
being let above 200 meters again, we have
used some modern technology and old-fashioned
persistence to achieve amazing feats
in this challenging environment on the long
waves. We have even used the high power
interference sources to our advantage.
Propagation at 136 kHz
It is generally agreed amongst the professional
propagation researchers that propagation
between 50 kHz and 150 kHz is
different than both the bands above and below
that region. The lower (VLF) frequencies
are described as propagating by a
waveguide mode between the ground and the
ionosphere. The waveguide mode dies out
mainly above 30 kHz and certainly above
about 50 to 60 kHz. We believe this may
due the wavelength becoming short com-
Longing for the days when amateurs built
their own gear and DX was big news?
They’re back again...on the “top” top band.
pared with the thickness (about 30 km) of
the daytime absorbing D-layer. Unlike HF
frequencies, LF has a substantial groundwave
service area, with the wave front being
bent to follow the curvature of the Earth to
some extent. In daytime, there is an absorbing
ionized region, formed by photo-dissociation,
which corresponds to the D-layer
(50 to 90 km) and, in general, it is considered
that ionospheric propagation is not an
element of daytime signals
Early in 1999 an FSK signal appearing
nightly in the UK at 137.00 kHz was correctly
identified by Alan, G3NYK as that
from the Canadian Naval station, call sign
CFH, near Halifax in Nova Scotia. Rough
early estimates of the path loss suggested
that an amateur transatlantic crossing would
just be possible with the allowed 1 W ERP.
Many were dubious, but only a few weeks
later Dave Bowman, GØMRF made the first
one-way LF crossing to John, VE1ZJ. Then
days later Peter, G3LDO managed a crossband
contact. Both of these events were coincident
with good received signal strength
from CFH. John was located near Big Pond
in north Nova Scotia. Other, regularly heard
calls in the early days of tests was the well
known MF station of Jack, VE1ZZ and the
late Larry Kayser, VA3LK.
Daytime propagation is mainly ground
wave, but at extreme range (in excess of
1500 km) there is a significant daytime
ionospheric component. This has been seen
on the path between CT1DRP (Porto) and
DCF39, a German utility station on 138.83
kHz located near Magdeburg, and also on
certain occasions on the CFH to Europe
path. The peak strength usually coincides
with the solar zenith at mid-path. This is at
approximately 1500 UTC for the CFH to
Europe path, and around 1130 UTC for the
CT to DCF path. The signal enhancement
under normal conditions on the 1950 km
DCF to CT path is about 10 dB. This enhancement
is caused by the sky-bound signal
being returned by the lower region of
the D-layer. Penetration of the D-layer in
daytime subjects the wave to absorption,
so the enhancement is not as high as
seen at night. Also, the apparent reflection
height is sure to be lower.
Figure 1—On December 12, the Marconi and Poldhu radio clubs commemorate
Marconi’s first transatlantic experiment. In 2003 they sent an LF signal from
Newfoundland to England using very slow speed CW with dots 30 seconds long
(QRSS30). Here is a screen capture of that signal received at G3NYK using Argo
software. If you look carefully, you can make out white Morse characters spelling out
VO1NA against the noisy blue background. Argo uses Fast Fourier Transforms to get
very narrow effective bandwidths (fractions of a Hz) and is very popular with the LF
crowd. More information on Argo is available on the Web at www.weaksignals.com.
From July 2005 QST © ARRL
Figure 2—Schematic and parts list for
VO1NA’a class E LF transmitter. As
explained in the text, transmitters at
this frequency tend to be unique,
requiring some experimentation.This
transmitter was based on design ideas
of several LF experimenters and
tailored for parts available from
VO1NA’s junk box. A very stable signal
generator or TXCO may be used in
place of the Marconi XH100 receiver.
See the text for component details.
C1—27 nF capacitor.
C2—18 nF capacitor.
L1—88 μH air wound inductor.
L2—0.4 mH air wound inductor.
L3—0.3-1.3 mH variometer.
M1—50 Ω
ΩΩΩΩΩ wattmeter.
M2—RF ammeter, 2 A full scale (see
text).
M3—Drain current meter, 0-5 A dc.
Q1, Q2—NPN small signal transistor,
2N4401 or equiv.
Q3— PNP small signal transistor,
2N4403 or equiv.
Q4—International Rectifier IRF640 N
channel MOSFET.
RFC1—1.5 mH RF choke.
T1—Impedance matching transformer
with 5 primary turns and 13
secondary turns on a ferrite core.
U1—7400 quad NAND gate.
U2, U3—7490 decade counter.
U4—7805 5-V regulator.
At night, the photo-dissociated electrons
in the D-layer decay (or recombine)
quickly, as the darkness removes the ionizing
radiation. The “apparent reflection
level” moves up to the base of the E-layer
at around 90 to 100 km in altitude. The Elayer
is a 24-hour layer, ionized, amongst
other things, by high-energy cosmic rays.
The atmospheric pressure is much lower
than at the D-layer, so the chances of an
electron encountering an atom or positive
ion are much reduced and their “lifetimes”
are extended. Thus, the nighttime wave
has to travel through very little absorbing
material. The ionospheric wave, often
called the sky-wave, becomes stronger
than the ground wave at distances exceeding
about 800 km. Thus, all long distance
contacts are due to ionospherically returned
signals.
These seemingly predictable conditions
are altered by the effects of Solar disturbances.
The initial check of the Solar indices
against known good nights drew a blank,
but it was relatively easy to spot potentially
poor conditions. These occurred about 2 to
3 days after a geomagnetic event that lifted
the Kp index to 5 or above. This is about the
same level that leads to substantial auroral
effects. The conditions deteriorated more,
and took longer to recover, the higher the
Kp rose. It is postulated, from the signal
strength plots, that Coronal Mass Ejections
(CME) were responsible for injecting hot
electrons into the ionosphere. After these
had time to diffuse to the D-layer region (the
delay), their presence was felt as long-lived
From July 2005 QST © ARRL
absorbing material in the D-layer, reducing
the nighttime signal strengths. This delay is
reported in a number of professional papers
on Solar disturbance to LF propagation. So
the question remains: How to predict good
conditions?
A more recent extensive series of DX tests
have confirmed that the lesser-known index,
Dst (disturbance storm time), is a fairly good
indicator. Dst is determined by measuring the
effect of ring of trapped ions and electrons
circulating the equator in the Van Allen belt.
Estimated values are published on the Internet
by a number of observatories. It is thought
that ions and electrons are trapped from the
CME plasma clouds and are gradually exchanged
with the ionosphere over a number
of days. These migrate to the D-layer and
form a long-lived absorbing layer. This would
explain the prolonged period of poor conditions
after a geomagnetic storm, even after
the Kp index has returned to “quiet” conditions
(< 4). Anyone interested in antennas and
propagation should take a look at the vast
resource of papers by Jack Belrose, VE2CV.1
These are straightforward and very practical.
Receiving Longwave Signals
The old adage, “If you can’t copy ’em you
1Notes appear on page 46.
RICK LINDQUIST N1RL
Figure 3—This rack holds the IRF640
power amplifier, power supply, antenna
matching coil and variometer for VO1NA’s
137-kHz transmitter. The variometer (L3)
is the big red coil on the upper shelf next
to the wattmeter. The matching coil (L2) is
above the wattmeter. The power amplifier
is on the next shelf down (with heat sink,
L1, T1 and RFC1). Note that about 2000 V
is present at the feedthrough insulator
during transmissions.
From July 2005 QST © ARRL
can’t work ’em,” is especially true on 2200
meters. Many general coverage amateur
transceivers can receive down to 100 kHz and
some go further, while others stop at 500 kHz.
If you can tune down to 135 kHz, try it and
see what you can hear. If you can hear DCF39
on 138.83 kHz after dark, you are indeed in
luck. If not, then try experimenting with your
antenna. A long wire sometimes works if directly
connected to the antenna jack on the
transceiver. In reality, a 500 foot long wire is
a very short wire (less than 0.1 λ) on 2200
meters. A preferable option is to use a small
loop antenna and a preamp. These loops are
generally about 2 meters in diameter, and a
number of designs can be found on the LF
Web sites. Unlike any practical wire antenna
an amateur can erect, a loop will not take up
much real estate and can be made directional
to reduce interference. Once you have your
antenna up and can receive commercial long
wave stations such as CFH and DCF39, you
have sufficient receiver sensitivity and you
are now well on your way to receiving amateur
signals on LF.
Sensitivity is not the only issue. The others
are selectivity and stability. If you want
to receive amateur signals on 2200 meters,
stability is essential. Modern rigs with DDS
are quite adequate for this, providing the
0.1
Hz/hour or better stability required for
receiving amateur LF signals. On the selectivity
scale, a 500 Hz CW filter will do a
good job. The remaining work, narrowing
it down to 0.01 Hz, is taken care of by some
highly sophisticated software that takes the
audio from your receiver and splits it into
tiny bands that can be displayed on a computer
screen. The result is a series of Morse
code dots and dashes across your computer
monitor. It is an amazing marriage of modern
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technology
with 19th century Morse telegraphy. One
example of this software is Argo by I2PHD
and IK2CZL (see Figure 1).
You will probably not hear any distant
amateur signals. In the words of Larry
Kayser, VA3LK, the best thing you can
do with your headphones is unplug them
and put them in the drawer. About the only
thing you will hear is static and power line
noise. You have to let your eyes do the
listening. Connect a patch cord between
your computer and the headphone jack on
your receiver and watch for signals using
some of the excellent software that is
readily available.
Building a Transmitter
Amateur LF stations are typically
unique and often have a combination of
homemade and commercial gear modified
Figure 4—The LF antenna at VO1NA used for several years (including his first
transatlantic QSO) consists of two parallel wires 100 meters long, spaced 1 meter
apart. The antenna is supported at the far end by a 25 meter tower, and the wires
slope down toward another tower near the shack where they are connected together.
The antenna is fed at this point with another 50 meters of wire for a total length of
150 meters and matched with the loading coil and variometer shown in Figure 5.The
antenna has since undergone several involuntary changes as Mother Nature took down
one of the wires and then in January 2005 took the remaining wire and tower during an
ice storm. VO1NA is back on LF with 100 meters of wire about 10 meters off the ground.
Joe was never very comfortable on the top of his tower and is most grateful he was not
there at the time it collapsed. A 30-meter-tall replacement is planned.
for the purpose. Let’s illustrate this with
an example of a simple LF transmitter. The
schematic shown in Figure 2 is based on
designs of several amateurs.
A temperature controlled crystal oscillator
generates a carrier at 100 times the intended
frequency—in this case, 13.77770
MHz. This signal is fed into U1. Logic manipulations
are performed on the carrier oscillator
signal and the keying inputs to
preclude a sustained positive output at the
divider circuit. Such a level would destroy
the final amplifier in microseconds. Additionally,
it prevents any emissions while the
transmitter is not keyed. This is important
during receiving.
The output from U3, a square wave at
137 kHz, is fed to an inverting switch (Q1)
which converts the TTL signal to a 12 V
square wave. This is fed to a low-impedance-
output totem pole driver circuit comprising
Q2 and Q3, which switches the gate
of final amplifier Q4 between 0 and 12 V.
The operation of a class E amplifier is discussed
in detail elsewhere and methods of
final tuning are outlined.2 It is not difficult
to tune properly using a ’scope to check the
waveforms and meters to monitor the input
power.
The final amplifier evolved from a
15 W circuit with a P-channel MOSFET,
but when efforts to increase the power to
100 W at 12 V resulted only in fried FETs
and frustration, a new strategy was sought.
The next step was to try a higher voltage
device, an N channel IRF640.
Using G3NYK’s spreadsheet program to
get approximate values for the tuning components
simplifies the design considerably.
The process entails selecting a power output
and voltage within the specifications of
the MOSFET you wish to use. C1 is calculated
based on the required power output.
The values of the remaining components, L1
and C2, are provided by the spreadsheet, but
will usually require a small bit of adjustment
to achieve optimal efficiency. The output
transformer, T1, can be adjusted by
changing the turns ratio to get the desired
output impedance, usually 50 Ω. The transmitter
signal then goes through a wattmeter
and on to the antenna tuning network
(L2, L3).
High quality capacitors should be used
for C1 and C2. Parallel combinations of silver
mica or pulse rated metalized polyethylene
capacitors are recommended. RFC1
and T1 are both wound on 2.75 inch square
ferrite cores such as those used in flyback
transformers. RFC1 is 28 turns for about
1.5
mH of inductance. The number of turns depends on the core material, which should be selected to avoid saturation and excessive heating. L1 was constructed
using two concentric air wound inductors. The inner
Figure 5—After almost two years of
tuning the antenna from inside the shack,
in January 2005 VO1NA moved the
loading coil and variometer outside to the
tower. A smaller variometer, about 60250
μH, was used in series with a tapped
loading coil.This moves the RF and high
voltages away from the house. A standard
50 Ω
ΩΩΩΩΩ coaxial cable runs back to the
transmitter in the shack.
one is 2.75 inches diameter by 6.25 inches
long. The outer one is 3.125 inches diameter
by 2 inches long. You can adjust the
inductance by taking taps and fine tune it
by sliding the coils. L1 conducts large
amounts of current and should be built accordingly
with wire no smaller than no. 16.
The finished transmitter is shown in
Figure 3. Increasing the voltage made it
much easier to get high efficiency. Within a
short time 100 W at about 80% efficiency
was achieved and there seemed little point
in further tinkering. It was very gratifying
to see that the only hot thing on the bench
(besides the soldering iron!) was the dummy
antenna. The MOSFET, mounted on a
heatsink about 3 × 3 × 4 inches, was barely
warm after several minutes of steady carrier.
For those interested in even higher
power, a 700 W transmitter has been described
in QEX.3
Some form of filtering may be needed
at the transmitter output to reduce the harmonic
content of the signal, but it is worth
noting that a properly tuned class-E stage
has less distortion (and harmonics) than a
class-C or class-D stage. Amplifiers are
discussed in Peter Dodd’s excellent Low
Frequency Experimenter’s Handbook.4
The Antenna and
Tuning Networks
Because ¼ λ is more than 500 meters at
136 kHz, it is not likely that you will have
the good fortune to be able to erect a reso
nant antenna. A large amount of capacitive
reactance and a very small radiation resistance
are the facts of life for any practical
LF antenna.
The first step in tuning the antenna is to
cancel the capacitive reactance by inserting
a large amount of inductance, often several
millihenrys, in series with the antenna. This
is simplified by using a variometer (L3),
which allows a continuous variation of inductance.
Next, the remaining resistive component
has to be transformed to the output
impedance of the transmitter, which is normally
50 Ω. This is usually achieved by using
an autotransformer (L2) to step up the
resistance, or if you are fortunate, to step it
down. The ultimate goal is to get the efficiency
of the transmitter and the antenna
current as high as possible at the same time.
It’s a little more challenging than erecting
an antenna and running coax from it to the
rig as we do so easily on the wavelengths
below 200 meters.
The inductance needed to achieve resonance
is obtained from
1L =
[Eq 1]
(2πf)2C
where C is the antenna capacitance, which
can be roughly estimated as 5 pF per meter
of antenna length. For example, if your antenna
is 100 meters long, its capacitance will
be about 500 pF and the total inductance
needed is about 2.7 mH. Fine tuning is done
by adjusting the variometer and matching
transformer for maximum antenna current.
The LF antenna that VO1NA used for the
transatlantic experiments is shown in Figure
4. The antenna is about 150 meters long,
including 100 meters of horizontal wire and
another 50 meters of wire between the shack
and feed point acting as a feed line. The use
of two parallel wires increases the antenna
capacitance and efficiency.
To match VO1NA’s parallel-wire
antenna, L2 is air wound, with 100 spacewound
turns for a total inductance of about
0.4
mH. It is tapped for the best resistive match.
L3 is the tuning variometer with an inductance
range of about 0.3 to 1.3 mH. The
variometer is wound with 12 gauge insulated
copper wire. The insulation is used as a convenient
means of spacing the turns to reduce
losses.
A good ground connection is very important
and this will take some experimentation.
The ground resistance can be
estimated from
P
Rg =
[Eq 2]
2
I
where P is the power of the transmitter
and I is the antenna current. At VO1NA it
is about 40 Ω.
From July 2005 QST © ARRL
Danger: High Voltage! Please note that
there are very dangerous voltages present
on the antenna end of the tuning coil and
the antenna itself. Special precautions are
necessary to prevent electric shocks and
burns, as well as arcing. Low frequency
RF can be deadly lethal when it uses your
body as the ground lead.
Getting the Message Out
on the Long Waves
Keying the transmitter can be done in
several ways. For slow speed CW (0.04
WPM) one has to be very persistent for
manual operation. Most of us aren’t that
patient so we use a diode matrix identifier
or program a computer to do the job.
A matrix (or EPROM/PIC) is very convenient
for beacon operation, but a computer
offers more versatility for making slow
speed QSOs. VO1NA’s IDer is a CMOS
version of the circuit published by Tom
McMullen, W1SL, many years ago.5
A variety of modes is used on LF, but
by far the most popular are FSK or slow
speed CW (QRSS) in which the dots are
sent on one frequency and the dashes on a
slightly higher frequency. For long distance
work, dots are 30 to 60 seconds long,
so the QSOs do not involve the exchange
of a lot of details other than the call signs
and the signal reports.
Transatlantic Experiments on
Long Wave
VO1NA’s initial transmissions were
with a 5 W transmitter used for long wave
experiments on 180 kHz in 1992. He retuned
it for 136.269 kHz and coupled it to
a 30 meter wire antenna. Signals were
heard 7 km away. Next he built a 15 W
class E transmitter using a P-channel
MOSFET. Contacts were had with several
members of the Marconi Radio Club of
Newfoundland including VO1FB,
VO1HD, VO1HP and VO1XP.
Signals were finally radiated outside
the country when the 150 meter wire antenna
shown in Figure 4 was raised and
signals were detected by John Andrews,
W1TAG in Holden, Massachusetts, about
1600 km away. This success encouraged
the attempt to span the Atlantic, and the
100 W transmitter described earlier was
built from parts in the old junk box.
Arrangements were made between
G3NYK and VO1NA based on Alan’s predictions
of conditions. After a few tries,
signals were finally copied and the Atlantic
spanned for the first time from VO
land. Alan used an indoor 1.25 meter loop
made out of 16 turns of 25-pair telephone
cable, tuned and amplified with the simple
preamp shown on his Web site.
On June 12, 2003, 1011/2 years after
Marconi spanned the Atlantic, a two-way
QSO was completed with Jim Moritz,
From July 2005 QST © ARRL
These Web pages offer a wealth of
additional information about Ama-
teur Radio LF experiments, hard-
ware, software and propagation.
Argo Software
www.weaksignals.com
CT1DRP Web site
homepage.esoterica.pt/~brian/
G3YXM LF News
www.wireless.org.uk
G3NYK Web site
www.alan.melia.btinternet.co.uk
KL1X Web site
myweb.cableone.net/flow/
Long Wave Club of America
www.lwca.org
NOAA Space Environment Center
www.sec.noaa.gov
ON7YD Web site www.qsl.net/
~on7yd/
VE7SL Web site imagenisp.ca/jsm/
INDEX.html
W1TAG Web site www.w1tag.com
W3EEE Web site www.w3eee.com
W4DEX Web site www.w4dex.com
Web Pages for the LF
Experimenter
MØBMU, near London—more than 3700
km away. Jim used a 2 meter loop to receive
Joe’s very slow CW signals on
137.777
kHz.
Other transatlantic contacts have been
completed, including a couple with
G3LDO. To date, the best DX from
VO1NA has been RN6BN at 6600 km.
We’ve copied each other’s signals and are
still hoping for a two-way QSO. A long
wave listener, Hartmut Wolff in Germany
has copied VO1NA’s 137 kHz signals a
number of times, as well as his QRP (5 W)
beacon on 189.81 kHz. Closer to home,
and at even higher CW speeds Frank
Davis, VO1HP, while operating the
Marconi Radio Club station VO1MRC,
completed the first two-way conventional
CW QSO in Canada by working VO1NA
at 20 WPM. With a recent reception by
Hartmut of a 10 W signal, transatlantic
experimentation promises to be very interesting
and gratifying for upcoming winter
seasons. More information on our
experiments appeared in The Canadian
6
Amateur.
Conclusion
Before transmitting on the 2200 meter
band, please note that Canadian amateurs
are required to obtain a Letter of Authorization
(LOA) from Industry Canada. This
can be done through Radio Amateurs of
Canada. American amateurs are required
to obtain an experimental license under
Part 5 of the FCC Regulations. We hope
that this band will be allocated to the ama
teur service on a worldwide basis.
Amateurs who seek technical challenges
and new excitement have a fascinating new
frontier at 2200 m. With the aid of the
Internet, you can become part of a growing
fraternity with some very competent and
knowledgeable fellow amateurs. State-ofthe-
art software has been developed and
made readily available for all to use. New
developments are surfacing all the time.
Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge the support
of members of LF community, Radio
Amateurs of Canada, the Marconi Radio
Club of Newfoundland and the Radio Society
of Great Britain for their LF Internet
reflector.
Notes
1J.S. Belrose, W.L. Hatton, C.A. McKerrow
and R.S. Thain, “The Engineering of
Communications Systems for Low Radio
Frequencies,” Proc. IRE, Vol 47, No 5,
May 1959, pp 661-680.
2N. Sokal, “Class E Power Amplifiers,” QEX,
Jan/Feb 2001, pp 9-20.
3A. Talbot, “A 700 W Switch-Mode Transmit
ter for 137 kHz,” QEX, Nov/Dec 2002,
pp 16-26.
4P. Dodd, The Low Frequency Experimenter’s
Handbook (Radio Society of Great Britain,
2000).
5T. McMullen, “A Low Cost CW Identifier,”
QST, Apr 1975, pp 34-36.
6J. Craig, R. Dodge and R. Peet, “LF In New
foundland and Labrador,” The Canadian
Amateur, Sep/Oct 2004, p 39.
Photos by Joe Craig, VO1NA, unless otherwise
noted.
Joe Craig, VO1NA, was first licensed in 1976. He
is the son of VO1FB, husband of VO1RL, and
father of Julia. Joe completed his Bachelors and
Masters degrees at Memorial University of Newfoundland
and works with the Government of
Canada as a physicist. He has lectured at the
University and at conferences in radio and physical
science and has authored dozens of technical
and research papers as well as several publications
in the primary literature. Joe is a member
of the Baccalieu and Poldhu Amateur Radio
Clubs, the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland,
Radio Amateurs of Canada and a life member
of the Quarter Century Wireless Association.
He has both CW and 160 meter DXCC. Joe also
enjoys swimming and fitness, music, traveling,
photography and astronomy. He can be contacted
at jcraig@mun.ca.
Alan Melia became interested in Amateur
Radio at school about 1955 and obtained his
license, G3NYK, while at Liverpool University
in 1960. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in
Physics in 1961 and joined the then Post Office
Research Department (later British Telecom Research
Labs) where he worked for 30 years on
transistor and IC test and reliability. He then
joined a small local two-way radio company,
retiring 5 years ago. He started on 160 m, and
has become addicted to LF, particularly propagation
effects. He is a member of the RSGB
Propagation Studies Committee, and still holds
membership in the Institute of Physics as
a Chartered Physicist. He can be contacted
at 67A Deben Ave, Martlesham, Heath,
Ipswich IP5 7QR, UK or alan.melia@
btinternet.com.
ARLS003: AO-40 Command Team Plays Waiting Game
SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS003
ARLS003 AO-40 Command Team Plays Waiting Game
ZCZC AS03
QST de W1AW
Space Bulletin 003 ARLS003
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT February 4, 2004
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS003
ARLS003 AO-40 Command Team Plays Waiting Game
Ground controllers for the now-dark AO-40 satellite are waiting for
something to break aboard the spacecraft. Specifically, they want
one of the cells of the main battery bank to open up and "unshort"
the power bus. That open circuit then could mean the command team
would be able use the auxiliary batteries--now tied in parallel with
the main battery bank--to restart the satellite. The command team
hypothesizes that a failure within the main battery is clamping the
bus voltage low. The command team meanwhile continues to signal the
satellite to turn off the main batteries and turn on the auxiliary
batteries and the 2.4 GHz "S2" downlink transmitter.
"If we have approximately 10 V on the main bus, then these commands
should be making it through," said ground controller Stacey Mills,
W4SM, "but the S2 transmitter was not designed to run below 20 V and
is not coming on."
AO-40 has been silent since January 27 (UTC), in the wake of a
precipitous voltage drop. The satellite's controllers believe that
one or more shorted battery cells are at the root of the problem.
Mills said the AO-40 command team assumes the bus voltage aboard
AO-40 is lower than 12 V, and that the onboard IHU-1 ("internal
housekeeping unit") computer, the command receivers or the battery
changeover relay have insufficient power to operate.
There's some conjecture that the current problem may be related to
the near-catastrophic incident that occurred onboard AO-40 in
December 2000 less than a month after its launch during testing of
the 400-newton propulsion system. That mishap destroyed some of the
spacecraft's functionality and may have caused other damage that's
only now coming to light. Following the 2000 incident, the AO-40
command team was able to restore some of the satellite's
functionality.
Updates on the AO-40 situation are being posted on the AMSAT-DL Web
site at
http://www.amsat-dl.org/journal/adlj-p3d.htm#NEWS.
There's
additional information on AO-40 on the AMSAT-NA Web site,
http://www.amsat.org/.
NNNN
/EX
Youth@HamRadio.Fun: JOTA 2003, Free Money and More
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
December 30, 2003
This time we'll hear about some experiences from JOTA 2003 and check out some other youth-related events and activities.
The Scouting-Amateur Radio activity Jamboree On The Air (
JOTA)
takes place each fall during the third weekend of October. It's not a contest but a great opportunity for young people active in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
and Venturing Crews--licensed or not--to get acquainted with their peers in other cities--sometimes in other countries--via Amateur Radio. Of course, JOTA
can be a bit of a ham radio recruiting tool too. Each fall, many Scout groups participate. Here are a couple of the JOTA 2003 experiences we heard about.
Getting on the Air: JOTA 2003 at KI3DS. [Andrew Kelly, K3ASK, Photo]
KI3DS JOTA Operation Involves Cub Scouts
On October 18 in Maryland, a team of several hams set up the Anne Arundel Radio Club Jr
KI3DS JOTA
operation at a farm in Harwood.
"When asked to do a public service event with the Webelos this year, I couldn't pass it up," said Andrew Kelly, K3ASK. Webelos den members are Cub Scouts--mostly
fourth and fifth graders--who are making the transition to Boy Scouts. The KI3DS JOTA 2003 was an effort to involve the Webelos youngsters in a major scouting
activity and possibly pique their interest in Amateur Radio.
Each person at the KI3DS JOTA site had a job, whether it was greeting guests, acting as a control operator or venturing into the field with a handheld transceiver.
The radio operation consisted of both HF and VHF gear plus a laptop to simulate satellite passes and, of course, informational handouts.
The KI3DS JOTA included a ham radio game for the youngsters. K3ASK served as control operator for Webelos den members equipped with 2-meter handhelds. Meanwhile,
several participating hams, also with handhelds, spread out around the farm, making sure to stay out of sight of the main shelter.
Although the Webelos members didn't know where the other operators were, the "hidden operators" could see the Webelos players and tell them their shirt
or hat color over the radio. "This was a fun game to play," Andrew explained.
On 40 meters, many scouts talked to JOTA groups in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Bob and Brenda Rose, AA3RR and KB3ATI, discussed various aspects
of Amateur Radio with the scouts.
"Before we knew it, it was getting near quitting time," Andrew said. In all, some 175 Webelos members visited KI3DS, and Andrew said it was a pleasure to
help introduce them to ham radio. "Being 13 and working with kids near my age is a lot of fun, and I would encourage other kids to help out in next year's
JOTA event," he added.
Youth-12-C
Scouts Kyle Kleppe (left) and Scott Richardson work Bermuda on 20 meters during the Waleska, Georgia, Fall Camporee. [Larry Richardson, N4UJO, Photo]
Youth-12-D
Inside the Georgia Convention. [Mark Spencer, WA8SME, Photo]
Youth-12-E
Some of the young people attending the Georgia Convention Youth Forum: (L-R): Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM; Jamie Bruce, KG4SKK; Eric Snellgrove, KF4YUD; Alan
Hough (unlicensed); Connie Cote, N4CAC; and Elizabeth Harper, AK3H. [Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI, Photo]
Youth-12-F
Youth loungers at the Georgia State Convention: (Top to bottom): Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM; Connie Cote, N4CAC; Geoff Franklin, KE4IGD; Jamie Bruce, KG4SKK;
Barbara Franklin, KI4BQT. [Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI, Photo]
The Troop 94 Experience
Mike Laney, AG4MY, of Acworth, Georgia, reports that Troop 94 hosted its annual Fall Camporee at Reinhardt College in Waleska on JOTA weekend. Nearly 130
scouts participated in JOTA.
Cherokee County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) was on hand with its emergency response trailer to demonstrate how they assist with communications
during emergencies. The Boy Scout "Radio" merit badge was taught, and four radios were set up.
ARRL Georgia State Convention Features Youth Theme
The youth theme featured at this year's ARRL Georgia State Convention turned out to be a success. Throughout the weekend, many young people hung out in
the "Youth Lounge," where there were snacks, drinks, board games and--best of all--radios. These were complete with control operators to assist nonhams
who might want to give Amateur Radio a whirl.
Nine young hams and prospective licensees turned out for the youth forum, which I moderated. We began our forum with an "icebreaker" activity you might
want to try if you're ever called upon to be a youth forum speaker. We gave each person a cup of electrical components--resistors, capacitors and other
devices. The object of the game is to end up with all of the same types of components by trading with others--after exchanging names and call signs, of
course.
Eric Snellgrove, KF4YUD, from Venture Crew 73--an Amateur Radio Scouting Group--told us a little bit about Venturing. Participants then took turns answering
the question, "What makes Amateur Radio fun to you?" I delivered a PowerPoint presentation about youth involvement in Amateur Radio that included a few
photos from this column.
ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project") Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, also attended.
After the forum, we held a Youth Fox Hunt. In this type of "fox hunt," competitors attempt to locate hidden transmitters. We hid two foxes--one under a
lawn chair in the flea market and the other in a moving golf cart. Connie Cote, N4CAC, found the first one, but no one managed to track down the mobile
fox. The Boy Scout "Radio" Merit badge class at the hamfest was also a success.
Connie said she really enjoyed the hamfest because it was the first time she had been around other young hams. "I met a whole lot of new friends this weekend,"
she said. It also was her first foxhunt, and she got to try PSK31. She's now interested in starting a radio club at her school to get more youth involved.
Connie also said she'd like to see the Morse code requirement (Element 1) eliminated from Amateur Radio testing. She believes Morse code is hard for some
people to learn and doesn't think that should be a roadblock to getting on HF.
Let me know about your club's youth-oriented hamfest activities.
Youth-12-H
The "Sundancer" competed in the Seventh World Solar Challenge in Australia. Many of the young team members are Amateur Radio licensees. There are more photos
on the
World Solar Challenge 2003
Web site.
World Solar Challenge 2003
Remember the team of young people whose solar-powered car, the "Sundancer," won the
Dell-Winston Solar Car Challenge
for the third year in a row earlier this year? Several members of the Houston, Mississippi, Vocational Center's solar-powered car race team earned their
ham tickets this past summer so they could use Amateur Radio to coordinate race activities. Ham radio, they'd discovered, worked much better than the Family
Radio Service units they had been using for race communication.
In October, the "Sundancer" competed in
World Solar Challenge 2003
in Australia. Although the Mississippi team didn't win, they tried their best, which is what really counts. Great job!
New EchoLink, IRLP Nets
We've received word of a new youth net on EchoLink--the Onondaga County Youth Radio Amateur Net in New York. The net is called on the 145.350 MHz WW2N EchoLink
repeater node #64224 in Pompey, New York. Stop by and say hello on Sundays at 7 PM Eastern Time.
In Southern California, Bob Schneider, KC9AJY, reports the IRLP New Ham Trivia Net takes place on a linked 440-MHz repeater system and on IRLP node 3500.
Checkin is at 7 PM Pacific Time on Fridays.
Kid's Day 2004
Kid's Day 2004 is Sunday, January 4. This event offers a fun way for kids of all ages, licensed or unlicensed, to learn about Amateur Radio while having
fun. By participating, you can earn a colorful certificate. More
information, times and frequencies
are on the ARRL Web site.
Former Youth Editor Resurfaces in Adult World
Former Youth@HamRadio.Fun Editor Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, reports: "I'm currently working as a member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories,
doing electrical engineering. Married life is treating me well, as Katelyn is a wonderful wife and very supportive of my addictions--ham radio and Scouting."
Brian also plans to go back to school to get his master's degree. "I've been accepted to Georgia Tech's master's program to get my MSEE, and I will be taking
my first class this spring via distance learning," he reports. He hopes to complete his graduate degree at Georgia Tech in Atlanta starting in August.
Brian also notes that he's been elected president of the Upper Rio FM Society, New Mexico's largest ham radio club with 700 members. The Upper Rio maintains
one of the nation's best VHF/UHF linkable repeater systems and APRS networks. "Other than that," he adds, "I'm trying to stay as active as possible within
the hobby!"
Free Money!
The Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc (
FAR),
a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, plans to administer 59 scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year to assist radio amateurs.
FAR invites Amateur Radio licensees planning to pursue a full-time course of study beyond high school and now enrolled in or accepted for enrollment at
an accredited university, college or technical school to compete for these scholarships.
Awards range from $500 to $2500. Preference in some cases goes to residents of specific geographical areas or to those pursuing certain programs of study.
FAR encourages Amateur Radio clubs--especially those in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin--to announce these
scholarship opportunities at meetings, in newsletters, during training classes, on nets and on Web pages.
Additional information and an application form is available by sending a letter or QSL card postmarked prior to April 30, 2004, to FAR Scholarships, PO
Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738.
ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award
The ARRL invites nominations of exceptional young Amateur Radio operators for the ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award. Nominations are due to ARRL section
managers by March 31, 2004. The HPM Award goes each year to an enthusiastic and active amateur licensee aged 21 or younger whose contributions to Amateur
Radio and to the community are of the most exemplary nature.
An ideal nominee may be involved in recruiting new hams through demonstrations as well as by example to his or her peers; on the air and/or public service
activities; employing technical ingenuity to further Amateur Radio; public relations activities; and organizations on a local, state or national level.
The HPM Award winner receives an engraved plaque and a check for $1500.
Complete information is available on the ARRL
Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award
Web page, which includes a link to the nomination form. Those nominating HPM Award candidates should include their contact information and forward the form
to their
ARRL Section Manager.
Section managers also may nominate young hams for this award. For additional information, contact
Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS.
Winter Break Reading
List of 9 items
• The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler
(Dec 21, 2003)
• German School Group Enjoys Successful ARISS Contact
(Dec 19, 2003)
• School Club Roundup 2003 certificates are in the mail
(Dec 17 "In Brief")
• Scouts helped in Isabel response
(Dec 17 "In Brief")
• Kid's Day is Sunday, January 4!
(Dec 17, 2003)
• ISS Commander Talks with German Student-Amateurs
(Dec 9, 2003)
• ARRL Web youth columnist invited to do youth column for YLRL
(Dec 3 "In Brief")
• High school program yields dozens of new hams
(from Dec 3 "In Brief")
• Expedition 8 Commander Enjoys First School Group QSO
(Nov 25, 2003)
list end
Remember To . . .
List of 7 items
• Check into the EchoLink Connecticut Amateur Radio League of Youth (CARLY) Net Sunday evenings at 7:30 Eastern Time, on the K3KID link.
• Try the ARRL
Youth Sked Database
to set up on-air schedules with other young hams.
• Visit the North American Youth Net (NAYN) on Mondays and Fridays at 2300 to 2330 UTC on 14. 329 MHz.
• Check out the
Harmonics
(Youth) Web page.
• Take practice Amateur Radio tests on
QRZ.com
or
eHam.net
• Attend a local
hamfest
(Amateur Radio convention):
• But most of all, get involved! No excuses!
list end
Final Comments
Thank you to everyone who has contributed items for possible use in this column. I'm gratified to see so many each month. That's outstanding!
Although I may not be able to include your contribution immediately, I will attempt to use it in the future.
A safe and happy new year 2004 to all!
Editor's Note: Fourteen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Grayson, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities
include public service, kit building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact
Andrea
via e-mail
with the subject line "Youth Column." See previous Youth@HamRadio.Fun
columns
on the ARRL Web site
Changes in the Procedure for Downloading
Topographic Maps for Use with HFTA
We thank Pete Smith, N4ZR, for kindly contributing this information.
Since the 20th Edition of The ARRL Antenna Book was released, there have been some
changes made in the Web sites that are recommended for downloading topographic maps
and other files for use with HFTA.
Seamless DEMs (Digital Elevation Models)
The URL remains unchanged at
http://seamless.usgs.gov,
but USGS has changed the
web site somewhat. When you arrive, the first screen now looks like this:
Click on “View and Download United States Data”. The next screen has some subtle
changes. In particular, the “Define Area By Coordinates” text link has been replaced by
the right-hand of the two buttons under “Downloads” in the lower left margin. Before
you click on it, you need to determine which “layers” of data to be downloaded. Click the
Download tab in the right margin and when it appears, click on the triangle to the left of
the word Elevation. That will drop down a list of the various elevation choices that are
available:
You want to check the “1’ NED” box. You should also click on the “Land Cover”
triangle and uncheck the default “NLCD 1992 Land Cover” box.
Now click on the download icon. This will bring up a new browser window, which
should look familiar. Complete this screen as outlined in pages 6 and 7 of the current
HFTA instructions to center the downloaded area on your tower location, then and click
on the “Add Area” button.
The next screen is newly formatted, but conveys the same information about what
you have set to download. Here, as before, you need to click the “Modify Data Request”
button. When you do that, a completely new (and confusing) screen appears:
Make sure the NED 1 Arc Second box is checked. Go to the Data format drop-down
in that line, and select GeoTIFF instead of ArcGRID. Scroll down to the bottom of the
page and click on “Save Changes and Return to Summary.” Now you’re back at the
previous screen, but with the format of the download changed and updated.
Make sure the dataset and output format are as shown. This is also a good time to
check the coordinates one last time. Then click the “Download” button and follow the
instructions on page 8 of the original HFTA instructions to save the zip file that results.
We’re done with USGS, but the fun isn’t quite over yet, because if you run
MicroDEM at this point, pick “Open DEM” and try to open the zip file you just created,
you will get an error. What you now need to do is to extract from the zip file (use WinZip
or whatever you want) the file with the “tif” extension into the MapData|DEM
subdirectory. When you open this *.tif file, voila! You’ll have your topo map open and
ready to work on. You can then save it as a DEM with a descriptive name (like your call
sign, for example), and open it directly once to be sure it’s OK. At this point you can
delete the *.tif file and the associated zip file, because you won’t need them any more.
Adding Tiger Data (Roads, Rivers, Etc)
This step adds considerably to the utility of the maps in MicroDEM, by helping you
be sure that your terrain profiles are drawn from the correct point. But again the
government IT types have been playing with things. The good news is that they have
made retrieving Tiger data easier. Instead of the process outlined in the HFTA manual,
follow along with this: Go to
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/fips/fips65/
and look up
the 5-digit FIPS code for your county.
When you have the code (you’ll only need to do this once), go to
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/tiger2003/tgr2003.html
and find your state. Click
on it and then download the appropriate numbered zip file. Follow the procedure on
pages 13-14 of the HFTA manual to overlay the geographic data on the topographic DEM
you already created. And there you are (or rather here is the N4ZR QTH). Cool, isn’t it?
ARLB028: FCC proposes two new amateur bands!
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB028
ARLB028 FCC proposes two new amateur bands!
ZCZC AG28
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 28 ARLB028
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 10, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB028
ARLB028 FCC proposes two new amateur bands!
Good news for ham radio this week! FCC has proposed going along with
ARRL's request for a new domestic (US-only), secondary HF allocation
at 5.25 to 5.4 MHz. The FCC also is ready to permit operation on a
136-kHz ''sliver band'' in the low-frequency (LF) region. And, in
response to a third ARRL request, the FCC has proposed elevating
Amateur Radio to primary status at 2400 to 2402 MHz.
''I'm just as tickled as I can be,'' ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
said upon hearing the news. ''This is a classic example of our ARRL
at work.''
The FCC voted unanimously May 2 to adopt the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking in ET Docket 02-98. The Commission released a Public
Notice May 9, and the NPRM is expected to be released soon. A
comment deadline will be announced as soon as it's available.
The FCC said the new 5-MHz band would help amateurs ''better match
their choice of frequency to existing propagation conditions.'' The
band, if approved, would be the first new amateur HF allocation
since World Administrative Radio Conference 1979 gave amateurs 30,
17 and 12 meters--the so-called ''WARC Bands.'' Assuming the 5-MHz
band eventually is authorized, it could be a few years before it
actually becomes available.
The League said its successful WA2XSY experiments demonstrated that
amateurs can coexist with current users and that the band is very
suitable for US-to-Caribbean paths. In comparisons with 80 and 40
meters, the WA2XSY operation also showed the 60-meter band to be the
most reliable of the three. The ARRL also argued that a new 150-kHz
allocation at 5 MHz could relieve periodic overcrowding on 80 and
40.
If allocated to amateurs on a secondary basis, hams would have to
avoid interfering with--and accept interference from--current
occupants of the spectrum, as they already do on 30 meters. The band
5.250 to 5.450 MHz now is allocated to Fixed and Mobile services on
a co-primary basis in all three ITU regions.
The ARRL asked the FCC for two LF allocations in October 1998--135.7
to 137.8 kHz and 160 to 190 kHz. The FCC said its action on one part
of that LF request proposes changes that would enhance the ability
of amateur radio operators to conduct technical experiments,
including propagation and antenna design experiments, in the 'low
frequency' (LF) range of the radio spectrum.''
Several countries in Europe and elsewhere already have 136-kHz
amateur allocations. The first amateur transatlantic contact on the
band was recorded in February 2001.
Hams would be secondary to the Fixed and Maritime Mobile services in
the 136-kHz allocation. The League said its engineering surveys
suggest that hams could operate without causing problems to power
line carrier (PLC) systems already active in that vicinity or to
government assignments. Unallocated Part 15 PLC systems are used by
electric utilities to send control signals, data and voice.
The FCC said its proposal to upgrade the Amateur Service allocation
at 2400 to 2402 MHz to primary ''seeks to protect current amateur use
of this band.'' Hams have shared their other 2.4 GHz spectrum on a
secondary basis with government users.
Amateurs already are primary at 2390 to 2400 and from 2402 to 2417
MHz. The ARRL has said primary status in the intervening spectrum
slice was needed ''to provide some assurances of future occupancy of
the band segments for the next generation of amateur satellites.''
The ARRL has expressed its belief that hams can continue to
accommodate Part 15 and Part 18 devices at 2.4 GHz.
NNNN
/EX
ARRL Going to the Mat on 70-cm Band Threat
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 28, 2002--ARRL officials have met with FCC staff members as part of the League's effort to stave off a band threat on 70 cm. ARRL General
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, delivered an ex parte presentation to Hugh van Tuyl and Karen Rackley of
the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology staff on January 14. At issue was SAVI Technology's plan--already tentatively agreed to by the FCC--to deploy
unlicensed transient RF identification devices between 425 and 435 MHz at much higher field strengths and duty cycles than Part 15 rules now permit for
such devices.
"We told them that this was the worst possible choice of bands for these RFIDs," Imlay said. "Besides, there's no technical justification for that choice
of frequencies." The request to use 70 cm has more to do with economics than technology, he said, because SAVI needs to bring down the cost of RFIDs in
order to make a profit. United Parcel Service (UPS) has supported SAVI's proposal in comments, although the company is not yet using the technology.
Imlay added that the ARRL would "do whatever it takes" to stave off the threat, and that could include further direct appeals to FCC staffers. The ARRL
plans to file "strongly worded" comments on the SAVI petition by the February 12 comment deadline. Reply comments are due by March 12, 2002. Imlay said
that van Tuyl and Rackley assured him that SAVI's request "was not a done deal."
RFIDs are used for what's called "asset tracking." Among other applications, the RFID tags could be used to track and inventory parcel shipments and vehicles.
The US Department of Defense already uses SAVI's RFID tags to identify what's in shipping containers.
The FCC acted on the SAVI request last October in an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order (ET Docket 01-278) aimed primarily at reviewing and updating
portions of its Part 2, 15 and 18 rules. The ARRL argued in comments filed last March that the field strengths and duty cycles SAVI proposed for its RFID
tags as Part 15 "periodic radiators" were unreasonable and "would undoubtedly seriously disrupt amateur communications in one of the most popular of the
Amateur Service allocations," particularly for weak-signal enthusiasts.
The RFID tags are interrogated by a hand-held device. "You can imagine, in a warehouse, there might be multiple interrogation devices, and these RFIDs could
be going off all the time," Imlay said. "It could be constant." Not only that but RFID tags on the move could generate interference that could be impossible
to pinpoint.
The ARRL's January 14 ex parte presentation was complemented by an interference study prepared by ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, and ARRL Senior Engineer
Zack Lau, W1VT. The presentation supported the ARRL's assertion that "the signal levels proposed for RFID systems at the duty cycles proposed to be permitted
in this proceeding will cause substantial interference to amateur stations in excess of 1000 meters from the RFID transmitter."
The League not only maintains that the RFID tags could result in significant interference to amateurs, it believes the FCC lacks the statutory authority
to permit them under its Part 15 rules in the configuration SAVI has requested. At the field strengths requested--a maximum field strength of 11,000 uV/m
and a peak level of 110,000 uV/m at a distance of three meters--current FCC rules permit only very short data bursts with significant time out between
subsequent transmissions. SAVI has proposed permitting continuous transmissions of up to two minutes plus retransmission in the case of an error. The ARRL
argues that under the Communications Act of 1934, such devices with substantial interference potential must be licensed.
"There's no exclusion for Part 15 devices," Imlay said. "What the FCC is proposing is a wholesale abandonment of the rules governing periodic radiators."
The ARRL has argued that the FCC does not have the authority to put such Part 15 devices just anywhere and has suggested that SAVI pick one of the Industrial,
Scientific and Medical (ISM) bands instead of 425-435 MHz. Imlay says SAVI wants 70 cm, however, because it can most economically obtain devices for that
band from Europe, where 433.92 MHz is an ISM band in some countries.
Other financial factors may be involved as well. Imlay pointed to an article about SAVI that appeared in the December issue of American Shipper magazine,
a copy of which was supplied to ARRL by Rick Wheeler Jr, N4JGU. The article noted SAVI's long-term relationship with the US Defense Department. It also
pointed out that the privately held SAVI--with some 300 employees around the world--has received financial backing from UPS's Strategic Enterprise Fund,
as well as from other venture capital investors. The article quotes Strategic Enterprise Fund Director John Wilson as saying that UPS might turn to RFIDs
"as the price comes down."
For more information, read the QST "It seems to us . . .
Unlicensed to Kill"
editorial by ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, and visit the
Threats to our Amateur Bands page.
Amateurs are invited to comment on this proposal via the FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS). When searching, enter "01-278" in the "Proceeding" box in the "Search for Filed Comments" window.
A copy of the
ARRL Ex Parte Presentation
interference study is available on the ARRL Web site "Band Threats" page.
August 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 8
Back to Basics
From shopping for your first radio to putting up your first antenna, here is some tried and
true advice.
By Dave Miller, NZ9E
7462 Lawler Ave
Niles, IL60714-3108
It’s that confusing place where we’ve all been at one time or another. Advertisements and catalogs are spread in
front of you. There’s some money burning a hole in your pocket. You’re about to invest in your first Amateur Radio station
and you don’t know which way to go!
Forty years ago, when I entered the hobby, my choices were relatively limited. There were probably fewer ham
equipment manufacturers and, as I remember, less variety. I certainly took the time to peruse the catalogs and ads, but
most ham stations in those days started small, perhaps just a basic receiver, a two-tube transmitter and a wire dipole
antenna. The bands were less crowded then, so you could count on making copious contacts with simple equipment.
Too Many Features?
I’m somewhat relieved that I’m not starting in the hobby today. Although there is more to do these days, there’s also
considerably more information to plow through. Making a purchase decision you can live with isn’t easyespecially if you
fall victim to “feature overload.” Allow me to explain.
I have one 2-meter H-T that, for the life of me, I can’t remember how to program. It has too many functions for my
needs. I don’t use it often enough to keep the logic of its programming current in my mind. I should have taken a hint
before I bought it; a friend of mine had the same H-T and had to carry the instruction book at all times. My friend’s
experience should have told me something, but I couldn’t resist. It was such a neat-looking radio.
I have another H-T that doesn’t do nearly as much, but it does what I want. The buttons and programming logic
make much more sense to me, so I end up using the simpler radio most of the time. I should probably sell the complicated
rig but it’s such a neat-looking radio!
What’s the moral of this story? Overlooking the sanity question, don’t buy more than you need, or think you’ll need in
the future. Resist the temptation to swoon over a nice exterior design or a laundry list of bells and whistles. Not all features
are good features. At times they can be traps.
I once owned a cellular phone with way too many features. One day I managed to get it into the “locked” mode.
That’s the mode you use if you want to keep someone else from playing with your phone while you’re not around. I never
used the lock feature, so I didn’t know how to unlock it. I didn’t have the manual with me at the time, so the phone was
useless. It couldn’t have happened at a worse moment. It was a cold January night in northern Illinois and my car was
acting up. (No, I didn’t have my basic H-T.)
I recently saw a packet message from a poor fellow who was pleading for instructions on how to reprogram his H-T.
He was on vacation, had neglected to bring along the manual and couldn’t figure out how to reset the programming. No
doubt he tried dozens of combinations, before sheepishly sending that packet bulletin. I didn’t laugh when I read it. I knew
exactly how he felt. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help him. He had a different too-many-features-for-its-own-good H-T than
mine!
Talk to Your Fellow Hams
Do your homework up front. Before you order a piece of equipment, talk to as many current owners as you can.
Don’t accept just one opinion. Try to get a number of opinions and decide from the total tally instead. I’ve found that most
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August 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 8
hams are willing to share information on their experiences with different products. These personal experiences will often
tell you more than a manu-facturer’s brochure.
Dealing with Dealers
Let’s suppose that you’ve decided to buy new gear for your first station. Look for a dealer you can trust to give you a
fair market price, and who will help you with any questions you may have down the road. Make sure the dealer will accept
returns within a reasonable period of time.
The dealer should be the interface between you and the equipment manufacturer for at least the original shakedown
time of the warranty period. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a dealer who can also provide repair services.
If you expect reasonable treatment from a dealer, it pays to be reasonable yourself. Dealers operate on tight profit
margins, so don’t expect them to devote untold hours to your particular installation problemsespecially if they aren’t
strictly equipment-related. No dealer can be expected to provide detailed design and troubleshooting information for your
particular station. And they definitely do not make house calls!
And if you decide to return your purchase, don’t be upset if the dealer charges a restocking fee. Put yourself in his
shoes. By accepting your return, the dealer must take a loss and resell the gear as usedwhich is exactly what it is. The
restocking fee helps him recover a little of his lost margin while he tries to keep you happy.
What About Used Equipment?
In my opinion (and remember, this is only one opinion!), you should avoid large investments in used equipment. The
exception is when you can buy your gear from a reputable dealer who’ll stand behind it for at least 60 days. Sometimes it
takes that long for problems to show up. Besides, busy hams may not be able to fully test their purchases sooner than
that.
If you’re a whiz at fixing electronic circuitry, or have a commitment from a good friend who is, you’re in a different
category. There are plenty of used-equipment bargains out there if you’re willing to take the gamble.
But for a beginner who may not have an in-depth knowledge of radio circuitry, buying expensive rigs at a hamfest, or
from a private party with no guarantee, is risky at best. Hams have excellent reputations as honest peddlers of
second-hand gear. Even so, there are exceptions to the rule. I’ve been told that something was working “just fine,” only to
discover that the seller was exaggerating quite a bit! Once I had to throw away a large item that I’d purchased at a
hamfest. After trying to make it work, I discovered that it was damaged beyond the cost of fixing. I’ve also put in some very
long hours repairing other bargains.
Some hams sell pristine gear because they need to raise money for one reason or another. If they’re sufficiently
desperate, a bargain may indeed be yours for the taking. But there are those other times when the items they’re offering
for sale may not be up to par. Even if a radio looks beautiful, the seller might “forget” to tell you that it’s been through a
flood, fire or lightning strike.
Many of the items that I’ve bought at hamfests were working, after a fashion, but didn’t meet their original
specifications. I suppose you could say the radios were “just fine” as far as the seller is concerned. “Just fine” is a pretty
relative term, isn’t it?
High On Antennas
After you’ve probed your fellow hams for advice on the equipment you’ll need inside, the conversation usually shifts
to what you’ll need outsidethe antenna, of course! That’s good, because talking to as many people as possible will help
clear away some of the dust you raised by furiously leafing through all the antenna catalogs!
Antenna decisions are formidable, even for experienced hams. There really is no best antenna for every situation.
Reading through a couple of ARRL antenna publications is a good start, though much of what you’ll read is more than you
need to know at the moment (later on in your ham career, this might not be true). Try to determine your operating needs
as far as frequency coverage is concerned. Then, take a good look at your available space and see what will fit.
Page 2 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
August 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 8
A Basic HF Antenna
For a simple, multiband HF antenna, it’s hard to beat a wire dipole. Simply make it as long as possible, feed it in the
center with 450-Ù ladder line, buy an antenna tuner with a balanced output and you’re in business (see Figure 1). You can
make this antenna yourself, or buy it premade if you’re short on time. A 130-foot dipole of this type should be usable on
almost every HF band. Shorter versions will also work, but you may not be able to load them on every band.
Ladder line, by the way, earns its moniker because it resembles a ladder in appearance. (Some hams call it “window”
line, which is a more accurate description.) I recommend it for this simple dipole because it has very low loss at HF, even
when the SWR is moderately high. This advantage allows you to use the antenna for each band regardless of the
matching conditionsas long as you have a decent antenna tuner.
What most hams and ham manufacturers call an antenna tuner is really an antennamatching network. It doesn’t
tune the antenna in the literal sense. Instead, it matches your 52-Ù radio to your antenna system, which may be at an
impedance considerably different than 52 Ù.
Try to install the dipole as high as possible. If a horizontal dipole is too close to the ground, most of your signal will be
going skyward at a steep angle. Without wading chest deep into propagation analysis, the bottom line is that a high
radiation angle is generally not good for long-distance communication. Don’t lose too much sleep over your antenna
heights, however. Raise the antenna as high as you can and change the subject when you’re asked about it. You’ll still
make lots of contacts.
No doubt you’ve been impressed by the tall towers and glittering aluminum that makes up some HF antenna
systems. Although they’re terrific performers, you don’t need these expensive antenna farms to get on the air. Start simple
and dream of greater things to come. You’ll be happier in the long run.
After you get on the air with your basic HF antenna, you’ll get plenty of recommendations for the ideal antenna for
your “dream station.” You’ll find that hams are keen on antennas, each having their own favorites. The topic of antennas is
always a great ice breaker at the beginning of a conversation. Just ask, “What’s your favorite HF antenna and why?” Then
stand back!
What About VHF/UHF Antennas?
If you intend to put up a VHF or UHF antenna, you’ll find that the choices are much easier. Again, try to decide how
many bands you’d like to cover, then look in the catalogs or talk to other hams. If you’re only interested in FM voice or
packet, you’ll be looking for a vertically polarized antenna, from a simple 1/4-wavelength ground plane to a multiband
model. You have your choice of omnidirectional antennas (good for all directions), or various beam designs, which focus
your signal in a particular direction. However, an effective beam antenna also requires an antenna rotator. That means
extra cost and complication.
If you’re setting your sights on SSB or CW operation, invest in a horizontally polarized antenna. Beams are the rule
herethe bigger the better.
VHF/UHF antennas are pretty straightforward to install. They’re normally lightweight, which means you can get by
with heavy-duty TV antenna mounting hardware for the installation. Get the antenna as high as you safely can, and feed it
with low-loss coaxial cable. Don’t forget to follow the safety information that always accompanies new antennas. Enlist the
aid of an experienced ham when it’s time to do the installation. A veteran ham can give you many time- and
headache-saving tips, in addition to providing an extra pair of hands.
Some Final Thoughts
There’s much more to learn, of course, but that will come in due time. Getting a basic station up and running is your
first priority.
You can make lots of worthwhile contacts now and take your time learning and planning your next moves. If you
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August 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 8
follow some of the tips I’ve outlined, and seek input from others, you’ll be well on your way to earning your Old Timers
award. That’s rightsomeday you’ll be the veteran lending a helping hand. That’s the way it works in Amateur Radio!
Figure 1Cut a long length of multistranded copper wire into two equal pieces. Attach the pieces to each end of a plastic
or ceramic insulator and place two more insulators at the two ends. Attach 450-Ù ladder line at the center and run it back
to your antenna tuner. Secure ropes to both ends and raise the antenna as high as you can. You now have a dipole
antenna that you can use on several HF bands.
Page 4 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Try Building Your Own Equipment
Getting the Parts
The first step is to carefully read the schematic diagram and compile a complete parts list. Parts lists in most articles
typically describe only the less-than-ordinary parts being used. So read the parts list carefully, to be sure you understand
exactly what each part must be.
Once you know what you need, you have to figure out where to get the parts. It took me about a month of thumbing
through ham radio and electronics magazines to find sources for all the parts I needed. Finally, between a couple of very
well-stocked QRP kit companies3 and a local electronics surplus store, I acquired all the parts.
Wes (W7ZOI) and Roger (KA7EXM) Hayward encourage the use of “ugly” construction techniques.4 But, because I
was new to building, I opted for PC boards that were offered by FAR Circuits.5 My rationale was twofold: First, I felt that I
could more easily diagnose a problem in a circuit that was neatly laid out. Second, I estimated there would be fewer
component-insertion mistakes with a clearly marked PC board (FAR’s component overlays make part placement easier).
Those are two primary considerations for the beginning builder. Finally, I wanted the finished product to look good and
operate well.
Populating the Boards and Initial Testing
Once I had the PC boards, the building started. Being a complete novice to such a venture, I built all three boards in
a weekend, without thought of testing each subsection. (My education continued: I later learned to build a small section of
a board and test it before going on to the next one, so problems can be localized as they occur). Besides, what would I
test for anyway? How was I supposed to know what the output of a correctly operating oscillator should look or sound like?
I went back to the article to find out what to do next. The next logical step, it said, was to test each section as it was
being built. Oops! It was a little late for that. This makes a very good point: Before you start work, read the article (or
instruction sheet) thoroughly and repeatedly, to be sure you understand everything you should do, such as when to stop
building and perform intermediate testing!
“Testing should begin with the oscillator board.” Okay, I can hook up a 12-V supply and listen for an 800-Hz tone at
7.000
MHz on my Kenwood rig. This is one of many little tricks I learned along the way: using another radio to test the radio under construction. I powered up
the board, tuned my rig to 7.000 MHz and began turning the air-dielectric variable capacitors hooked to the oscillator board. But alas! No signal! What
happened? How could this be? I did everything according to the instructions!
I went back and immediately began looking for obvious mistakes. Okay, I did solder the main inductor into the
oscillator incorrectly, grounding the wrong end. I found another mistake, a transformer wound with the incorrect number of
turns. I hooked the power back up, and began tuning the oscillator, while listening on the Kenwood rig for a 7-MHz signal.
Still nothing!
At this point, I enlisted the help of other hams I knew. As you would expect, each one had a different piece of advice.
One thought that the oscillator was just being finicky, and maybe if I replaced the transistor in it, it would work. Another
suggested that the original circuit might be incorrect. I followed through with these suggestions, testing the circuit yet again
and determined that the VFO still would not oscillate!
To put it mildly, I was very frustrated. Reading the construction articles made everything sound so easy, and here I
was with about $50 worth of parts that did nothing! I decided to start at square one and rebuild the oscillator. I purchased
another oscillator board (by now, the original had several lifted traces caused by the several times I had placed, removed
and replaced parts).
From reading the various QRP books, I was able to figure out which part of the board was the oscillator circuit (my
education was paying off!). I put the 10 or so components on the board, powered it up and listened with my Kenwood for a
Page 1 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
signal. Still nothing! I was really discouraged at this point; 10 little components were defeating me! I decided to yet again
replace those components, one by one. I did this, checking for oscillation after each new part was installed.
I had replaced all but two disc-ceramic capacitors, yet the board still didn’t function. The capacitors were clearly
marked with the correct value and coefficient, so I didn’t question their integrity. As a last resort, I decided to change them
anyway, using components from another parts source. I powered up the oscillator board and it immediately started
oscillatingsuccess at last! And another lesson learned: Never assume that a componenteven a new componentmust
surely be okay.
The next step was to connect the oscillator board with the transmit buffer/amplifier board. This went well. With the
buffer/amplifier, I heard a much louder signal in my receiver. Then I connected the receive board to the oscillator and
buffer/amplifier boards. Using the calibration feature, I was able to tune the lower end of the oscillator to exactly 7.025
MHz. The calibration feature allows you to tune in a known frequency with your radio, and use that as a reference as you
tune the VFO. I set the band edge to 7.025 MHz with the VFO tuning capacitor in the fully meshed position; then as I
turned the VFO capacitor clockwise, the operating frequency increased. The rig operates from 7.025 to just above 7.100
MHza nice frequency spread for CW operating. The frequency reference used is strictly according to which part of the
band you are licensed for. I could have easily set the lower band edge to 7.100 MHz, for the Novice/Technician part of 40
meters, or to 7.000 MHz for the Amateur Extra Class portion of the band.
First QSO
Before putting the Ugly Weekender into an enclosure, I hooked up my multiband vertical, and eight NiCd D cells,
trying eagerly to make my first contact with the newly finished rig. Propagation was poor, though, and I was unable to
make a contact that evening.
I woke early the next day and began calling CQ about 6 AM. Rick, AC4WB, answered my call. We chatted for a few
minutes and then signed off. I was ecstatic! I’d made a good contact with only about 1.5 W from Rochester, New York, to
North Carolina! The thrill of contacting another ham with a low-power signalon a rig you’ve built yourselfis a great
feeling!
About the time Rick’s QSL card for that contact arrived, I also received a card from an ARRL official observer (OO). I
had heard of OOs, but never had any direct experience with them. The OO, an amateur not far from Rick, had heard my
signal and sent me a card notifying me that my signal sounded chirpy. I thought about the report and realized that the
eight NiCd batteries weren’t sufficient to power my new rig. I added another two cells, to bring the voltage up from 10 V to
12.5
V, and the chirp problem was solved.
Putting the Rig in a Box
After the excitement of the initial QSO, I started work on how to integrate the three circuit boards in an enclosure. My
search for an enclosure started at the local electronics surplus store. They had an aluminum chassis without a bottom
plate (or, in the manner I used it, no top plate), but I could resolve that matter at a later date.
I wanted to build a home-station-size rig, so there wasn’t a need to squeeze the project into a miniature enclosure. I
may have opted for the latter if I had planned on taking the rig backpacking. My next step was to build a sub-enclosure for
the oscillator board, which would also contain the two air-dielectric variable capacitors. The enclosure isolates the VFO
from the other circuits and minimizes any changes in capacitance caused by nearby objects (the operator’s hand, for
example).
I built this inner enclosure from some single-sided printed circuit (PC) board (see Figure 1). I cut the pieces of PC
board by scoring them with an X-acto knife, then snapping the board along the scored line. Very carefully, I soldered each
of four sides onto the bottom of the sub-enclosure, which would be bolted to the main enclosure later in the assembly. I
used hot-melt glue to secure a threaded standoff in each of the four corners. This permits the oscillator enclosure to be
bolted, not soldered, to the top of this inner enclosure. I could have soldered the entire unit, but that would have made
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March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
access to the circuitry difficult if a problem arose in the future.
Planning the Control Layout
After building an enclosure for the oscillator and bolting the board and variable capacitors into it, I considered how to
arrange the controls on the enclosure’s front and rear panels. There are no right or wrong ways to lay out the panels.
However, I didn’t want the controls so close together that I would accidentally nudge one while adjusting another. I wanted
the controls arranged in the most user-friendly fashion, from my point of view. Wow! I had progressed from being an
equipment builder to being an ergonomics engineer!
The photos show how I chose to place the tuning knobs, calibration, on/off, spotting, and audio output functions on
the front of the rig. The power, key, and antenna jacks are on the rear panel. Based on the location of these controls, I
placed the two boards and oscillator enclosure into the aluminum enclosure, trying to minimize lead lengths between the
boards. From the photo you’ll see that I placed the receiver board on the left, the oscillator enclosure in the center, and
the transmit buffer/amplifier board on the right. Before installing any boards, I first made a template of the holes I needed
to drill in order to accommodate the controls on the rig, as well as what would go inside it.
I used a pencil to carefully mark the aluminum enclosure so as to ensure that the holes were aligned with each
other, and that they were a comfortable distance from one another. I didn’t want the volume switch too close, for example,
to the tuning knobs. Again, I wasn’t trying to build the world’s tiniest radio, so ease of use was a higher priority than
minimizing the package size. Next, I drilled the holes. Using a drill press, I started with a 1/8-inch-diameter hole
everywhere a hole was called for. When larger holes were needed, I drilled several times, increasing the drill-bit size each
time. This procedure produces a neater hole than trying to blast a 1/2-inch-diameter hole from the start.
Finishing the Enclosure
I sanded the enclosure to remove any burrs resulting from the drilling. Next, I washed the enclosure in soapy water
and rinsed it well to remove any oil or grease. I painted the enclosure, first with a primer coat, followed by several coats of
gloss black enamel. Be sure to follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions! In my haste to paint, I applied a coat of paint
before the previous coat was curedthe result was an enclosure with an unwanted wrinkle finish! That mistake sent me
back to the enclosure-sanding phase! Now, I let the paint dry for 48 hours (drying times differ with paint brandsread the
label!) before applying another coat
Lettering
After the paint was dry, it was time to letter the controls. I purchased dry transfer letters from the local college
bookstore. These transfers come in a variety of sizes and type faces, both in black and white. White letters were fine for
my black enclosure. The method for putting these letters on an object is simple: Just put the page of letters on the surface
of the project and using a pencil, apply gentle and uniform pressure over the surface of the letter to be transferred, by
drawing lines across it. The pressure of the pencil point makes the letter stick to the object. Aligning the letters is crucial; I
used pieces of Post-It paper as a guide line for alignment of the letters. Another trick I learned was to begin lettering a
label with the middle letter of the label. This character goes directly above the control. Next you add letters working from
the middle character toward both ends. The result is neat and aligned labels on the rig’s controls! Once the lettering was
complete, I coated the enclosure with several applications of clear gloss enamel, to protect the labels from being chipped
or rubbed off. Be careful when applying the clear coat (apply it sparingly), as any damage to the black undercoat or
lettering will send you back to the enclosure-sanding phase.
Mounting the Boards and the Controls
Once the enclosure was ready, I bolted the two boards and oscillator enclosure into the main enclosure,
reconnecting the boards with wires that were just the right length. Next, I mounted all the controls and jacks on the
enclosure, being careful not to scratch or damage the finish. All that was left to do was to figure out what to use as a top
for the enclosure. I thought it would be neat to put a transparent cover on the rig, so the viewer could see how the rig was
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March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
put together. So I put a piece of 1/8-inch acrylic plastic on the top of the enclosure. In order to secure the panel to the
enclosure, I again used the hot-melt glue gun to affix threaded standoffs into the upper corners of the enclosure. Using
countersunk bolts, the top is attached to the enclosure. A strip of rubber, about 1/16×3/8 inch, acts as a gasket between
the enclosure and the acrylic. Four rubber feet on the base keep my desk from getting scratched.
The End Product
I took great pains to plan and align the controls and jacks, was careful to ensure a smooth paint finish, and used the
label aligning and centering technique described to ensure a neat job. The result is a rig for which I have received many
compliments on both its appearance and its on-the-air signal.
Summary
In the process of building and debugging this project, I learned a lot. Since this rig was built, I have met other hams
who, as I am, are excited about home brewing their own station equipment. We have exchanged information on rig
building, and this has also increased my knowledge. I have even made several circuit boards after Brad Mitchell,
WB8YGG, showed me how easy it was.
My bench now sports a 30-meter QRP (milliwatt) transmitter project, a Neophyte receiver, and a version of the Ugly
Weekender for 30 meters.
There is an upsurge in the number of hams who are becoming interested in learning how radios work, using the
hands-on technique of learning by doing. I can remember how I would read The ARRL Handbook, QST and other ham
radio books and magazinesI would think I was understanding things, but then I couldn’t assimilate it. I couldn’t put it in
practice. When you build something, troubleshoot its problems, and make all the necessary adjustments to get it to work,
you finally start to understand all those words you read!
With patience and careful attention to detail, you can home brew a rig that looks as good as the available kitsand
may look as good as some of the commercially built radios. As a bonus, you’ll take pride in operating a radio that you
made yourself!
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Wes and Roger Hayward for their effort in designing, building, and writing the articles for the Ugly
Weekender. I also thank N2HZK, KB3W, WD4RDZ, WK2A, and WA2N for their help and encouragement during the
debugging phase of my Ugly Weekender (which turned out so well they call it the Professional Weekender).
Gary M. Diana, Sr, was first licensed in 1989, and is currently an Amateur Extra Class. He is employed at Harris/RF
Communications, in Rochester, NY, as a lead software engineer. Gary received his BS in computer science from the
SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica, New York, in 1985. In 1990, he earned his MS in computer science at the Rochester
Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. His other interests, in addition to home brewing ham radio equipment,
include hunting, fishing, and woodworking.
Notes
(1)
Some examples of recommended background reading are as follows: QRP Classics, 1990; W1FB’s QRP Notebook, 1991; W1FB’s Design Notebook: Practical Circuits
for Experimenters, 1990 (all ARRL: Newington). G-QRP Circuit Handbook, 1983 (G-QRP Club: Rochdale, Lancaster, UK, 1983). Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, and Doug DeMaw,
W1FB, Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur, (ARRL: Newington, 1986).
(2)
Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, and Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, “The Ugly Weekender,” QST, Aug 1981, pp 18-21. (The Ugly Weekender also appears on pages 30-33 to 30-36 of
the 1994 and several earlier editions of The ARRL Handbook . Also Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, “The Ugly Weekender II: Adding a Junk-Box Receiver,” QST, Jun
1992, pp 27-30. (This second article describes a receiver and a method of interfacing it with the Ugly Weekender transmitter article.)
Page 4 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
(3)
Oak Hills Research, 20879 Madison St, Big Rapids, MI 49307; tel 800-842-3748. 624 Kits, 171 Springlake Dr, Spartanburg, SC 29302; tel 803-583-1304. Dan’s
Small Parts and Kits, 1935 S 3rd W, No. 1, Missoula, MT 59801; tel 406-543-2872. It is just happenstance that these are the suppliers I used; there are
many other suppliers of equal quality. Check the ads in QST for the many possible parts sources, and ask local hams for their suggestions along these lines.
(4)
“Ugly” construction is a method in which the builder solders components directly to a single or double-clad PC board of selected size, without etching the
board and usually without drilling any component-mounting holes. “Dead bug” construction is frequently used synonomously with ugly construction because
the components (such as ICs) are often secured to the PC board with a dab of glue, their leg-like leads erect, resembling a dead bug with its legs in the
air.
(5)
FAR Circuits, 18N640 Field Court, Dundee, IL 60118.
Why Would I Want To Home Brew My Own Equipment?
The main reason for wanting to home brew your own equipment is that it is fun; what’s more, you can learn a great
deal. If you thought your first contact using ham radio was fun, you won’t believe the feeling of accomplishment you get by
doing the same with a radio you built yourself!
Don’t let your current class of license discourage you from a home brew project, even those for the HF bands. You
can build an HF transceiver and use it in the receive mode to build your code speed to upgrade your license class. W1AW
transmits code practice on many ham bands every day (see the W1AW Schedule in this issue for details of time and
frequency)!
There are resources out there to help you with your project. If you have Internet access, you can read the
newsgroups that relate to home brewing (ie, rec.radio.amateur.homebrew), or you can subscribe to the QRP listserver
(mail listserv@netcom.com, subscribe qrp-l).
There are several excellent QRP newsletters that offer information on home brewing: the Northern QRP Club, QRP
ARCI, MI QRP Club, G-QRP Club, etc. There may even be some hams in your town that have experience building their
own equipment. Join or start your own club for home brewers.
The front panel of N2JGU’s Ugly Weekender.
Page 5 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Looking through the clear plastic top cover into the N2JGU “pretty” version of the Ugly Weekender.
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March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
Figure 1The oscillator sub-enclosure, fabricated from pieces of single-sided PC-board material.
Page 7 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
March 1995 QST Volume 79, Number 3
A collection of N2JGU’s home brew QRP gear, showing that home brew doesn’t have to be homely!
Page 8 - Copyright © 1996 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All rights reserved
ARRL Urges FCC to Nix Part 15 Petition Affecting 420-450 MHz
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 6, 2001--The ARRL is urging the FCC to deny or dismiss a petition that seeks to boost the field strength and duty cycle of RF identification
systems deployed as unlicensed Part 15 devices in the 420-450 MHz band. The League filed comments March 1 in a petition by SAVI Technology Inc.
The petition, made public January 30 and designated RM-10051, asks the FCC to change certain Part 15 rules affecting unlicensed, periodic, intentional radiators.
SAVI, which markets radiolocation and wireless inventory control products, says it needs the rules changes to satisfy customer demand for increased RFID
system capabilities.
The ARRL argues that the field strengths and duty cycles SAVI proposes for its RFID tags "are completely unreasonable and would undoubtedly seriously disrupt
amateur communications in one of the most popular of the Amateur Service allocations."
SAVI wants the FCC to permit operation of its devices, centered on 433.9 MHz, at field strengths of 110,000 uV/m measured at three meters to communicate
over paths of 100 meters (approximately 328 feet). The company also wants to employ duty cycles of up to 120 seconds with only a 10-second silent period
between transmissions.
Current Part 15 rules governing these types of periodic radiators provide for fields strengths at that frequency of less than 5000 uV/m and duty cycles
of less than a second.
The League contends that SAVI's method of determining that a signal level of 110,000 uV/m would be permitted under Part 15 rules is flawed. "Signals levels
of that order could be heard for kilometers, or more, with even low-gain antennas," the ARRL said, adding that existing Part 15 rules adequately provide
for communicating over a range of 100 meters.
The League suggests that, if SAVI cannot get the necessary data throughput without employing extremely high field strengths and lengthy duty cycles, the
company ought to explore operation under other sections of Part 15 that don't include the kinds of limits periodic radiators must abide.
The ARRL characterized SAVI's petition as another in a long series in which manufacturers of unlicensed RF devices seek to liberalize rules regarding permitted
field strengths for such devices in bands allocated to the Amateur Service. And the League suggested that SAVI would be better off deploying the devices
in the 902-928 MHz band. "The frequency band chosen by SAVI was obviously done without interference avoidance in mind," the League said. "It is among the
worst choices SAVI could have made from that perspective."
The ARRL said SAVI not only has failed to show that its unlicensed devices could operate at the requested field strengths and duty cycles on an itinerant
basis without unduly risking harmful interference to amateurs, it hasn't shown why it needs such extremely high field strengths to communicate over paths
of 100 meters.
"Because RFID tags are itinerant and mobile, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that interference between Amateur stations and RFID tags could be
mitigated once the devices are deployed," the ARRL asserted. "The interference potential of these devices is thus completely unpredictable and cannot be
remedied easily."
The League pointed out that the Communications Act of 1934 lacks authority to allow unlicensed devices with substantial interference potential. "Such devices
must be licensed," the ARRL concluded. Unlicensed Part 15 devices must not interfere with licensed services and must tolerate interference received from
licensed radio services in the same band.
The ARRL said limited anecdotal studies by ARRL of noise levels from unlicensed devices in certain metro areas indicate that manmade RF noise "is substantially
increasing." The League also pointed to a noise-level study planned by the FCC's Technological Advisory Council. The TAC has suggested that rapid degradation
of the noise environment could lie ahead and impact system reliability or even viability. The ARRL warned the FCC to "be extremely careful in evaluating
rulemaking petitions proposing substantial departures from present Part 15 rules."
ARRL's comments in RM-10051 is available on the
ARRLWeb.
A copy of the SAVI Technology Petition is available on the FCC
Web site.
For more information on Part 15 devices, visit the ARRL
Web page.
ISS Crew Chief to Chat with Alma Mater During ARISS Contact
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 7, 2001--Space Station Alpha Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, will get a chance this week to chat via Amateur Radio with students
at his high school alma mater in Arizona. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, school contact today with students at Arcadia
High School in Phoenix is being squeezed in the waning days of the Expedition 1 crew's tour of duty aboard the International Space Station. The contact
is scheduled to take place from 1453 to 1504 UTC. Shepherd requested that ARISS fit the contact into the schedule.
Since finding out four months ago that Shepherd was an alumnus of the school, Arcadia High School senior Ross Tucker, AC7JO, has spearheaded an effort to
make the amateur contact a reality. Tucker co-founded and currently is president of the Arcadia High School Amateur Radio Club (KD7LAC). The club has attracted
some $3000 in donations, set up a working station, and boasts five new licensees. Tucker has managed to get some media coverage along the way. "The public
response to this project has been truly remarkable," he said.
Response inside the school has been intense as well. "Our school is already thrilled about this adventure," Tucker said. "In fact, the school involvement
has already started from the art department to the science department. The science teachers have all discussed our club in class, and have hosted a contest
for the best questions to ask the astronauts.
The Expedition 1 crew: Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, is flanked by his Russian flight team, Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR (left), and Yuri Gidzenko.
[NASA Photo]
Among other questions, students at Arcadia plan to ask Shepherd about some of the research projects aboard the ISS, how much the crew relies on mission
control, the impact of the ISS on international relations, and what Shepherd remembers of his days in Arizona as an Arcadia High School student. A dozen
students are tentatively scheduled to pose questions to Shepherd during the approximately 10-minute contact.
Tucker says he's had help from Allen Cameron, N7UJJ, of the Carl Hayden High School ARC in setting up equipment for the contact. "We have been running drills
and simulations for a week now, and everything has gone smoothly."
Tucker says art students at Arcadia have painted a mural of the ISS in orbit that's on display behind the KD7LAC operating position at the school.
Since the Expedition 1 crew arrived aboard the ISS last November, Shepherd has spoken via Amateur Radio with youngsters at schools in Illinois, Virginia,
New York, Texas and Ontario, Canada.
ARISS spokesman Will Marchant, KC6ROL, said he expects it will be sometime in late March--after the Expedition 2 crew arrives--before ARISS school contacts
can resume. The ISS Expedition 2 crew will include two hams, Russian cosmonaut and Commander Yuri Usachev, RW3FU, and US astronaut Susan Helms, KC7NHZ,
in addition to US astronaut Jim Voss.
For more information on the ARISS program, visit the ARISS
Web site.
W5LUA Documents 24-GHz Moonbounce Echoes; QSO Planned
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 7, 2001--Noted VHF-UHF and microwave enthusiast Al Ward, W5LUA, reports that he documented echoes from the moon on 24 GHz earlier today.
Although some amateurs have claimed to have heard 24 GHz echoes in the past, it's believed that this marks the first time they have been documented.
Ward says he was able to hear and record the earth-moon-earth echoes on 24192.1 MHz at 0816 UTC today. "This triumphant event came after several years of
optimizing the system and many failed attempts at achieving lunar echoes," Ward said. Ward, who lives in Allen, Texas (EM13), was running 20 W and using
a three-meter dish.
Ward already is looking for another first. He plans to attempt a full-blown 24-GHz EME contact, and he told ARRL that he's confident it will succeed. "We'll
make it," he predicted. On the immediate agenda are listening tests tonight with WA7CJO and VE4MA.
Not only is 24 GHz the highest frequency on which amateur EME echoes have been monitored, the reception was particularly significant because water-vapor
absorption of signals peaks at around 24 GHz. "This is a major technical step for Amateur Radio," said ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrizon, W5ZN--himself
a VHF-UHF aficionado.
Ward says his three-meter Andrews dish is rated to 30 GHz with proper back structuring to optimize the dish's surface, and that made all the difference.
"The dish really began to perform when I added a back structure which looks like a tic-tac-toe board mounted to the backside of the dish," he said. "The
eight points of the back structure allowed me to optimize the dish's surface by pushing or pulling on the back of the dish to enhance the accuracy of the
dish's surface."
His LNA is a two-stage homebrew design using a pair of Agilent Technologies PHEMT devices that offer 2.25 dB system noise figures.
Ward used Realtrak software to track the moon, and AF9Y DSP software to copy the echoes. He also made sound recordings.
A fixture in the VHF-UHF and microwave standings, Al Ward, was the recipient of the 2000 ARRL Microwave Development Award.
Ward says he'll post the audio and PC screen shot files later today. Additional details are on the North Texas Microwave Society
Web site.
"
Hello" Campaign Finale to Showcase Ham Radio's Past, Present and Future
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden
Allen Pitts, W1AGP
ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, seen here at Dayton Hamvention 2006, conceived the "Hello" campaign.
Fessenden's National Electric Signaling Company site in Brant Rock, Massachusetts.
Fessenden-BrantRock-1-sm
Fessenden (right) in his Brant Rock laboratory with two colleagues. [North Carolina Division of Archives and History Photo]
Katie Breen, W1KRB
ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, will be running a real-time blog -- called "
Hello -- Live!" --
that will include both photos and video.
Fessenden-Machrihanish-Ant-sm-sm
The Machrihanish antenna mast and site.
GB1FVT QSL
The GB1FVT special event QSL card.
ARRL staffers and volunteers will put W1AW on the air for the "Hello" finale December 29-30.
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 22, 2006 -- Amateur Radio past, present and future will be the focus as the ARRL's "
Hello"
campaign concludes with on-the-air events Friday and Saturday, December 29 and 30. Aimed at putting a friendly face on Amateur Radio, "Hello" also has celebrated
"100 years of voice over radio worldwide." In 1906, Canadian experimenter Reginald Fessenden transmitted a program of voice and music -- in essence the
world's first radio broadcast -- from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. His original goal had been to make voice radio contact with a station in Machrihanish,
Scotland, but that plan fell through after a storm felled the Scottish station's antenna. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says,
Fessenden, "in true ham radio spirit," switched to "Plan B,"
broadcasting a Christmas Eve program
to ships at sea.
"This month ham radio operators events will complete what Fessenden was unable to do in 1906 with special event stations and a lot more," Pitts says. "Three
primary centennial special events will take to the airwaves December 29 and 30, representing the past, present and future of Amateur Radio."
Special event stations
W100BO/W1F
at Brant Rock -- sponsored by the Peconic Amateur Radio Club (
PARC)
with Steve Barreres, K2CX, as team leader -- and GB1FVT in
Machrihanish --
with Duncan MacArthur, GM3TNT, heading that effort -- will epitomize Amateur Radio Past (Icom UK and Icom America are supplying equipment for both events).
Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW
at ARRL Headquarters will represent Amateur Radio Future. The station will be on the air with all voice modes for the event.
"In addition to the sites showing the past and future of radio, the transmission modes used will also reflect both traditional as well as new and emerging
technologies," Pitts says. "The stations will be operating AM -- an early 20th-century mode -- and SSB and FM -- both later 20th-century modes.
EchoLink
and
IRLP
plus digital voice on HF will carry us into the 21st century." The special event will commence at 2000 UTC on Friday, December 29, and continue through
the next 24 hours.
"Hello -- Live!" Special Event Blog
During the W1AW "Hello" event operation, ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, will be running a real-time blog -- called "
Hello -- Live!" --
that will include both photos and video.
"This blog will be a way to find out and even see what's taking place at the three keystone stations," Breen said. She hopes to be able to include photos
and video from all three sites. "I hope people will
share
their thoughts on what Amateur Radio has meant to them, whether they're longtime licensees or newcomers. I want this to be fun and interactive, so the amateur
community can get a real picture of who we are here in Newington!"
Other Stations to Join the Celebration
Hundreds of other ham radio stations in the US and around the globe are also set to participate in the event. The special event participants will use a
variety of modes, reflecting the advances that have been made in radio technology since 1906.
List of 14 items
• The Amateur Radio Light House Society (
ARLHS)
will give 100 bonus points for each "Hello" special event station they work to those taking part in its
Lighthouse Christmas Lights
event, which continues until January 1.
• Mel Whitten, K0PFX, and Paul Metzger, KQ6EH, are organizing the digital HF activities for the event and are recruiting stations who use digital forms
like WinDRM. The
Digital Voice Community
will be active for this event with stand alone modems and sound card/open source software (WinDRM). "This is a great way to get involved with other hams
using the latest in high tech digital mode technology in J1E/J2E HF digital voice emission," says DV enthusiast Jason Buchanan,
N1SU.
• The Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (
ARMAD)
organization.
• Ashley Rennie and others will operate from Liberia as EL2AR.
• Ham radio instructor
Gordon West, WB6NOA,
will be on the air from California.
• The Marconi Radio Club's
W1AA
will operate from a site near the Point Allerton Life Saving Station in Hull, Massachusetts.
• "William Penn" will say "Hello" from Philadelphia from WM3PEN, with help from members of the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club (
HARC).
The WM3PEN call sign was obtained in in 1976 to celebrate the US bicentennial, HARC Board Member, Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, and WM3PEN trustee notes. He adds
that Philadelphians will know about the anniversary as the Philadelphia Electric Company's (PECO) Crown Lights proclaim, "American Radio Relay League:
Celebrating 100 years of voice over radio."
• Air Cadets in the UK will be on the air from several locations using special event call signs. Bill Borland, the Air Cadet's HF Network Manager, says
Air Cadet members of the Communications Flight from the Edinburgh and South Scotland Wing Easter Camp at MOD Machrihanish
made contact last April
with the Civil Air Patrol in the US.
• The Trinity College Alumni Radio Club will join as W1JUD on SSB and FM from 160 meters to 70 cm.
• Alabama's Huntsville Amateur Radio Club station K4BFT will be taking part in from the Space Camp at the US Space and Rocket Center using HF and VoIP modes.
Some 100 space campers will be on hand to say "Hello."
• Members of the
HFpack group
plan to be active.
• DW Dreyer-Juselius, ZS6DJD, Gary Immelman,ZS6YI, and PLA van Tonder, ZR6PD, will operate from South Africa on December 29, using all bands and including
digital modes.
• Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland (
MRCN)
members will activate VO1MRC using the special call sign CH1MRC to celebrate the work of Fessenden. Among MRCN's honorary members is the author Jack Belrose,
VE2CV, who has written a lot about Fessenden.
• of Connecticut's Radio Amateur Society of Norwich (
RASON),
N1NW, will be working FM, especially on 2 meters.
list end
If your group would like to be listed on the "Hello" site as event participants,
e-mail
your station's call sign and location plus a list of voice modes you plan to use.
Fessenden Inspired Early Wireless Hobbyists
Pitts says Fessenden's 1906 broadcast inspired thousands to start playing with radio, or "wireless" -- a term that's come full circle over the decades.
Ham radio evolved from that sort of early tinkering, and ham radio operators have been in the forefront of developing wireless technologies from the start.
"They continue their role in exploring new designs and applications," he notes. "Today's hams use satellites, computers, software defined radio, microwave,
voice over Internet protocol systems and other technologies undreamed of in 1906. But it all started with the word 'Hello.'"
A Salute!
As the "Hello" campaign draws to a close, Pitts took the opportunity to express his appreciation on behalf of ARRL for the time, effort and energy the League's
corps of volunteer public information officers (PIOs) has put into promoting Amateur Radio.
"Dozens of people put in hundreds of hours of hard work, thought and effort in planning, creating, supporting and providing the 'Hello' materials for free
to clubs, groups and hams across the country," Pitts added. "The highest way to say 'thank you' to them was by using these materials well in advancing
Amateur Radio in your area."
2005 Ham of the Year Alan Kaul, W6RCL, SK
Alan Kaul, W6RCL (SK)
Alan Kaul, W6RCL (SK) [Courtesy Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF]
Kaul in Kosovo
This photo was taken on a secondary highway in southern Kosovo. NATO planes attacked a Yugoslav army column during the Air War (March-May 1999) and scored
direct hits on the tank in the foreground and the truck in the background. The site was inside the US Sector of Kosovo and Army munitions experts warned
against walking off the road or exploring the inside of the tank because of the probability of unexploded ordnance. [Courtesy Alan Kaul, W6RCL]
airmuseum2-sm
Kaul (also known as Sandpainter Silver Wolf) was involved with The YMCA of LaCanada/LaCrescenta. Here he is (back left) with the Y Indian Guides on a 1999
trip to the Santa Monica Air Museum. [Courtesy Alan Kaul, W6RCL]
The
2005 Ham of the Year
Alan Kaul, W6RCL, of La Canada Flintridge, California, died Friday, December 22 from complications of colon-rectal cancer. He was 64. First licensed as
K7EHW in 1958 while still in high school, he was a founding member of the Shandle Park High School Radio Club. Kaul went on to work at NBC, covering such
stories as the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, the Mt St Helens eruption, the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 and the hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro.
He also spent two years covering O. J. Simpson's murder trial. During the hostage crisis, Kaul provided the only news on Amateur Radio coming from Iran.
At a time when Iran's government had outlawed ham radio, he managed to interview an Iranian radio amateur who was operating despite the ban. He also received
the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Television Journalism in 1997 for his role in producing NBC's coverage following the death of Mother Teresa.
Kaul is best known to radio amateurs for his work behind the scenes promoting the hobby. He wrote for and reported for Westlink Amateur Radio News, which
later became
Amateur Radio Newsline.
In 1983, he became involved with and produced a 30 minute video, Amateur Radio's Newest Frontier, profiling Dr Owen Garriott, W5LFL; Garriot conducted the
first manned Amateur Radio operation from space.
In 2003, Kaul teamed up with Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, for
Amateur Radio Today,
perhaps the best known video on Amateur Radio. Released by the ARRL, in a two-day "sneak-peak" online session at the ARRL's Web site, it was downloaded
over 800 times; since then it has been downloaded over 20,000 times. This video has been used by the ARRL in its dealings with Congress and other governmental
regulators. It is also used by ordinary hams who are having trouble with zoning regulations or neighbors, and by ham clubs to explain the Amateur Radio
Service to local governments. It was awarded the Chicago Film Festival's Award of Merit. Kaul also helped produce
The ARRL Goes to Washington,
which documented the documented the League's efforts to preserve Amateur Radio spectrum in the face of threats such as broadband over power line (BPL) Internet
access.
Kaul was interested in many aspects of Amateur Radio, but he focused mainly on QRP, especially QRP CW contesting. He entered his first contest in 1985.
In 2003, he helped establish the Hollywood Hills QRP Contest Club. He was also a member of the ARRL, the ARRL's Public Relations Committee, ARRL's A-1
Operator Club and was a CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2006).
He held many foreign call signs as a result of traveling all over the world with NBC: F0FVR (France); G0/W6RCL (Great Britain); W6RCL/6Y5 (Jamaica); W6RCL/HH2
(Haiti), and JY9RL (Jordan). One of the best-remembered news contributions was his report on the death of His Majesty Al Hussein ibn Talal, JY1, King of
Jordan.
To report the passing into history of the king who opened up Jordan to Amateur Radio, Kaul pulled out all of the stops. Working from an intimate knowledge
of King Hussein and knowing the monarch's many ham radio friends, he created a remarkable reminiscence of the "man and his hobby" as seen through the eyes
of those who knew him best. The commercial media (CNN, NBC, CBS and so on.) had the story of the passing of a great political leader. Because of Kaul,
the world's radio amateurs will always remember JY1 as a human being who loved ham radio and was eager to use it as an educational tool to better the living
standard of the people of the troubled nation that he ruled.
Dave Bell, W6AQ, said that Kaul "was first and foremost a very ethical and honest journalist. He had a good appreciation of 'truth telling,' and he was
a wonderful writer. He wrote all the words Walter Cronkite said in Amateur Radio Today. He saved that video from oblivion by getting the right words to
go with the footage. It was a terrific film because of the way he wrote it. In fact, Walter only changed one word in it, a sailing term -- I thought that
was absolutely amazing."
According to Bell, Kaul was very interested in education. "I think Alan would like people to donate to the League in his name, especially the
Education & Technology Fund.
You would never meet anyone more giving than Alan. It was just his nature to be cheerful."
Kaul is survived by his wife Christine, their daughter Alexa and son Ryan, as well as two children from an earlier marriage, Scott and Karen. He had four
grandchildren: Spencer, Austin, Jaclyn and Justin. Funeral arrangements are pending. -- Additional reporting from Amateur Radio Newsline
The Amateur Amateur: Three (or Four) Words About ARES
By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
Contributing Editor
December 27, 2006
I just attended the monthly meeting of the
St Louis County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) group. We had a social get-together rather than a business meeting. It was a way to unwind, talk to people, meet some long-suffering spouses and
eat some fattening food. For me, it was also an opportunity to reflect on how the group fared this year.
fr0sty-cake-sm
Barry Mayer, KC0QYM, brought this cake to the ARES get-together.
lewis-clark-002-sm
There was a dramatic increase in the number of field stations that we could deploy.
Steve Wooten, KC0QMU
Steve Wooten, KC0QMU -- our leader and our guide.
As it happens, it was a banner year for our ARES group. We increased not only our membership roster, but more important, the number of active people in
the group. We dramatically expanded the number of people who can handle formal traffic. We saw a surge in the number of field stations that we can deploy.
We conducted a record number of exercises, including our first-ever Simulated Emergency Test (SET). In addition, we started serious negotiations with a
potential served agency.
Man, it was a lot of work. But it was a labor of love. And really, it has to be.
I was wondering, though, just how we got it right this year. Three words came to mind: Growth, Team, and Leadership.
Growth may seem obvious, but it's not. We went through a hard, dry spell when it seemed like we would never get another recruit. We thought of all sorts
of promotional gimmicks. I, personally, must have stamped out a gazillion buttons. Every time I heard the crunchy sound of the button-making machine I
would think, "One down, nine hundred ninety-nine to go."
In the end, though, I think it was more subtle things that brought people into the group. First, we were always there. The weekly net ran every Wednesday
evening, even if there were storms, the power was out or it was Christmas Eve. Second, we were professional. I don't want you to think that we were rigid,
but people listening in could tell that our nets and activities were not social events; they were serious. Third, there was no clique at the top of the
group. It had no small "band of buddies" doing all the fun stuff and excluding everyone else. Everyone was encouraged to jump in and try most everything.
Growth also had a second meaning. It meant personal growth.
The initial members of the group had virtually no experience with ARES or emergency communications. At first this seemed to be a big detriment, but in many
ways it has served us well. There was no one in the group who could say, "I know it all, I don't need to learn any more." All of us, including the Emergency
Coordinator, freely admitted that we needed a lot of training. And once we conceded that point, we further realized that we could never stop training.
There was always something else to be learned, some new certificate that had to be obtained, or some course we'd already taken had been updated and needed
to be taken all over again.
Continually training and learning gave us better rapport with new recruits. It's difficult to have an air of superiority when we we're all students.
Team may also sound like an obvious concept, but I think people have different ideas about what it means. I have been involved with far too many organizations
in which "We're a team" really meant, "I'm too important to do this, so you do it."
Often team effort was just a synonym for making the boss look good.
Our group's idea of team was actual cooperation. Group members played to their own strengths, but were always available to teach and help others. That's
one reason that the number of functioning field stations burgeoned, and it's why we are currently seeing a sudden increase in the number of members who
can handle digital modes/formats. We didn't have specialists so much as we had teachers of specialties.
And that leads me to the last word, Leadership.
To many people, leader just means commander. But if you think of a leader as one who leads, you soon grasp that a leader is also one who guides. So a leader
doesn't just give commands, he/she gives guidance.
Is that too subtle? Think about it this way. A leader occasionally gives commands, but is continually giving guidance. He or she does this by setting the
tone for the whole group. Is the leader aloof? If so, the upper echelon of the group will also be aloof, and the lower ranks will be very thin indeed.
Finding new recruits for the group will be all but impossible. If, however, the leader is open and approachable, that attitude will permeate throughout
the group.
The Emergency Coordinator for
St. Louis County ARES
is Steve Wooten, KC0QMU. We've been very fortunate, because Steve, in addition to being a strong leader, has also been a fantastic guide.
And here I will add one final word, which can only come from the top: Encouragement. It has made all the difference in the world.
So now, as we prepare to face new challenges, add more nets, create more difficult exercises, and take the group into the new year, I just have one thought.
Man, it's going to be a lot of work!
Editor's note: ARRL member Gary Hoffman, KB0H, lives in Florissant, Missouri. He's been a ham since 1995. Hoffman says his column's name -- "The Amateur
Amateur" -- suggests the explorations of a rank amateur, not those of an experienced or knowledgeable ham. His wife, Nancy, is N0NJ. Hoffman has a
ham radio-related Web page.
Readers are invited to contact the author
via e-mail.
"
It Seems to Us . . ."
We Go to Court
By David Sumner, K1ZZ
ARRL Chief Executive Officer
January 1, 2007
Let's get right to the point: The ARRL is suing the Federal Communications Commission. Here is what led to this decision, why it is the right thing to do,
and how you can help.
As regular readers of this page already know, under former Chairman Michael Powell the FCC cast itself in the role of cheerleader for an over-hyped technology
known as Broadband over Power Line, or BPL. BPL deliberately puts radio frequency (RF) energy on unshielded power lines. As anyone knows who understands
RF, this is likely to interfere with nearby radio receivers using the same frequencies.
The radio spectrum is a priceless asset. BPL, on the other hand, is an unintentional emitter. Any RF energy that a BPL system radiates is simply spectrum
pollution.
Through careful frequency selection and design, BPL systems can avoid interfering with radio services. Unfortunately, rules for BPL adopted by the Powell
FCC in 2004 allow poorly designed BPL systems operating on inappropriate frequencies -- including amateur bands -- to be deployed. The ARRL and others
petitioned the FCC to reconsider these rules and to give better protection against BPL interference to licensed radio services.
With Powell's departure and the appointment of Kevin Martin as Chairman, we thought that technical evidence once again would trump wishful thinking at the
FCC. But it was not to be. The FCC's reconsideration decisions, adopted on August 3, did not improve things. When the Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O)
was released a few days later, we couldn't believe it -- they had made matters worse!
A new FCC rule is aimed directly against mobile stations -- in all services, not just amateur. The new rule, §15.611(c)(1)(iii), exempts BPL operators from
having to do anything to correct interference to mobile operations other than to notch emissions to a level 20 dB (below
30 MHz) or 10 dB (above 30 MHz) below the absolute limit specified elsewhere in the rules. Here's a direct quote from the FCC (emphasis added):
Where an Access BPL operator implements such notching, we will not provide further protection to mobile operations, nor will we require the operator to
resolve complaints of harmful interference to mobile operations by taking steps over and above implementing the "notch."
Consider what this means. If a BPL system blankets an area with interference, the FCC will require nothing of the BPL system operator beyond putting a 10
or 20 dB notch on the frequency used by a complaining mobile operator.
ARRL measurements and studies show that this leaves the interference 25 dB higher than the median values for man-made noise in residential areas and up
to 40 dB higher than the minimum values that amateurs routinely use for reliable communication. And as for other services, if a BPL system prevents a dispatcher
from reaching a fire truck or ambulance -- well, that's just too bad.
This isn't just a proposal. It's a rule that is now in effect. With one stroke, the rights of FCC licensees have been subordinated to those of spectrum
polluters! Never before has an unintentional emitter been given a free pass to interfere with licensed radio services.
Some well-meaning people tell us, "Why worry? As a means of delivering broadband services to consumers, BPL is an inferior technology. According to the
FCC's own figures, the BPL industry has managed to reach fewer than 5000 customers nationwide. BPL is failing in the marketplace, as well it should."
Here's the problem. Even if BPL disappears from the scene tomorrow, the FCC's preference for unlicensed, unintentional emitters over the interests of its
licensees will remain on the books. Bad rules left unchallenged will lead to even worse rules later.
The FCC was heading in the wrong direction under Michael Powell. It's continuing in the wrong direction under Kevin Martin. Reasoned technical arguments
backed up by overwhelming evidence have not altered the FCC's errant course. There was only one thing left that we could do: appeal in federal court. After
carefully considering the costs and consequences, the ARRL Board of Directors concluded that was what we must do.
So, on October 10, 2006 the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) joined ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay in filing a Petition
for Review on behalf of the ARRL in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
We are not alone. The Association of Maximum Service Television (MSTV) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have decided to intervene in support
of the ARRL. Their joint motion states, "MSTV and NAB believe that the regulations under review are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, and will
adversely impact their members by, among other things, permitting unlicensed users of radio spectrum to interfere with licensed uses of the spectrum."
The Court of Appeals will not substitute its judgment for the reasoned decision-making of an expert agency. But this long-established principle does not
give agencies such as the FCC carte blanche. In another recent case, a panel of this Court had this to say about another federal agency: "We therefore
owe no deference to [the agency's] purported expertise because we cannot discern it." When it reviews the FCC's BPL decisions we expect the Court to reach
a similar conclusion.
Mounting a serious challenge to a federal agency is expensive. Attorneys who specialize in this work must be retained -- and the attorneys at WilmerHale
are the best in the business. A careful review of the FCC's records must be performed. Complex technical issues must be made understandable to a panel
of judges who are not telecommunications experts. Exhibits must be prepared. Arguments must be selected and fine-tuned.
Your Board of Directors has decided to take these steps to protect you and your ability to use Amateur Radio frequencies. Your financial support of the
Spectrum Defense Fund is vital to help fund this appeal. If you share our sense of outrage at the FCC's bending its rules to accommodate a polluter of
the radio spectrum at the expense of the licensees it is supposed to protect, please express your support of the ARRL Board's decision with a generous
contribution. Visit
www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense
for more information and a donation form.
"
Hello" Amateur Radio Special Event Puts Brant Rock Back on the Air
Brant Rock
Brant Rock, Massachusetts, today. [Steve Barreres, K2CX, Photo]
The W1F site
The W1F site, with antenna and trailer. [Photo courtesy of John Dilks, K2TQN]
Bill Fastenua, WB2QG
W1F op Bill Fastenau, WB2QGZ, at the IC-7800 that Icom America loaned for the event. [Steve Barreres, K2CX, Photo]
Dennis Egan, NB1B
Dennis Egan, NB1B, takes a turn at the main W1F operating position. [Steve Barreres, K2CX, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 4, 2007 -- In 1906, Canadian experimenter Reginald Fessenden transmitted a program of voice and music -- in essence the world's first
radio broadcast -- from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. In 2006, Amateur Radio special event
W100BO/W1F
helped to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fessenden's accomplishment as part of the ARRL "
Hello"
campaign finale December 29-30. Among those on hand for the occasion was the grandson of Fessenden's assistant Adam Stein Jr -- George A. Stein, NJ3H. Steve
Barreres, K2CX, headed the Peconic Amateur Radio Club (
PARC)
W100BO/W1F team.
"We operated a very busy group of stations from 160 through 6 meters, conditions allowing," Barreres said. "There is no final QSO tally yet, but it is clear
that we made more than 1000 contacts. Even a short-lived opening on 6 meters improved our count, with contacts from the mid-US and farther west."
Barreres said he and the other Long Island radio amateurs thought the Fessenden centennial would be a great opportunity to blend Amateur Radio today with
wireless history. The Hello finale provided the ideal occasion. The group made plans to set up at the same location Fessenden had used a century earlier
-- in the shadow of the original concrete base that supported the station "BO" (Big Ocean) antenna. One of the first tasks was to gain access to the site.
"We secured permission to use the property in Brant Rock from the Blackman family," Barreres recounted. "They have owned this land for many generations,
and Reginald Fessenden leased a portion of their tract in 1906 for his work." The time of year dictated another consideration. "Most outdoor amateur operations
like Field Day occur during warm weather," Barreres noted. "Since this was winter, we rented a portable business office trailer for shelter and heat."
Fessenden's initial plan was to make a two-way voice radio contact with a station in Machrihanish, Scotland. He undertook his now-legendary Christmas Eve
broadcast after the Scottish station's antenna fell victim to a storm. GB1FVT in
Machrihanish --
with Duncan MacArthur, GM3TNT, at the helm -- and Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW
also were on the air for the Hello campaign wrapup. Members of the Amateur Radio industry generously made the necessary equipment available at both sites.
"Support from Icom America, SteppIR, Heil Sound and Dunestar Systems insured a first-quality signal on the air," Barreres said. He also expressed appreciation
for the assistance and cooperation of the Radio Central and Great South Bay Amateur Radio clubs, both also from Long Island. The collaboration, Barreres
said, "demonstrates what can be achieved if all provide a helping hand."
In addition to Barreres and Stein, those who helped put W1F on the air included Frank Moorhus, AA2DR; Bill Fastenau, WB2QGZ; Bob Tolentino, N2MPJ; Bill
O'Hara, N1EY; Bob Greenberg, W2CYK, and his son Jessie, and Dennis Egan, NB1B.
"One hundred years ago, Fessenden transmitted voice from Brant Rock," Barreres said. "One hundred year later, radio amateurs from in and around New England
gathered to celebrate our avocation as Amateur Radio enthusiasts and tinkerers, while also spotlighting the accomplishments of those experimenters of a
century earlier. Having W1AW as the flagship station, along with W1F and GB1FVT's operating in Scotland made the end of 2006 something special too."
To obtain a W100BO/W1F QSL, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your card to Special Event Station W1F, PO Box 121, Plainview, NY 11803.
r
ARRL Asks FCC to Investigate Long-Range Cordless Telephone Sales
NEWINGTON, CT, May 30, 2001--The ARRL has asked the FCC to investigate and "take appropriate action" against several companies it alleges have been marketing
so-called "long-range cordless telephones" via the Internet. The ARRL took the action in the wake of numerous complaints from the amateur community about
sales of the devices, some of which operate on VHF and UHF frequencies allocated to the Amateur Service.
"Because these devices operate on Amateur bands and are capable of causing severe interference to ongoing Amateur communications, and because these devices
likely will not meet MPE [Maximum Permissible Exposure] levels for RF exposure, the matter is considered urgent," said the May 29 letter from ARRL General
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD.
The letter was addressed to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David Solomon as well as to Raymond LaForge of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology's
Equipment Authorization Division and to FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth.
"ARRL has not been able to locate any FCC certification for these devices and, based on the advertised frequency bands and ranges, it is believed that none
of these devices could be certificated, or legally marketed or sold, under FCC rules," Imlay wrote.
Imlay said the ARRL also is looking into the marketing of products such as 434-MHz video surveillance equipment and other "apparently non-certificated devices"
that use amateur frequencies but are being marketed in the US to non-amateurs.
ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, said he's received several reports concerning long-range cordless telephone devices advertised for sale on the Internet
and via auction sites such as eBay. "One of the reports, from Bill Erhardt, K7MT, involved actual harmful interference to amateur communications," Hare
said. Erhardt tracked the telephone to a neighbor's home. The neighbor told him he'd bought it on eBay.
Hare said he was glad to see the issue put into the FCC's hands. "All intentional transmitting devices that are marketed in the US must be FCC certificated,
as described in the FCC rules," he said. "At the advertised power levels and frequencies, I do not believe that these phones could have been certificated."
Optima 8810
The Optima 8810, an apparently uncertificated telephone device being sold in the US. This unit uses a 2-meter frequency. [ARRL Photos]
DXcordless-6-sm
The ARRL was able to obtain one of the long-distance cordless telephones for testing. The device, manufactured in China, bears no FCC identification number
or label. The ARRL technical staff determined that the device--an Optima 8810--operates at an output power of greater than 3 W near 147 MHz. Other such
phones are advertised as having ranges of up to 100 km operating at power levels of up to 35 W on VHF and UHF. Some models use frequencies in the amateur
2-meter and 1.25-meter bands.
The ARRL offered to send the telephone device "and as much information as it can obtain about the eBay seller" to the FCC. In his letter Imlay noted that
the vendor has since disappeared from the auction site.
One of the companies selling the long-range cordless telephones had originally indicated that one such device operated on 147 and 230 MHz. Apparently after
it heard complaints from amateurs, the company altered its Web site listing to indicate that the phone operated at 249 and 375 MHz. The ARRL attached to
its letter a copy of the Web site of another seller that showed the same telephone as operating on 150 and 230 MHz. The League said some of the companies
also may be selling similar wireless products that may operate on amateur or restricted bands.
Hare said some long-range devices are legally certificated to operate on the 900 MHz or 2450 MHz Part 15 bands. "These legal devices are only an issue if
they cause actual harmful interference to the Amateur Service," he said.
Hare requested reports of unlicensed devices causing actual harmful interference to Amateur Radio operation. Reports may be sent to
rfi@arrl.org.
FCC Sets Aside License Grant, Issues Short-Term License
NEWINGTON, CT, May 30, 2001--The FCC has set aside a recent license grant to a Florida man and issued a short-term grant in the case of an Illinois amateur.
The two cases are among several recent FCC enforcement actions.
FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth said the Commission has set aside the Technician license of Joseph E. Mattern, KG4NGG,
of Orlando. A former Tech Plus licensee, Mattern was the subject of past FCC enforcement attention. He was relicensed on May 3.
"He was only back on the air for a few days before complaints started coming in, including one alleging use of a false call sign," Hollingsworth told ARRL.
"He also was asked by the control operator to stay off several repeaters in the Orlando area." The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau set aside his
latest Amateur Service grant on May 15.
Last August the FCC wrote Mattern--then WW4WJD--citing allegations that the licensee had been using repeaters in his area to solicit traffic reports for
his employer--a company that markets the reports. Hollingsworth said at the time that evidence before the FCC alleged that Mattern had been requested to
stop operating on certain repeaters but had refused to do so. The FCC also cited evidence alleging that Mattern may have used area repeaters to discuss
business dealings regarding computer equipment and that he may have indirectly threatened area Official Observers.
In his reply to the FCC, Mattern characterized his traffic-reporting activities as "a hobby" that earned him very little money. He also said he was not
in the computer business and agreed to abide by the wishes of repeater control operators.
In September the FCC required Mattern to retake the Technician Plus exam. Mattern appeared for retesting but failed both elements, and the FCC canceled
his license. Mattern subsequently retested for the Technician ticket and passed.
When the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau granted Mattern's application and issued him a new call sign, KC4NGG, Hollingsworth reminded him that he was
expected to comply with requests from repeater licensees or control operators to refrain from use of their repeaters and to avoid using ham radio for business
purposes. In a May 16 letter to Mattern, Hollingsworth said Mattern's Technician application now reverts to pending status. He said the latest complaints
have been referred to the Enforcement Bureau for evaluation.
"I'm looking at the complaints now," Hollingsworth told ARRL. He said he expected to address the matter within a few days. Hollingsworth has reminded Mattern
that he had no authority to operate radio transmitting equipment.
In an unrelated action, the FCC has issued a short-term license grant to General licensee Reyes Lugo, KB9YDM, of Chicago. Like Mattern, Lugo--who once held
an Extra class ticket, NP3N--has a track record with the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. Last summer, he was requested to retake the Extra exam but passed only
the Morse code element and his license was canceled.
Lugo subsequently retested for Technician and General and was granted KB9YDM. The FCC set aside those grants while it investigated complaints it had received
about Lugo's radio operations as NP3N and KB9YDM. The Commission said those allegations had "raised questions" about Lugo's qualifications to hold an amateur
license.
Among other things, the FCC wanted to know if Lugo had ever transmitted on 26.715 MHz. The Commission asked Lugo to comment on four pages of transcripts
of transmissions monitored on 26.715 and 21.310 MHz alleged to be made by Lugo. The FCC also asked Lugo to detail any complaints about his amateur operation
and what action he took, if any. The FCC also said it wanted to know if Lugo had ever served as a volunteer examiner and if he ever received any compensation
for his VE work.
In his reply to the FCC, Lugo denied making any of the transmissions cited and said he's never transmitted on 26.715 MHz. He also said he was not a VE and
that he had not received any complaints about the operation of his station on the ham bands or any other frequencies.
Hollingsworth informed Lugo on May 10 that the FCC was granting his General application for a one-year period. Violations of any sort on any frequency,
Hollingsworth said, could result in a fine and a revocation and suspension hearing. "If there are no such violations in the one-year period, you may routinely
renew your Amateur license," Hollingsworth concluded.
Arkansas Radio Amateurs Assist in Search for Lost Child
By Don L. Jackson, AE5K
May 30, 2001
View of the Ozark National Forest, typical of the area in which the search was conducted. [NAARS Photo]
On Sunday, April 29, 2001, a six-year-old girl hiking with grandparents and several others became lost in the Ozark National Forest near Boxley, Arkansas--about
a hour's drive southwest of Harrison. The area is a heavily forested, beautiful wilderness near the headwaters of the Buffalo National River. There are
high cliffs, hollows, and wildlife, including bear, panther, bobcat and mountain lion.
Haley Zegy had complained that she was tired. She sat on a rock for a few minutes, then took off in another direction. Upon discovering that Haley was not
where they had left her, the group searched for two hours before summoning help. The county sheriff's office responded immediately and set off perhaps
the largest search-and-rescue operation in Arkansas. At least 38 agencies were involved in the search, including the Harrison chapter of the American Red
Cross.
Using the North Arkansas Amateur Radio Society repeater for communications, James Coats, N0ZJX, a disaster relief worker for the Red Cross, organized the
request for supplies needed to support the search. Coats' wife, Terri, N0ZJW, was at the Red Cross field site in the search area. Terri Coats relates the
situation:
"At that time, there were approximately 40-60 people involved in the search. James, Jeremy--our 14-year old son--and I, took food out for 100. When we left
the command post that night, there were only a few bottles of water and a few cold drinks left.
She said the following morning, the McDonald's in Harrison donated food for the volunteers.
"At this point I asked the Search and Rescue team if they needed anything. I will never forget the look in the man's eyes when he responded. 'Ma'am, we
need everything--We needed to make calls, but cell phones did not work in the area.'
Thank the good Lord for ham radio. I contacted James by radio and told him the situation. My signal was weak and communicating was difficult. In no time,
Harrison hams John Eslinger, KD5FKL, William Smith, KB5TZF and Elmo Knoch, K5YWL, brought a J-pole antenna, coax and RF amplifier to the field site so
that I could communicate Red Cross requests back to the town of Harrison via the repeater. Back in Harrison, James began making phone calls to individuals
for help. An employee of KHOZ radio was in our office at that moment and suggested calling the station manager to see if they could help. The request went
out over the airwaves and the donations began pouring in.
As Monday wore on, William Rose, N5VKF, and K5YWL handled several pieces of traffic from workers at the site to their families at home and relayed a request
for equipment to a nearby National Guard unit. The Baptist Disaster Relief group arrived at 1 AM Tuesday, when the Red Cross had expended its resources
for feeding the searchers. "The group really had it together and fixed great food," said David Lafferty, K5DEL--an investigator with the Arkansas State
Police--who was on official duty at the site. Gary Valentine, KD5JKP, also assisted at the search site and Helen Stuart, KD5KPW, got tables from North
Arkansas College. Francis Fisher, KB0PHM, and Vicki Fisher, KB0NGO, also provided much assistance. Several other local hams helped in some way. Any request
for assistance was readily and rapidly filled.
It was KB0PHM who had the honor of announcing "the find"--over the repeater--at 4:25 PM on Tuesday. Two "unofficial" searchers, William Villine and Lytle
James, found Haley at about 2:30 PM on Tuesday as they searched the area by mule.
Young Haley rode out of the woods on the back of Ole Momma, Villine's mule. However, it was about three hours before the word got out, since it took that
long to transport the girl on muleback to the search-and-rescue headquarters.
Last, but not least, very high praise should be given to all the area hams who abstained from using the repeater during this operation, leaving it free
for communications of important nature, and to those who stood by, listening, ready to help if needed.
We will never know who you were and therefore you won't see your call sign in print, but nonetheless, you did the right thing. Everyone who participated
in this event deserves heartfelt thanks. You were all a credit to Amateur Radio! As for the aftereffects to our area hams, it has sort of kickstarted ARES
activity and EC has become active.
Editor's note: Don Jackson, AE5K, is an ARRL life member. Originally licensed in 1953, Jackson is editor of The Heterodyne, the monthly newsletter of the
North Arkansas Amateur Radio Society,
http://www.qsl.net/wb5cyx . "
I live in the middle of nowhere, on 40 acres of rugged and forested Ozark mountain land, where we raise rocks, ticks, chiggers and copperheads, but have
fresh air, springs and waterfalls, peace and quiet, and no neighbors," Jackson said. "I am interested in nearly all of ham radio, from VLF to 10 GHz, all
modes, and love to design and build." Jackson's wife, Carol, is W5CSJ. Jackson says he's semi-retired, but does some consulting work for microcontroller
projects. N0ZJX, and his wife, N0ZJW are chiropractors in Harrison, Arkansas. While both were attending Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa,
they obtained their ham radio licenses. Vicki Fisher, KB0NGO, is their office manager. All have received Disaster Relief training from the American Red
Cross. Readers may contact the author at
ae5k@arrl.net.
Round-the-World Ham-Sailor is on the Home Stretch
David Clark, KB6TAM and wife, Lynda
David Clark with his wife, Lynda, before he departed on his round-the-world adventure in 1999. Clark hopes to return to Fort Lauderdale by July.
UPDATE (5/31/2001): David Clark’s wife, Lynda, reports that he arrived May 30 on Fernando de Noronha and said all is well. He expects to resume his sail
in a couple of days and plans to reach Fortaleza--some 350 miles distant--by early next week. Robert Botik, K5SIV, ran several phone patches for Clark
May 27, and Clark spoke with his son. Clark also has been keeping in contact with Frank Martins, ZL1MF, on 15 meters.
NEWINGTON, CT. May 30, 2001--Ham-sailor David Clark, KB6TAM, has departed Ascension Island after a brief stop. Clark now is on the last leg of his quest
to be the oldest person to sail solo around the world.
Clark, who turned 77 on May 17, is hoping to make Fort Lauderdale by early July. He is keeping in touch with wife Lynda and others via phone patches and
some e-mail, although he had Internet server problems for about a week.
Fred Moore, W3ZU, has been running phone patches for Clark while Robert Reed, N6HGG, has also been keeping regular radio schedules with the sailor since
he departed Ascension. Reed reported Moore has been able to make contact and maintain it with Clark when all others failed. Both expect to continue working
Clark short- path, now that he is nearer his Florida target.
Clark survived a disaster in February that sank his original sailboat, the Mollie Milar. His beloved canine companion Mickey was lost during the rescue
efforts. Clark put out a distress call on ham radio that was relayed to maritime authorities. Corporate sponsors and helpful hams in South Africa and elsewhere
got him back into blue water with another sailboat--which he named Mickey in honor of his lost companion.
His ham gear aboard the original sailboat also was lost, but Clark reports has another rig in operation now. He has checked in on a couple of 20-meter nets,
and ham radio apparently continues to be his most reliable communication tool.
The sailing ham is planning a stop in Barbados. Various ham sources in contact with Clark said his craft apparently continues to handle well with no major
problems.
Clark and Mickey
Clark with his companion Mickey aboard the Mollie Milar. The dog was lost during the rescue effort after the Mollie Milar sank off Cape Town, South Africa.
Clark's new boat, the 'Mickey'
Clark's new boat, which he named Mickey.
The new sailboat--actually about 15 years old, according to Clark--is somewhat smaller than his original craft. In an e-mail to supporters, Clark described
the vessel as "an excellent yacht and much easier for me to handle than was the Millie Milar."
Clark also reported encountering some rough seas shortly after leaving Cape Town in the Mickey. "I was able to find out first-hand just how tough the little
yacht was," he said. "It went through fine, but the motion was extremely violent and pretty much tossed me all over the boat, so I ended up after the gale
with a few bruises."
While in Ascension Clark picked up a new autopilot provided by sponsor Raymarine and was invited by new friends on a neighboring yacht to celebrate his
birthday, May 17, with a dinner party ashore.
When Clark drops anchor at Fort Lauderdale, he'll be returning to a place he last saw in December of 1999 when he departed on his journey. An earlier attempt
by Clark to circle the globe eight years ago fell short when his vessel was dismasted and sank in the Indian Ocean.
Clark gets support from corporate sponsors, but he has funded much of the trip through Social Security earnings and occasional clarinet gigs. Hams along
the way have provided much needed financial help and solid communication links with the world.
For more information Clark's journey, visit
http://www.dclark.com
and
http://www.captainclark.com.
--Archie McKay, K4GA
ARLB026: VECs Struggle with Paperwork Mountain
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB026
ARLB026 VECs Struggle with Paperwork Mountain
ZCZC AG26
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 26 ARLB026
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 12, 2000
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB026
ARLB026 VECs Struggle with Paperwork Mountain
Despite an infusion of temporary help, Volunteer Examiner
Coordinators continue struggling to process the huge influx of exam
session paperwork resulting from Amateur Radio restructuring.
ARRL-VEC and W5YI-VEC continue to estimate that it is taking from
three to four weeks from exam session to license grant.
ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, and his staff have been putting
in a lot of overtime and weekend hours. Fred Maia, W5YI, cites a
similar situation at his W5YI-VEC. ''We've got mail buckets
everywhere,'' he said.
Jahnke and Maia say processing is proceeding as fast as possible.
They urge amateur applicants to refrain from contacting either their
respective VECs or the FCC to inquire as to the progress of
individual applications.
Applicants wishing to file a vanity call sign application or to
upgrade their Volunteer Examiner status cannot do so without a
license grant from the FCC reflecting the applicant's upgraded
class. In a few cases, applicants are awaiting first-time amateur
licenses and do not even have interim operating authority.
Jahnke says the ARRL-VEC has caught up with the paperwork backlog
from pre-April 15 test sessions. The ARRL-VEC served nearly 35,800
applicants between January 1 and April 14. It continues to deal with
the nearly 16,000 applications logged in from April 15 through April
25. Jahnke points out that while VE teams have 10 days to ship
session paperwork, transit times can be as long as a week.
Once keyed in and sent on electronically to the FCC, most
applications are granted overnight. Jahnke says the care ARRL-VEC
takes in checking VE session paperwork and applications for
''completeness, accuracy and integrity'' pays off in avoiding problems
down the road.
Statistics to date suggest a total of more than 13,000 new Generals
and more than 10,000 new Extra class hams as a result of
restructuring.
NNNN
/EX
It Seems to Us . . . Radio Smog
By David Sumner, K1ZZ
ARRL Executive Vice President
September 18, 2002
Editor's note: Typically, only ARRL members get to read the "It Seems to Us ..." editorials that run each month in QST. We're posting this editorial by
ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, that appears in the October 2002 issue of QST in the hope that both ARRL members and nonmembers might
appreciate it and find it informative.
Much in the news in mid-August were reports of a major scientific study of an "Asian brown cloud" of toxic haze hovering over the most densely populated
portion of that continent and threatening other parts of the world. The harmful effects of the haze on health and weather appear to be substantial: respiratory
disease, drought in some areas and flooding in others, acid rain, and reductions in crop yields to name but a few. On a more encouraging note, scientists
also know how to reduce the pollution and its effects: the use of cleaner energy sources and better stoves, and reduced burning to clear fields and forests.
The issue, which is really one of economics, is how to get hundreds of millions of individuals, families, and businesses to make these changes in how they
live when the cost is far more immediate and tangible than the benefit. For an impoverished family, cooking its meal as cheaply as possible is a matter
of survival. If cow dung is available as a "free" fuel it's a rational decision for the family to use it--but when multiplied by one hundred million, one
family's tiny stove becomes an environmental calamity.
There is an obvious parallel between pollu-tion of the Earth's atmosphere and pollution of the radio spectrum. Like the atmosphere, the radio spectrum is
a precious natural resource shared by all. Like pollution, radio waves respect no political boundaries. Like the smog that fouls the air in many cities,
electronic smog fouls the radio spectrum as a consequence of human activity--and like toxic haze, radio smog is an economic rather than a technical issue.
We know how to control it; the debate is over whether it's worth the price to do so, and who should pay.
We're used to hearing public policy debates about air and water pollution. While people may disagree on costs vs. benefits in some instances, no one can
possibly dispute that, for example, the quality of life in London improved dramatically after Parliament curtailed coal-burning in 1956. If someone were
to suggest today that Londoners could save money by switching back, they would not be taken seriously--to put it mildly. The same would be true if someone
were to suggest that their community could save money by dumping its raw sewage into the river. Such thoughts might have been acceptable 100 years ago,
but not today. We've made too much progress, at too great a cost, to go back.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of spectrum policy. In some ways we do indeed seem to be going backwards, or having to fight against pressures in
that direction.
Many sources of radio smog are unintentional. Switch-mode power supplies are not designed to generate radio interference. Unfortunately, in some cases they
are not designed not to. They could be, and if either consumers or governments insist on it they will be.
Line noise is a big problem for many amateurs and other radio users. Power lines are not supposed to emit RF energy, and if they do it's a sign something's
wrong. Some power companies care, and know what to do. Others either don't know or don't care (executive bonuses being more important than overtime pay
for linemen, perhaps). The FCC can make them care, and in several recent cases has done exactly that by threatening enforcement action.
Radio smog also results from putting RF where it doesn't belong. RF has this wonderful property: it wants to radiate. And it will radiate from any conductor
you introduce it to, unless the conductor is either shielded or balanced. So, why would anyone deliberately put RF on a conductor that is neither shielded
nor balanced if they didn't want it to radiate? For the same reason that the destitute Asian family uses cow dung to heat its dinner: economics.
What we're talking about here are plans to use power lines to distribute broadband digital signals to homes and offices. The wires are already there, the
reasoning goes, so why not use them? Utilizing existing infrastructure in new and creative ways is good for business and good for society. Offering competitive
choices to consumers lowers prices and improves service. How can anyone be opposed to that?
Here's how. A broadband signal is RF. Sent down an unshielded or imperfectly balanced line, it will radiate. Putting security concerns aside as someone
else's problem, this creates a new and pervasive source of interference to radio reception. In other words, this competitive choice would transfer to all
of society a cost--in the form of reduced utility of the radio spectrum--that is not imposed by other, more environmentally friendly ways of providing
broadband service. Our poor Asian family may not have any choice but to pollute. We do.
Is it possible to do power line communications without causing interference to over-the-air communications? Count us among the skeptics. What may be a fine
transmission line at 60 Hz looks more like an antenna at HF. And that's a matter of physics, not economics.
Writing in the Summer 1994 issue of EPA Journal about London's historic "pea-soup" fogs that gave rise to the term "smog" in 1905, David Urbinato said:
"At the turn of the century, cries to reduce the smoke faced a tough opponent. Coal was fueling the industrial revolution. To be against coal burning was
to be against progress. 'Progress' won out. Not until the 1950s, when a four-day fog in 1952 killed roughly 4000 Londoners was any real reform passed."
New sources of radio smog are no more acceptable than are new sources of the visible kind. At the turn of the new century our policymakers should--no, must--be
able to distinguish real progress from cow dung.
Ham-Com: Experimenting with Change
By Barry A. Goldblatt, WA5KXX
January 8, 2007
Ham-Com, the "Biggest Hamfest in Texas" traces its roots back to the 1960s. In 1978, a small group of hams in Dallas decided to invest their own money to
build a "ham radio convention." In 2003, Ham-Com celebrated its 25th anniversary. The event has fulfilled the original goal of the founders, gained national
recognition and hosted the ARRL national convention on three occasions.
HamCom2006_IFM-sm
Nearly 4,000 people filled the Plano Center's 86,000 square-foot facility during Ham-Com 2006. [Photo by WA5KXX]
HamCom2006_ODMB-sm
James Alderman, KF5WT, adds a Ham-Com flavor to the Boy Scout "One-day Radio Merit Badge Program. [Photo by WA5KXX]
HamCom2006_WhatsImportantGraph
What's Important to Attendees [
Larger image]
The first Ham-Coms were held at a hotel in Dallas and, as attendance grew, the event was moved to the Arlington Convention Center. The move was a big improvement
and helped attendance grow from a few thousand to as many as 7,000 in the mid-1990s. The change of location allowed the organizers to increase the scope
of the event to include a bigger tailgate market, more flea market tables, guest speakers, workshops and special interest group meetings. The efforts of
Don Smith, W5DS; Maury Guzick, W5IO; and others helped successfully shape the event during the period from 1980 through 2003.
So what's changed? Ham-Com, like everything else, has been impacted by the Internet. In my opinion, that impact is more positive than negative. The Ham-Com
web site,
www.hamcom.org,
has grown from a few pages to a fully interactive system that provides up-to-date news about the event, online admission sales, program lists, presenter
biographies, venue layouts, maps, classified ads, hundreds of digital photographs from previous events and the full-color "Ham-Com Flyer." In 2005 and
2006, the web site received over 159,000 visitors each year. Visitors viewed an average of six pages, making the total number of "page hits" just over
one million. The web site was visited by hams from 80 countries before, during and after the event.
The "Ham-Com Flyer" has changed, too. Early versions were printed newspaper-style designed for mailing and as hand-outs at the event. As printing and mailing
costs increased it became evident that this would have to change. In 2004, the "Ham-Com Flyer" (38 pp) became an Adobe Acrobat™ PDF document that could
be downloaded or printed via the Internet. The flyer contains complete event information including maps, venue layouts, schedules, special interest group
information, presentation details and presenter biographies. It was downloaded over 48,000 times in 2006, and many attendees brought their copies to the
event.
Over the past several years, event planners placed heavy emphasis on continuing education and youth events. The Ham-Com Board of Directors made the decision
in 2004 to attract more high-quality presentations and increase the number of youngsters at the event. Those efforts paid off. The Programs Director, John
Beadles, N5OOM, and his team scheduled over 100 hours of speakers, workshops and special interest group meetings in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Many of these
presentations included the use of video projectors and computers with high-speed Internet access. The result was classrooms full of hams eager to learn
about the latest innovations in Amateur Radio.
Speaking of innovation...in 2004, Larry Pollock, NB5X, of the W5YI-VEC came up with an idea to implement "same-day" call sign returns for Ham-Com VE sessions.
New hams who received their CSCEs on Friday received their calls signs before the end of the day.
Also in 2004, a team consisting of Frank Krizan, KR1ZAN; Richard Phillips, KB5YBQ; and James Alderman, KF5WT, developed an innovative one-day program for
the Boy Scout Radio Merit badge. Over 100 scouts received their badge in one day at the 2004 and 2005 events. The 2006 event added another 87 badges to
the growing count. A number of the scouts who participated in those classes have since become Amateur Radio operators.
In 2006, Ham-Com made presentation materials in various formats (PowerPoint, Word, and PDF) available via the web site. So far, there have been over 2,000
downloads.
In 2007, plans are underway to videotape as many presentations as possible and make them available in RealPlayer™ format via the web site.
Going up! Increases in prices for everything from gasoline to venue rental forced the Ham-Com Board of Directors to re-think how they would produce the
2006 event. The problem was made even more acute when the management at the Arlington Convention Center announced that there were no available dates in
June 2006 for Ham-Com. The only choice was to move the event back to May or forward to July or August. Neither choice was a good one--May is too close
to the Dayton Hamvention and July in Texas is extremely hot. The board looked at several other venues and decided to move the event to the Plano Centre
in Plano, TX. Costs at the old venue had been escalating for several years, and it seemed to make sense to change to a new location if we could lower costs.
By 2005, the cost of producing Ham-Com exceeded $30,000, and there was a definite need to reduce admission, commercial exhibitor and vendor costs. Parking
fees, which had long been a big source of complaints from attendees over the years disappeared plus food prices and hotel room rates were markedly lower
in Plano.
So why do you need a report card if you're not in school? It's an interesting question and one that only an event planner can truly appreciate. Having been
the event chairman since 2004, I felt it very important to establish some sort of metrics. After all, you can't fix something if you don't know there is
a problem. Frankly, I was concerned that with a change of venue, economic factors, high fuel prices and cycle 23 at low ebb, attendance might be affected.
Establishing a baseline could prove very beneficial in the long term. The challenge was whether or not we could measure the dynamics of a very diverse
group of people who come together once a year for a number of varied activities under a single umbrella.
The statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, once said that there are "Lies, damned lies and statistics!" With that in mind and not being either a mathematician or
a statistician, I turned to an Internet site that provided the ability to build an online survey that could be made available to event attendees. It also
graphed the results and delivered a full report on responses as well as the raw data. The cost: Under ten dollars!
The first Ham-Com attendee survey with 20 questions went online immediately after the 2004 event. Nearly 500 people, about 10% of total attendance, took
part in the survey. According to John Fullingim, WN5PFI, a Dallas ham who earns his living as a professional marketing and branding consultant, that number
represents an excellent sample. The results proved very interesting and provided insights as to how we were doing with regard to planning and executing
the event. A similar survey was used after the 2005 event, and it, too, provided interesting results. The Ham-Com Board of Directors used the results from
2004 and 2005 surveys to improve the event.
In 2006, John volunteered to help improve the survey and provide professional interpretation of the results. The Ham-Com Board of Directors was extremely
pleased that someone who engaged in statistical analysis for a living was interested in what we were doing and thought that it was valuable. John added
things that he knew would result in even more valuable insights than we had been able to glean from the previous surveys. The 32-question survey went online
about a week after the 2006 event. This time, nearly 400 people, or about 10% of the attendees, took part. Complete results are available on the web site
at www.hamcom.org.
"The important numbers," according to John, "really boil down to responses in four distinct areas. They are: overall attendee satisfaction, the likelihood
of the attendee to return, underlying drivers for satisfaction and things that might motivate the attendee to return."
John thinks that the telling number for attendees who are "very satisfied" with the event is quite high at 66%. The group in the "not at all satisfied"
category is only 10%--a number that falls far below the norms that statisticians expect for this type of event. In fact, the results are, according to
John, "enormously positive, especially coming from a group of people who typically have strong opinions."
Will they come back? Arguably, that is the most important question to be answered. The survey showed that 74% of the respondents place themselves in the
"very likely to return" category and only 4% are "unlikely to return." John, WN5PFI, says that "statistically speaking, 74% is an amazing number for any
event."
What's driving satisfaction at Ham-Com? Apparently, quite a few things. The numbers indicate that the single most important driver of attendee satisfaction
for Ham-Com 2006 appears to be the change of venue. In fact, the single most important driver overall appears to be the change of venue. That also turns
out to be a significant motivator for people to attend the upcoming event in 2007. Other significant motivators include: the ability to learn about new
developments in Amateur Radio, the improved tailgate market, the tabletop flea market, guest speakers and special interest group meetings. All of these
things seem to be at work motivating hams to return to Ham-Com.
What about the rest of the survey questions? One of the things that the Ham-Com Board of Directors is concerned about is the number of "first-timers." That
number appears to fairly consistent from 2004-2006 at around seven to eight percent but needs to increase.
Ham-Com obviously has an extremely loyal following. Several respondents reported that they attended their first Ham-Com in 1975, and the average number
of events attended over the years by all respondents is nine.
Getting the word out is important! We learned that over 60% received information about Ham-Com via e-mail (that number has been increasing since we first
charted it in 2004). A little over 17% received a postcard in the mail and 31% got information about the event via a club web site or newsletter. The numbers
add up to more than 100%, which indicates that many attendees received information about the event from multiple sources. This is probably due to the fact
that more than 50 clubs and organizations carry information about Ham-Com in their newsletter or on their web site.
Where do they all come from? Over 26% came from 200 miles or more, 16% from greater than 50 miles. The balance come from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex
which has a very large concentration of hams. Plano and Collin County are home to nearly 2,000 licensed Amateur Radio operators. Two clubs in Collin County,
the McKinney Amateur Radio Club (MARC) and the Plano Amateur Radio Klub (PARK), provide year-round support for the event.
What's important to attendees? Workshops and special interest group meetings are obviously very important to the event according to 55% of the respondents.
That number has remained consistent throughout the surveys from 2004-2006. Meeting old friends was listed as "very important" to 74% of the respondents.
And, it's not surprising that 83% of the respondents feel that commercial exhibitors and vendors are an important part of the event. That is coupled with
73% of the survey respondents who came to Ham-Com 2006 looking for a specific item and purchased it. We should also add that just over 52% of the respondents
said that they spent more than one day at Ham-Com 2006. The event has its share of "hamfest marines," but many people stick around to experience more than
just the tailgate and flea markets.
The questions that we asked about the tailgate and flea markets show that a majority of the respondents sold at least one item and that they considered
their participation in those activities a reasonable use of their time and money.
So, how does it all add up? Change is inevitable and Ham-Com, like other hamfests around the U.S., will have to adapt to a wobbly economy and shifting demographics.
Now that we have a better idea about what attendees want, we're able to deliver a high-quality event that will keep people coming back year after year.
The last statistic says it all: Over 90% of the hams who responded to the survey said that Ham-Com 2006 provided value "equal to or greater than the cost
of admission." I only wish my high school report cards had been this good...
FCC Presses Two Utilities to Resolve Power Line Noise Complaints
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 8, 2007 -- The FCC has asked utilities in Oklahoma and Illinois to try harder to resolve longstanding power line noise complaints from
Amateur Radio licensees. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth recently contacted Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E)
Company and Exelon Corporation (ComEd) in Chicago to follow up on the unrelated cases.
"In your response on behalf of Oklahoma Gas and Electric, dated January 30, 2006, you indicated that you were responding to [the radio amateur's] complaints,"
Hollingsworth wrote Oklahoma Gas and Electric's Senior Attorney Patrick D. Shore. "However, [the complainant] states that the power line hardware noise
continues."
Hollingsworth customarily does not identify RFI complainants in public correspondence, but the Oklahoma radio amateur involved -- ARRL Member Hal Dietz,
W5GHZ, of Bethany -- agreed to let the League make his name public. Dietz has sought the ARRL's assistance in resolving the problem. The League has been
working with the FCC for several years to address power line noise complaints from Amateur Radio licensees.
Dietz says the power line noise he's experiencing on occasion has approached 20 dB over S9 on some bands, but it's typically between S5 to S9. "I experience
line noise interference on frequencies as high as 444.100 MHz -- a local repeater that I monitor -- and on all TV channels through 14," he reports. "The
interference is not present on all bands at all times, but it is present on one or more bands all of the time, except when it's raining."
An OG&E has representative visited Dietz but was unable to pin down the interference source. Dietz said the technician came equipped with a log-periodic
dipole array (LPDA) to locate line noise interference. "I have also offered to go with them when they are trying to locate the interference, but they have
declined my help," he added.
On December 8, Hollingsworth wrote John W. Rowe, chairman and CEO of Exelon Corporation, the parent company of utility ComEd.
"We have reviewed your letter dated July 10, 2006, in which you state that you have not been able to locate the source of radio interference because the
noise as reported by [the complainant] is intermittent. [The complainant] disputes that claim, however, stating that the noise is constant and that the
only time that it is not present is during a heavy rain."
The Amateur Radio licensee experiencing the interference has told the ARRL that the noise from ComEd's equipment is nearly always present and 60 dB over
S9 on 160 meters, wet weather excepted. Adding to the mix, the ham recounted last fall, is new noise from a neighbor's Part 15 electronic device. ARRL
Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, says the complainant for several months has been reporting persistent noise from 160 to 6 meters
from ComEd's system and can even hear it on his car's broadcast radio.
Hollingsworth advised both utilities to review the radio amateurs' complaints and advise his office regarding steps being taken to locate and remediate
the RFI.
California Radio Amateur Has Role in Rescue at Sea
Mike Morales, KC6CYK
Mike Morales, KC6CYK, at his station in Riverside, California.
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 8, 2007 -- A radio amateur from California played a significant part in an international effort to rescue a US sailor attempting to single-handedly
circumnavigate the globe. Miguel "Mike" Morales, KC6CYK, of Riverside, told ARRL he was able to contact fellow radio amateurs in Chile to obtain and relay
reassuring information to the family of Ken Barnes, whose 44-foot ketch Pivateer was foundering off South America. A Chilean trawler, Polar Pesca 1, rescued
Barnes from his disabled vessel on January 5. Upon learning of Barnes's predicament on January 2, Morales said he contacted the sailor's fiancée, Cathy
Chambers, offering to see if he could make radio contact with Chile.
"She mentioned that the satellite telephone was dying on him over there, so their communication was 30 to 60 seconds at a time," Morales recounted. "I was
lucky enough, I got in touch with some of the Charlie Echo [CE-prefix] stations until I got to someone in Punta Arenas, and then Polar Pesca, the vessel
that did the rescue." Morales speaks fluent Spanish and has visited Chile and knew "the way things operate down there." As a result, he says, he was able
to obtain credible reports via his 10-meter contacts as to what was happening.
Morales said he was able to gather information from Punta Arenas, on the extreme southern tip of South America, and, via his Chilean ham radio contacts,
from the Polar Pesca 1. "I talked to them a couple of times," he recalled, "and relayed information as to when he [Barnes] was going to be rescued, the
latitude and longitude he was at that particular time." Morales said he felt it was important for the family to know Barnes's situation and how the rescue
plans were playing out.
Barnes, who's 47, left Long Beach, California, late last October, hoping to be the first person to sail around the world from the West Coast. A severe storm
dismasted, badly damaged the vessel and soaked his supplies.
The Chilean Navy didn't really want to rescue Barnes, Morales maintains, even though it later took credit for doing so. According to Morales, the Chilean
Navy wasn't eager to send a military vessel to retrieve Barnes because of the potential costs involved, and, in any case, wanted to put off the rescue
until January 7.
The Chilean Navy did dispatch one of the CP3 Orion aircraft Chile uses to patrol its 200-mile-offshore territorial claim, and the plane spotted the foundering
vessel, photographed it and even attempted to drop a life raft that missed its mark. The Chilean Navy coordinated the operation and recruited the Polar
Pesca 1 to undertake the actual rescue, although the US Coast Guard reportedly has agreed to cover the expense, Morales says. At that point he was able
to pass along news to the family that the trawler was en route to Barnes's location.
"The main thing is, Ken Barnes is back, is alive," Morales said. "What I did was on behalf of the US ham radio community, I believe. That's what you're
there for."
Barnes is scheduled to return home to California this week, and Morales will be among those on hand to welcome him. The City of Riverside has announced
plans to honor Morales for rendering assistance, although Morales says he's "a very low-key type of person" who isn't fond of being in the media spotlight.
Nonetheless, Barnes's family and friends, armed with information Morales provided, tipped off the news media, and over the past few days Morales has been
interviewed, photographed and videotaped by reporters from the Los Angeles Times, ABC, CBS, NBC and Telemundo.
Morales also will be a special guest this week of the Riverside County Amateur Radio Club, thanks to Duane Allen, N6JPO, a club officer. A radio amateur
for about 15 years, Morales now is planning to upgrade his license. "I've just been procrastinating about it," he said.
Space Contacts Compete with Rock Band, Bring Science to Life for Fifth Graders
ARISS-AJ2007-1-sm
Ingenious scouts pile hay bales to dampen the sound from a nearby rock concert at AJ2007. [WIA Photo]
ARISS-AJ2007-2-sm
A scout asks his question of astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB. [WIA Photo]
ARISS-AJ2007-3-sm
Exultant AJ2007 contact participants cheer the contact's success. [WIA Photo]
ARISS-Sherman-1-sm
Sherman Elementary School student Garret asks his question of Suni Williams. [Andrea Catena Photo]
ARISS-Sherman-2-sm
A television reporter interviews fifth-grader Zach at Sherman Elementary.
ARISS-Sherman-3-sm
Members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association handle the station controls as Maya asks her question. [Andrea Catena Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 10, 2007 -- Scouts at Australian Jamboree 2007 (
AJ2007)
applied their ingenuity January 7 when an on-site rock concert threatened to drown out a scheduled Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (
ARISS)
contact with the campers. They responded by piling bales of hay to create an insulating bunker around the building where the contact with ISS Expedition
14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, KD5PLB, took place. As a result, the 20 scouts who won a "What would you ask an Astronaut?" competition were able to
ask Williams their questions in comparative quiet. One Scout asked Williams to comment on the possibility of life elsewhere in our solar system.
"I would think with all the stars . . . all the billions of stars out there that there's got to be life somewhere out there," Williams replied from NA1SS.
"So I think we'll be able to find evidence of life at some point in time." She told another Scout that the ISS crew hadn't seen any aliens in space, adding,
"but maybe we will. I'll be up here for another six months."
The contact marked Williams debut in handling an ARISS educational contact from NA1SS. Williams noted that she had been in Girl Scouts herself.
Responding to another question, Williams said it takes more than a month for ISS crew members to accommodate fully to Earth's gravity after spending an
extended time in the microgravity environment of space.
"We go through about a 45-day rehabilitation program when we get back, and you're pretty much back to normal after about a six-month stay," she said. "However,
really being able to work out -- like being able to run the way you did before you left -- is probably going to be about a one day-for-one day time, so
probably about six months."
CLICK HERE
to listen to the contact between scouts at AJ2007 and astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB, at NA1SS. [MP3, 9:43]
Philip Adams, VK3JNI, organized the event, which attracted a crowd of about 200 onlookers inside and outside AJ2007's VI3JAM ham radio shack, while another
150 inside a tent watched the proceedings on a large video screen. An on-site FM radio station broadcast the event for the other 13,000 Scouts at the Jamboree.
Earth station for the AJ2007 contact was Bill Lynd, VK4KHZ. A Verizon Conferencing teleconference link provided two-way audio between the Jamboree site
in Elmore and VK4KHZ. ARISS-Australia Coordinator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, the Wireless Institute of Australia and Amateur Radio Victoria assisted.
"Thank you so much for inviting me," Williams said as the ISS went out of range. "It was great to talk to all you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful
Jamboree." AJ2007 is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Scouting. It concludes January 13.
New York Elementary Schoolers Get Glimpse of Life in Space
The possibility of a human space flight to Mars has been the focus of teacher Andrea Catena's fifth grade science pupils at Sherman Elementary School in
Henrietta, New York. The youngsters expanded their knowledge of life in space when they spoke via ham radio January 8 with Suni Williams. ARISS arranged
the direct VHF contact between W2SKY at the school and NA1SS. Responding to one question, Williams explained that it takes more than a day to get ready
for a spacewalk from the ISS.
"Part of the reason is that we breathe pure oxygen, so we don't want to get 'the bends' when we go out into space, so, we have to start 'pre-breathing'
the oxygen the day before" Williams told the youngsters. "And then, to get all the tools together it takes a good four or five hours."
Williams, who joined the Expedition 14 space station crew in December, said the most exciting part of her mission so far was her first spacewalk. "Actually
coming out the door and seeing the world in your face for the first time, it was absolutely exhilarating!" she recounted.
In preparation for the contact, the Sherman Elementary students had researched the history of the ISS and learned a bit about the work of the station crew.
They also studied satellite and radio communication in space.
Williams, 41, said she first thought about becoming a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps until "later in life" after she'd become a test pilot.
CLICK HERE
to listen to the contact between Sherman Elementary School students and astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB, at NA1SS. [MP3, 9:44]
CLICK HERE
to see a video of the contact between Sherman Elementary School students and astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB.
"But I always thought I wanted to do that," Williams continued, "so one thing I'd say to you guys is, if there's any thoughts that you'd like to become
an astronaut, keep that in the back of your mind, pursue your dreams and whatever other career you might want to have, and eventually it might just happen."
She said many professions are represented among the members of the Astronaut Corps.
Members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (
RARA)
set up the necessary Earth station equipment at the school to make the QSO possible. "We had an excellent ARISS experience at Emma Sherman Elementary School
yesterday," said RARA Education Committee Chairman Pete Fournia, W2SKY, who loaned his call sign for the occasion. "The school took full advantage of this
opportunity making it a very memorable experience for the entire school and a very gratifying experience for the teams that participated," he said.
The youngsters squeezed 16 questions into the nearly 10-minute ISS pass. The ham radio event attracted generous media attention from newspapers and television
stations.
ARISS
is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
AMATEUR RADIO DISASTER WELFARE MESSAGE
table with 8 columns and 2 rows
Number
Precedence
W
HX
Station of Origin
Check
ARL
Place of Origin
Time filed
Date
Message Receipt Or Delivery Information
Operator and Station __________________________
Sent To ____________________________________
Delivered To ________________________________
Date __________________ Time _______________
table end
Telephone Number
(CIRCLE NOT MORE THAN TWO STANDARD TEXTS FROM LIST BELOW)
ARL ONE Everyone safe here. Please don’t worry.
ARL TWO Coming home as soon as possible.
ARL THREE Am in _______________________________________________ hospital. Receiving excellent care and recovering fine.
ARL FOUR Only slight property damage here. Do not be concerned about disaster reports.
ARL FIVE Am moving to new location. Send no further mail or communications. Will inform you of new address when relocated.
ARL SIX Will contact you as soon as possible.
ARL SIXTY FOUR Arrived safety at ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
table with 4 columns and 1 rows
Time
Date
Telephone
Signature
table end
table with 8 columns and 3 rows
T H E A M E R I C A N R A D I O R E L A Y L E A G U E
R A D I O G R A M
VIA AMATEUR RADIO
Number
Precedence
HX
Station of Origin
Check
Place of Origin
Time Filed
Date
This Radio Message Was Received At
Amateur Station ______________ Phone ______________
Name __________________________________________
Street Address ___________________________________
City and State ___________________________________
table end
Telephone Number
table with 11 columns and 5 rows
table end
table with 2 columns and 2 rows
From Date Time
REC’D
To Date Time
SENT
This message was handled free of charge by a licensed Amateur Radio
Operator whose address is shown in the box at right above. As such
messages are handled solely for the pleasure of operating. No com-
pensation can be accepted by a “Ham” operator. A return message may
be filed with the “Ham” delivering this message to you. Further infor-
mation on Amateur Radio may be obtained from A.R.R.L. Headquarters
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111
The American Radio Relay League, Inc., is the national membership society of licensed radio amateurs and the publishers of QST Magazine. One of its functions
is promotion of the public service communications among amateur operators to that end. The League has organized the National Traffic System for daily nationwide
message handling.
table end
FSD-244 (1/04)
Text Box: TO
Text Box: TO
Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) Signal Leakage Analysis Using NEC
Modeling with Experimental Verification
Steve Cerwin
Institute Scientist
Southwest Research Institute
San Antonio, TX 78238
scerwin@swri.org
210-522-2903
Abstract
This paper describes a theoretical and experimental study conducted to assess the ability
of transmission line structures modeled after power lines to contain radio frequency
energy as a guided wave. Proponents of the Broadband-over-Power-Line (BPL) method
of distributing high-speed Internet data have targeted the spectrum from 2 MHz (just
above the AM broadcast band) to 80 MHz (just below the FM broadcast band) for
delivery of wideband data signals to residential and rural neighborhoods using the
overhead power lines as radio frequency transmission lines. This block of spectrum,
while specifically excluding the AM and FM broadcast bands, encompasses the entire HF
and low band VHF spectrum serving all HF over-the-horizon communications, many
VHF land mobile services, and TV channels 2-5. With the exception of strong urban TV
signals, the nature of these types of communications is mostly characterized as weak-
signal work and the interference to these services by unwanted leakage of the wideband
data signals from the power lines would seriously degrade their operation or make them
entirely unusable. The study used the Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC) to model
the radiation patterns and leakage levels of two-wire transmission lines representing
simplified versions of the power line in various geometries. Selected results were verified
experimentally through construction of a 1/60th scale model. At radio frequencies,
transmission lines modeled after power lines were seen to radiate severely because they
are spaced too far apart and have too many characteristics that destroy balanced
operation. Many line geometries were predicted to radiate as much or more power than
that delivered to loads placed directly across the line. The use of these structures to
distribute wideband data signals in frequency bands used for weak-signal radio
communications is technically flawed because of their inability to contain the radio
frequency energy as a guided wave.
Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) Signal Leakage Analysis Using NEC
Modeling with Experimental Verification
list of 1 items
1. Introduction
list end
This article describes a theoretical and experimental study conducted to assess the
potential signal leakage of the Broadband-over-Power-Line (BPL) method of distributing
high-speed Internet data. Proponents of BPL have targeted the spectrum from 2 MHz
(just above the AM broadcast band) to 80 MHz (just below the FM broadcast band) for
delivery of wideband data signals to residential neighborhoods using the overhead power
lines as radio frequency transmission lines. This block of spectrum, while excluding the
AM and FM broadcast bands, encompasses the entire HF and low band VHF spectrum
serving all HF over-the horizon communications, many VHF land mobile services, and
TV channels 2-5. With the exception of strong urban TV signals, the nature of these types
of communications is mostly characterized as weak-signal work and the interference to
these services by unwanted leakage of the wideband data signals from the power lines
would seriously degrade their operation or make them entirely unusable. The line spacing
used in overhead power lines is much larger that that normally considered for use as an
RF transmission line and the power lines contain many features inconsistent with good
transmission line operation. This study was undertaken in an effort to quantify the signal
leakage potential of transmission lines constructed in this manner.
The study used the Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC) to model the radiation
patterns and leakage levels of two-wire transmission lines representing simplified
versions of the power line in various geometries. Variables considered included
frequency, line spacing, the effects of impedance matching, the inclusion of multiple
loads, the effect of the earth, and the effect of unequal wire lengths that occur in curved
or bent lines. All models assumed the power lines were configured for balanced two-
wire operation to achieve the maximum amount of radiation suppression possible. NEC
also was used to predict how much RF energy compared to that delivered to a simulated
BPL subscriber would be coupled to a receiver connected to a resonant dipole antenna
erected parallel to and 30 ft. away from the line models. This spacing is representative of
what might be encountered in a typical residential neighborhood. Selected results from
the simulations were verified experimentally by constructing a 1/60th scale model of a
transmission line and measuring the leakage levels with laboratory equipment.
At radio frequencies, transmission lines modeled after power lines were seen to radiate
severely because they are spaced too far apart and have too many characteristics that
destroy balanced operation. The NEC models showed very poor radiation suppression
under all realistic conditions, resulting in moderate to severe signal leakage. Many line
geometries were predicted to radiate as much or more power than that delivered to loads
placed directly across the line. The study showed that attempting to use transmission line
structures modeled after the power lines at radio frequencies is technically flawed
because of the inability to contain the radio frequency energy as a guided wave.
list of 1 items
2. NEC Models
list end
Several ways can be imagined to configure the overhead power lines for conducting radio
frequency signals. These include driving a single wire against ground or an adjacent
grounded wire, or driving two wires against each other in a balanced mode. This study
considered only the balanced configuration, as this is the only mode recognized as being
capable of significant external field cancellation. The NEC models used in the study are
depicted in Figure 1. The basic structure is that of a two-conductor parallel wire
transmission line with a dipole antenna placed nearby. Configurations that were modeled
included (a) straight lines; (b)“L” shaped lines; (c) “U” shaped lines and (d) lines with
multiple loads. Both free-space and real-ground models were evaluated.
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A voltage source with balanced drive impedances representing the BPL service provider
was placed across the line as a source, and one or more loads representing BPL
subscribers were placed elsewhere along the line. A 50-ohm load placed in the center of
the adjacent dipole simulated a receiver connected to the dipole. To perform the analyses,
the radiation patterns were recorded and the amount of power delivered to the various
loads was computed over frequency and geometry. Variables included the line spacing
and length, frequency, source and termination matching, ground effects, and unequal wire
lengths that occur in curved geometries. This is a simplified version of the reality of BPL
in that the actual power line continues in both directions from the models shown here, has
many “T” connections and other attachments, and contains live loads that consume power
at 60 Hz but present variable impedances at RF that could unbalance the line. The models
therefore could underreport signal leakage.
Text Box: (a)
Text Box: (b)
Text Box: (c)
Text Box: (d)
list of 1 items
3. Power Line Impedance
list end
A call to the local power company revealed that a typical 3-wire residential power line
might use ½-inch diameter conductors and a line spacing of 4 feet between wires. Line
spacing of either 4 or 8 ft. are possible depending on which pair of wires are used to
make the line. A graph of line impedance using ½-inch conductors for spacings from 10-
inches to 100-inches is shown in Figure 2.
The plot for line impedance versus
spacing was created using the
familiar equation
1309
Z = 276 log (2S/d),
where Z = impedance,
S = spacing, and
D = wire diameter.
The impedance is about 440 ohms
at 10-inch spacing and gradually
increases to around 715 ohms at
96-inches (8-ft.). When simulations
were run for different line spacing,
the appropriate source and load
terminations were used to simulate matched conditions.
list of 1 items
4. Interpreting Simulation Results
list end
lation. This load can be
considered as the modem used by the BPL subscriber. Loads 2 and 3 are symmetrical
impedances inserted in series on either side of the source. Each was set to half the line
impedance and represent the BPL service provider. Thus in this case the line was
perfectly balanced and terminated on both ends in exactly its characteristic impedance.
Load 4 is the 50-ohm load placed in the center of the adjacent dipole antenna. When the
program is run, it reports the power delivered to each load, the total applied power, the
total load power, and the load loss.
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The difference between the total applied power and the power absorbed in all load
impedances is the amount of power radiated from the line. This information can be
obtained from the Total Load Loss report. The Total Load Loss figure is given
mathematically by
Load Loss = 10 log (Total Power / (Total Power – Load Power)).
The convention used by this program is to express Load Loss in dB as a positive number
with higher numbers reflecting more power lost in loads connected to an antenna. While
an antenna designer seeks to minimize load loss so as to maximize radiation efficiency,
the transmission line designer seeks just the opposite. A perfectly designed antenna
would radiate all of the applied power and dissipate none whereas a perfectly designed
transmission line would deliver all of the power to the loads and radiate none. The Load
Loss figure gives the same data in either case but for transmission line analysis it is more
appropriate to take the inverse of the ratio (negate the dB value) and call it leakage
radiation. In the above example, the Total Load Loss was 32.03dB, meaning that the total
signal power escaping the line was down only 32.03dB from the source power. Leakage
Radiation thus was –32.03dB referenced total applied power.
The power in Load 4 represents the amount of power delivered to a receiver connected to
the nearby dipole antenna. In most of the analyses it was normalized to the line load
power to simulate how much power is received by a nearby antenna compared to how
much is delivered to a BPL subscriber. The data for the different plots were generated by
performing multiple runs of the program while varying geometry and frequency between
runs. In the single example at 2 MHz shown above, the receiver power was 0.1797
microwatts for a subscriber power of 1.585 milliwatts. Expressed in dB, the power
intercepted by a receiver system 30 feet away is down about 40dB from that delivered to
the subscriber at this frequency. This coupling varies significantly over frequency and for
different line conditions and geometries. Section 11 discusses factors that influence
resulting interference levels in terms of predicted coupling values.
The program will also calculate the external radiation pattern of the structure for each
geometry and frequency. For each pattern, it will report the “slice max gain” which is the
maximum antenna gain expressed in dBi (dB relative to an isotropic radiator). Thus the
total radiated power integrated over all directions, the gain of the structure in the
direction of maximum radiation, and the amount of power delivered to a nearby antenna
in a given geometry can be found.
1956
1957
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
list of 1 items
7. Matched vs. Unmatched Operation
list end
e SWR and line radiation.
1979
1980
1981
list of 1 items
8. Predicted Signal Levels Coupled to a Nearby Antenna
list of 1 items nesting level 1
a. Frequency Effects
list end nesting level 1
list end
The signal level coupled into nearby antennas depends on the antenna type, frequency
and position of the antenna. The frequency dependencies of line leakage have already
been explored; this section adds the frequency dependence of the nearby receive antenna.
For simplicity, we will assume a resonant dipole for the receive antenna cut for the
frequency of operation, erected parallel to and 30-ft. away from the line near one end. For
the transmission line, we will initially consider a “perfect” 500-ft. long line with 4-ft.
spacing, driven and terminated in its characteristic impedance of 630 ohms.
The capture area of a half-wave dipole antenna is roughly an ellipse that is ¾-
wavelenghts long by ¼-wavelength wide. Thus the amount of power a resonant dipole
will collect from a passing radio wave scales with wavelength-squared, or as the inverse
square of frequency (this is the mechanism responsible for the 20log(f) term in a link
equation). What this means for BPL is that the inverse frequency dependence of the
receive antenna tends to compensate for the frequency dependent line leakage. Therefore
the signal injected into the receive antenna tends to remain more constant over the 20-80
MHz BPL band and interference potential remains high even at low frequencies because
of the increased capture area of the receive antenna. Nearfield effects and mutual
coupling are additional factors that influence the amount of power leaked from the line
into the nearby antenna. At the low frequency end, they cannot be ignored because the
spacing is close compared to a wavelength. At the high frequency end, the receive
antenna exhibits more farfield-like behavior for the fixed standoff distance.
NEC takes all into account automatically through the method-of-moments calculation
process, so all that is necessary to perform a frequency sweep of leakage radiation into a
nearby dipole antenna is to set the
antenna to the correct length for each
frequency. This is found using the
familiar relationship
2342
Lfeet = 468/fMHz.
Figure 10 shows the results of NEC
simulations for 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80
MHz for a dipole positioned near one
end of the line. The signal power
coupled into the dipole load (Load 4 in
Figure 3) was calculated and then
normalized to the power level delivered
to the line load (Load 1 in Figure 3). The
spread of signal strengths over the entire band has been compressed to only 12 dB
because of the frequency dependent capture area of the receive dipole. From 20-80 MHz,
the coupling is virtually flat with frequency.
list of 1 items
b. Coupling to a Nearby Dipole for a Straight, Perfectly Balanced, and Impedance Matched Line in Free Space
list end
This simulation with experimental validation examines leakage characteristics of a
perfect line with 4-ft. spacing at 10MHz. At this frequency, the line spacing is .04
wavelengths – less than half of the commonly accepted cutoff for spacing. Therefore
good suppression of radiation is expected. It is the intent of this section to establish how
well a straight power line under ideal conditions might act as an RF transmission line to
set a lower limit on leakage.
Figure 11 shows the NEC predicted
coupling at 10 MHz to a dipole
antenna erected 30-ft. away from and
parallel to a 500-ft. long line. For
each successive simulation point on
the graph the dipole position was
moved along the line in ¼-
wavelength increments at a constant
30-ft. stand-off distance. Maximum
coupling was observed to occur
when the dipole was centered over
either the source or load end of the
line (they were virtually equal in
response). At these positions, the
signal level coupled into a receiver connected to the dipole was down approximately
35dB from that delivered to the load. The coupling was predicted to drop sharply in
amplitude as the dipole moved 100-ft or so from either end towards the interior. Cyclic
undulations from interference effects were noted near the center of the line where the
coupled signal dipped to levels as much as 40 dB weaker than at the ends. As the position
of the dipole continued beyond the end of the line, the coupled signal dropped at about
the same rate as towards the interior, but without the interference effects.
2743
This model depicts perfect line conditions. There is only one impedance matched source
and load with nothing between them but perfectly balanced straight transmission line.
This is important because the sharp drop in coupling in the center of the line turns out to
be impossible to achieve under more realistic settings.
lations.
2799
2800
Figure 14 shows the
theoretical coupling
levels and three
experimental
measurement runs.
Within 10-15% of the
line ends, the measured
coupling levels agreed
very closely with the
predicted values,
validating the
simulations. The
transformer center tap
was left open for the
run labeled Bench 1 and
grounded for the runs
labeled Bench 2 and
Over Ground.
2860
It was not possible to achieve the lowered coupling levels predicted for the interior part
of the line. At least two explanations are possible. One is that the balun transformer used
to drive the line did not have sufficient longitudinal balance to achieve a high degree of
field cancellation, even though it was rated and specified for use at this frequency.
Another is that reflections of the higher radiation present on the line ends within the room
dominated the measurements (an anechoic chamber was not available for the
measurements). Although coupled signal levels as low as those shown in the Theoretical
plot are mathematically possible in the interior of a long simple line, they could not be
achieved in the lab.
The actual line geometry on the street will be far more complex than a simple straight
line with a single matched source on one end and a matched load on the other. To be
practical, BPL must deliver signal to multiple subscribers, and the power line must
additionally provide all of the normal power related functions for multiple residences. As
shown in the next sections, more realistic geometries and unavoidable imbalances and
impedance mismatches increase the predicted leakage dramatically, making the low
leakage values associated with a simple straight line unavailable.
list of 1 items
9. The Effect of Multiple Loads
list end
currents flowing in opposite directions on the line caused a null.
3101
3102
3103
list of 1 items
10. The Effects of Unequal Conductor Lengths in the Line
list end
The studies in this section show that the radiation suppression ability of a two-wire
transmission line is particularly sensitive to unequal conductor lengths in the line. This
occurs unavoidably when a line parallel to the ground makes a “flat” bend or curves
around an arc. The wire on the outside of the arc has to travel farther than the inside wire,
resulting in unequal wire lengths. For circular arcs the difference in the wire lengths is
Delta Length = 2 * PI * Wire Spacing * Fraction of a full circle described by the arc.
With the 4-ft. spacing considered in these analyses, a 90-degree arc results in a difference
in line length of just over 6-ft, and a 180-degree arc produces a line length delta of over
12-ft. Power lines make turns in piecewise-linear fashion, making straight runs between
supports positioned around a curved path. This always results in greater differences in the
wire lengths. Using the same examples, a 90-degree square corner produces a delta L of
twice the spacing (8-ft.), and a 180-turn consisting of two square corners produces a delta
L of four times the line spacing (16-ft.). This amount of wire length difference is of no
consequence at the power line design frequency of 60Hz, but it has profound implications
at radio frequencies. The fact that the delta-L may be a small percentage of the overall
line length does not help because it is the magnitude of the length mismatch compared to
the fixed RF wavelength at a given frequency that matters.
Three examples of transmission lines that bend around corners are presented below: two
embodiments of an “L” shaped line and a “U” shaped line that steps around a semicircle.
The effects of multiple loads and mismatched source impedance also are included.
Whereas the previous examples of a perfectly matched and balanced straight line defined
the low end of line leakage, these examples tend to show how bad leakage can get. The
combined effects of unequal wire lengths and impedance mismatches were observed to
destroy the ability of these structures to act as transmission lines very rapidly as a
function of frequency.
The L geometry depicted in the model is not always seen on the street. In some
installations the lines intersect at different elevations on a power pole and the individual
wires are spliced with jumpers. Therefore this model may not apply directly everywhere.
But the L geometry nonetheless serves as a convenient model to generate and show the
effects of wire length mismatch. Other common sources of unequal conductor lengths
that occur on the streets are uneven amounts of sag in the wires between supports and
unequal lengths of wire used in splices or connecting hardware.
with those of an antenna.
3606
3607
part of the line by 20dB.
3615
3616
st lost to radiation.
3622
3623
3624
list of 1 items
11. Factors Affecting Interference Levels in Nearby Receiver Systems
list end
The factors affecting interference levels to receivers with antennas nearby a BPL
equipped power line are complex and require consideration of:
list of 8 items
Line geometry
Relative location of the receive antenna
Power line environment
Standing wave ratio
BPL drive level
BPL spectral distribution
Receiver operating frequency
Effective receiver bandwidth
list end
Some parameters are unknown or unknowable, making actual interference projections on
the street impossible unless untenable assumptions are made. This section will discuss the
factors that affect interference levels.
list of 1 items
a. Line geometry.
list end
Several line geometries have been explored and documented. Clearly line geometry can
have large effects on leakage and line geometries that result in unequal wire lengths in
the transmission line have a particularly negative effect on external field cancellation.
list of 1 items
b. Relative location of the receive antenna.
list end
Antenna orientation, standoff distance, and location relative to line discontinuities such as
line ends and turns strongly affect coupling. At the higher frequencies large changes in
coupling can occur over small changes in position due to short wavelengths and
interference effects. The calculated coupling levels presented in earlier sections assumed
a simple dipole antenna at a 30-ft. standoff distance parallel to a section of the line.
Antennas closer will receive more signal, antennas farther away will receive less.
list of 1 items
c. Power line environment.
list end
Largely unexplored in this study but of potentially high significance are intended or
incidental loads connected to the wires that are asymmetric with respect to ground.
Asymmetric loading will cause a current imbalance between the two wires. Because
external field cancellation in a two-wire transmission line relies exclusively on equal and
opposite contributions of the fields surrounding each wire, such imbalances will cause
leakage to increase rapidly. Particularly troublesome are lines that use a grounded neutral
wire and hot wires that see different live loads. Isolating these effects with clamp-on
chokes is possible but may prove troublesome because the ferrite material used to make
the isolators can saturate or change permeability with high 60Hz currents. If ferrite
chokes are in fact used, the nonlinear effects resulting from 60Hz current effects could
generate harmonics and intermodulation products, scattering energy above and below the
limits of the band.
Unlike coaxial cable, open wire transmission lines have no shielding effectiveness and
are sensitive to their surroundings out to several wire spacings. Nearby wires, attaching
hardware, parasitic capacitances, trees, and variable ground conditions can also upset line
balance. Because these variables are unknown and highly variable, their effects are
difficult to predict. However, their inescapable presence in the real world will certainly
have an adverse effect on line balance with a corresponding increase in radiation.
list of 1 items
d. Standing wave ratio.
list end
Impedance mismatches have been shown to increase SWR and line radiation. The
requirements to overcome high noise levels and deliver power to multiple loads suggests
BPL source impedance must be set significantly lower than the line impedance, creating a
mismatch. Multiple loads placed along a constant impedance line create impedance
discontinuities, also generating unavoidable standing waves. Power line components such
as insulators, splices, and transformers create additional impedance discontinuities
leading to more reflections. These factors suggest that BPL operation most probably will
be operated under high SWR conditions. The only sources of impedance mismatch
modeled in this study were low source impedance and the presence of multiple loads.
list of 1 items
e. BPL drive level.
list end
This parameter has not been made public. It may be fixed or adaptive in the manner of
cellular telephones. A level of one milliwatt (0dBm) is commonly used for telephone
modems and is the standard for many other communications systems so it may serve as a
point of reference. This is speculation as the level could be lower or much higher if high
noise levels present on the line or high radiation losses must be overcome. Power lines
are inherently noisy from insulator arcing and loose hardware connections. Additional
noise will result from external signal ingress since the leaky transmission line represented
by power lines is just as leaky for inbound signals as outbound. Whether BPL operation
can overcome ingress without increasing drive levels is unknown.
list of 1 items
f. BPL spectral distribution.
list end
This parameter is critical and can significantly impact the interference potential of BPL.
If the BPL signal contains a clock, bit rate, or data carrier that favors a particular
frequency band, then obviously that band will radiate more than others. But modern data
transfer systems tend to use spreading methods so as to use every cycle of bandwidth in
the allotted band. Minimum power density at any given frequency occurs if the BPL
signal is uniformly distributed over the whole 2-80MHz band. However, maintaining
uniform frequency distribution in the presence of frequency dependent line losses may
prove difficult.
list of 1 items
g. Receiver operating frequency.
list end
The frequency effects of line leakage have been explored and indicate line leakage
increases with frequency. But whereas leakage radiation from the line increases with
frequency, the capture area of a nearby resonant receive antenna decreases. This effect
was seen to largely compensate for the frequency dependencies of the line, significantly
normalizing interference potential over frequency for most line geometries. But some
imbalance mechanisms such as unequal conductor lengths were observed to significantly
accelerate line radiation with frequency, so flat frequency response may not always exist.
list of 1 items
h. Effective receiver bandwidth.
list end
If the BPL signal is uniformly distributed over frequency, the amount of power delivered
to a nearby receiver system is set by the acceptance bandwidth of the receiver. The total
amount of signal available in a given band is then the total amount of power available
multiplied by the ratio of the bandwidths. Thus a television receiver on Ch 5 with 6MHz
of bandwidth will receive more BPL signal power than a 10kHz wide AM receiver in the
HF broadcast band, which in turn will receive more signal than a 3kHz wide SSB HF
communications receiver. The coupling levels previously identified to a nearby resonant
dipole antenna can be converted to signal strength in a receiver by application of the
bandwidth ratio expressed in dB. For a TV receiver the factor is –11.1dB, for an AM
receiver the factor is –38.9dB, and for an SSB receiver the factor is –44.1dB. These
factors are valid only if the source energy is truly white over the 2-80MHz band.
list of 1 items
12. Power Lines As Radio Frequency Transmission Lines
list end
This study has shown that transmission lines modeled after power line geometries have
poor characteristics from the standpoint of signal containment and the ability to
efficiently deliver power to connected loads over the proposed frequency band. The
following observations were made during the course of the study:
list of 7 items
a. In a two-wire transmission line, radiation is suppressed by a delicate balance in the external superposition of fields from each of the two conductors
of the line. External cancellation of equal and opposite fields relies on the signals on the two wires being of opposite sign, equal in amplitude, and
physically close together in terms of wavelength.
b. High levels of radiation suppression can be achieved only if the wires are very close together in terms of wavelength and carry carefully balanced signals.
The wire spacing used in overhead power lines is inappropriately large for use at radio frequencies.
c. As line spacing increases and external cancellation degrades, radiation escapes in multi-lobed patterns similar to those of long wire antennas.
d. Line radiation has been shown to increase very rapidly with an imbalance in current distribution, unequal impedance to ground, or unequal lengths in
the wires comprising the line.
e. For a long two-wire transmission line with a source and one or more loads, there will be significantly more radiation from the ends (even if properly
impedance matched) than from the interior part of the line. It does not matter whether the source is on one end or the interior of the line.
f. Line radiation has been shown to increase if standing waves are formed on the line. Splices, T-connections, open ends, and multiple source and load connections
all constitute impedance reflections leading to the formation of standing waves.
g. Line radiation has been shown to increase dramatically if the lengths of the two wires defining the line are not exactly the same length. A two-wire
line that curves or bends in-plane will necessarily have unequal wire lengths and leak significantly more radiation than a perfectly straight line. Another
cause of unequal wire length is an unequal amount of sag in the wires between the supports. This effect quickly accelerates line radiation with frequency.
list end
NEC transmission line models patterned after overhead power lines have been shown to
radiate severely under anything less than perfect conditions over the proposed radio
frequency band. For use at radio frequencies, transmission lines modeled after power
lines are spaced too far apart and have too many characteristics that destroy balanced
operation. Using these structures to distribute wideband data signals is technically flawed
because of their inability to contain the radio frequency energy as a guided wave.
Amateur Radio—A Powerful
Voice in Education
ARRL members have contributed more than $205,000
to fund the Amateur Radio Education & Technology
Program to inspire a new generation of radio amateurs.
T
T
he Education & Technology Program
was born in 2000 as means
to use Amateur Radio to meet two
of America’s challenges: (1) to improve
the educational experience by enticing
students to greater participation in
science, math, language arts and social
studies, and (2) to create a skilled technological
workforce for the future. Of
course, another goal of the program is to
ensure the growth of Amateur Radio by
introducing the service and its traditions
to a new generation.
The goal is to have 300 schools participating
in the program by 2006. This
is a $1,000,000 multiphase program
based on partnerships between educators
and radio amateurs as mentors in classrooms,
enrichment programs and afterschool
activities. Major contributions
totaling nearly $140,000 in 2000 and 2001
from a few extraordinary individuals also
helped make this dream a reality: The
Brandenburg Life Foundation; Kay
Craigie, WT3P; Carter Craigie, N3AO;
Walter Craigie; Jim Dicso, K2SZ; Bob
Heil, K9EID (of Heil Sound); Robert
Lees, W3ZQN; Robert Schuetz, W2BDG,
and seed grants from the ARRL Foundation
and the Gryphon Fund. In 2002,
nearly 3500 ARRL members have contributed
more than $205,000 to the program,
bringing the total funding to $345,000.
How Does the Program Work?
The Amateur Radio Education & Technology
Program is composed of a powerful
partnership of schools, educators and
ham mentors who bring Amateur Radio
to life in middle schools in a variety of
educational scenarios. This is done at no
cost to the teachers.
The ARRL designed the six vital components:
•
Outreach to the educational commu
nity. This involves introducing teachers to
the Amateur Radio Education & Technology
Program through educational conferences
such as those sponsored by the
National Science Teachers Association
(NSTA), National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM) and the International
Technology Education Association
(ITEA). Outreach also involves local volunteers
presenting information at local,
state and regional educational conferences.
•
The Classroom Bookshelf, a resource library, includes 18 selected ARRL publications to assist teachers in providing information to their students. It includes
technical manuals, educational materials, licensing manuals and a novel about Amateur Radio adventures for young people. To encourage the formation of
a partnership between the schools and a local Amateur Radio club, we ask a local clubs to purchase the classroom bookshelf for the schools. The books are
discounted so the school receives over $300 worth of materials for a flat cost to the club of $200.
•
The On-Line Sourcebook is a Web site with information and ideas valuable to teachers and others interested in working
with youth. On the Web site, teachers will
find educational materials and activities,
ideas for recruiting youth, information on
grants, scholarships, awards and certificates.
They will also find information on
registering their school to talk to the
astronauts on the International Space Station.
The information is organized and presented
on the ARRLWeb (www.arrl.org/
ead and www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/
teacher), so teachers and others who work
with young people can access it at no cost.
•
Progress Grants, with a limit of $500 are made available to schools already offering Amateur Radio to their students. The purpose of the Progress Grant
is to give financial assistance to teachers for upkeep and maintenance of their school station, upgrading software or for purchasing various supplies and
consumables that often become out-of-pocket expenses for teachers.
•
The Radio Lab Handbook is a practical handbook for classroom teachers that acts as a guide for bringing Amateur Radio and/or shortwave listening into their
students’ experience. In an easily updateable format, the Radio Lab Handbook includes information, guidelines, resources and a middle school level curriculum
with text, lesson plans and activities. It also includes information on safety, suggestions for laying out a school station and suggested adaptations for
students with physical disabilities. This handbook was developed by a group of teachers from around the US.
•
With the Stations In Schools component the ARRL is not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. As part of the Education & Technology Program, each
Pilot School receives a complete Amateur Radio station, including transceiver, power supply, antenna, coax and connectors—at no cost to the school.
52 December 2002
Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program in Full Swing
Iowa Street School
PHIL LEONELLI, WF6L
Fallbrook, California
Teacher: Phil Leonelli, WF6L
The ARRL Amateur Radio Education &
Technology Program has literally opened up a
“new world” for my students and me. Iowa
Street School’s selection as a pilot school has
not only allowed us to achieve our goal of
starting a ham radio club but exceed it! We
have received a tremendous amount of support
from our school population (including our
Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
Office that had our two 36 foot masts installed),
the Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club
and the Palomar Amateur Radio Club. The
“Earth” station that was sent from the ARRL
really excited our students. They love to “show
off” what they know about our new antennas.
mc-ref
Iowa Street School provides a ham
radio enrichment program for home
school students.
DeGolyer Elementary School, Dallas, Texas, ARRL PHOTO
Teacher: Sanlyn Kent, KD5LXO
At DeGolyer we had a “ham” burger cookout to
kick off the second phase of our program. We now
have over 30 licensed hams (two teachers, three
parents and the rest students) and our goal this year
is to explore all the different ways we can use and
enjoy ham radio. Among our plans, a DX overnight in
the school gym, a trip to the IMAX theater to see the
movie Space Station, hopefully a contact with the
ISS, a tour of Channel 4 given by the weather man
(who is also a new ham), and a session to design
and print everyone’s individual QSL cards. Most of
our students have ICOM handhelds with 2-meter
antennas installed on their roof, and we are in the
process of getting our own repeater so we can have
our own net twice a week without bothering the old
hams. Also we plan to help out the experienced hams on some of the marathons this
year. Oh, and the students are dying to start organizing our own fox hunts.
JIM KUHL, N2STK
Central Square Middle School
Central Square, New York
Teacher: Jim Kuhl, N2STK
Students at Central Square Middle
School (CSMS) in Central Square,
New York (packet station N2STK)
recently exchanged call signs in a
QSO with Martin, XE2ML, in Durango,
Mexico using the digipeater aboard
the International Space Station. The
distance between the two stations is
approximately 2095 miles! Mike and
Amanda of CSMS (see photo) think
that’s pretty good range for VHF.
Franklin Elementary School
Kirkland, Washington
Teacher: Dave Condon, KI7YP
Last year, we licensed over 30
students here at Franklin Elementary
School. Many of our graduates have
moved on to Rose Hill Junior High School,
which also has an Amateur Radio station,
including packet radio. This year we have
75, 4th graders under study. Thanks to
AA7UJ’s donated repeater, we now have
our own repeater which will provide
Seattle wide coverage for kids to use and
will offer an open autopatch as well.
The AA7UJ site will be a kids’ radio site.
mc-ref
DeGolyer student and Amateur
Radio club member Nick,
KD5OJB, at the microphone of
the newly equipped K5DES.
mc-ref
Central Square Middle School
students worked the digipeater station
on the International Space Station.
Richwood High School
Monroe, Louisiana
Teacher: Don Wheeler, KD5MWL
As a promoter of unique science
projects, it was a great thrill and honor
to become a part of the Amateur Radio
Education & Technology Program
family. Our equipment arrived only a
few weeks before school ended; however,
it did not stop the enthusiasm of
the students. After a quick lesson on
etiquette, a few students made their
first 2-meter contact. What a thrill it
was for all of us. This project has my
utmost recommendation as a science
tool. The program will positively touch
many students in the years to come.
The latest activity for Richwood
High School hams was participating in
the SET exercises in Monroe, Louisiana
this fall. As part of the school’s
radio club activities, students have
become regular participants in the
SKYWARN network in Monroe.
DON WHEELER, KD5MWL
mc-ref
SKYWARN is an important part of
Amateur Radio at Richwood High
School. This year students
participated in SET exercises.
DAVE CONDON, KI7YP
mc-ref
Franklin Elementary School has 75 fourth graders studying for their Technician licenses.
C-4 Columbus North High School, Columbus, Indiana
Teacher: Mike Riley, N9LTT
The Amateur Radio program is in full swing here at C-4. Since we
got a late start with this I am only offering it to the seniors in my electronics
class this year. Next year we plan to expand it to all students
in electronics as well as some of the technology and communication
classes.
Currently I have six seniors who are helping me set up the station
and studying the material to get their licenses. All six are learning
Morse code and really enjoy it. I talked with our assistant principal,
(who, by the way is interested in getting his ticket also) and he has
offered to pay to have a 60-foot tower installed to put our antennas
on. Wow!
This is a great opportunity for students here and I thank the ARRL
and all the sponsors of the Amateur Radio Education & Technology
Program for donating the equipment. We are putting it to good use.
mc-ref
C-4 Columbus North High School students assemble
the antenna system they received as a result of being
selected a program Pilot School.
Once selected, schools were offered a
series of equipment packages consisting of
a transceiver, power supply, antennas, coax
and even connectors. The schools were
encouraged to choose the equipment package
they feel would best help them meet
their program objectives.
Where Do We Stand?
As mentioned above, there are 18 Pilot
Schools and another 8 schools that have
received Progress Grants, giving a total of
26 Amateur Radio Education & Technology
Program schools. The first group of
seven Pilot Schools received their equipment
in January 2002. The second group
of 11 Pilot Schools received their equipment
in May, just before the end of the
school year. Progress Grants were distributed
at the same time, giving all the
schools their materials in time to prepare
for the 2002-2003 school year.
Where are the Amateur Radio
Education & Technology Program
Schools?
As you can see from the sidebars, the
schools are well distributed throughout the
country. These schools have already received
a technical library, the draft curriculum
and a complete Amateur Radio station.
They are now providing instruction in
wireless communication to their students.
Schools are using one of three delivery
systems for the program: as a full curriculum,
an in-school enrichment program or
an after-school enrichment program. The
schools are as diverse as the areas of the
country in which they are located. They
represent the full spectrum of social economic
levels and cultures. Elementary,
middle and high schools are participating
in the project. Some are public, some are
private, some are in cities, some in the suburbs
and others, like Stenhekin School in
Washington State, are in remote areas with
no roads. The common thread that binds
them together is the commitment to use
Amateur Radio as an educational resource
in their schools.
Some schools have been using Amateur
Radio as an educational tool for years. For
these schools the program offers assistance
in the form of Progress Grants. These
grants were used to upgrade equipment,
maintain the schools existing equipment,
purchase license manuals and other wireless
communication publications, as well
as to purchase coax and antennas.
How Do I Approach a School about
Offering Amateur Radio?
Starting an Amateur Radio class or
club at a school is usually not a top-down
decision. It usually begins with a teacher
within the school deciding to share his or
her hobby with students. To succeed in
convincing a school to implement an Amateur
Radio program, find a local teacher
and excite them about Amateur Radio.
Share the joy—it’s contagious!
Remember that the teachers do not have
to be hams. Non-licensed teachers can offer
Amateur Radio as an enrichment program.
These enrichment programs can be
offered during the school day by individual
teachers or as an after-school program.
This requires licensed volunteers from the
community coming into the school several
times per week to teach the class. A
teacher within the school usually sponsors
the program and supervises the volunteers.
This is where a club can play a key role.
You need your best members, your most
articulate speakers, to make Amateur
Radio come alive for the students.
What’s Next?
Applications for new Amateur Radio
Education & Technology Program schools
for the initial phase of 2003 funding were
submitted to the selection committee on
November 1. The committee will make their
selections and the schools will be notified
in December, and by January there will be
additional Pilot Schools to join the group.
They will receive their equipment and be
encouraged to join the activities already
underway at the other Amateur Radio Education
& Technology Program schools.
All participating schools will be testing
the curriculum during the 2002-2003
school year. Through this process, teachers
will be participating in the curriculum
development by reviewing the text,
lesson plans, activities and projects, making
recommendation for change, deleting
items and adding others. The final curriculum
will be ready for distribution for
the 2003-2004 school year to all participating
schools and will also be posted on
the ARRL Amateur Radio Education &
Technology Program Web site www.
arrl.org/FandES/tbp.
The ARRL would like to expand the
program up to a total of 100 schools for
the 2003-2004 school year. Mary Hobart,
K1MMH, ARRL Chief Development Officer,
has been working tirelessly, seeking
ARRL member donations and
foun-dation grants to fund this expansion.
With additional funding, it is hoped to
expand the Amateur Radio Education &
Technology Program to 300 schools nationwide
by the year 2006.
Still in its infancy, this program is a
bold step forward with its goal of improving
the quality of education by providing
an educationally sound curriculum focused
on wireless communications, emphasizing
integration of technology,
math, science, geography, writing, speaking
and social responsibility within a global
society.
The Amateur Radio Education &
Technology Program will build a firm
foundation for the future of Amateur Radio.
By inspiring the next generation and
helping to improve all aspects of education,
Amateur Radio is making a significant
and lasting impact.
Jerry Hill, KH6HU, came out of retirement
from the Hawaii school system to
help launch the Amateur Radio Education
& Technology Program. He can be
reached at kh6hu@arrl.org. For information
on how your school can become
involved in The Big Project, go to
www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp.
54 December 2002
Digital Voice Update
Doug Smith, KF6DX, ARRL Digital Voice Working Group
July 9, 2003
Experimentation with digital voice in Amateur Radio continues to develop along
at least two fronts: Thales' SkyWave, a proprietary system that uses a sound card and a
PC; and stand-alone systems that use the AMBE-2020 voice codec.
The Thales software is still in its alpha testing phases but progress has been made
on distribution arrangements. Tentative agreement has been reached to make copies
available to Digital Voice Working Group members for beta testing. The distribution
would possibly include source code for the user interface. The modem and voice codec
are proprietary and source code would not be available. Thales and QEX published an
article with some details of the system early this year.1
Plans are being discussed to release the software in September 2003. Licensing
and intellectual-property issues remain.
Our friends at AOR Japan have generated a document that details the protocols
and formats used in their ARD9800 digital voice system. That document has been passed
to Dennis Silage, K3DS, at Temple University, where a team of students is pursuing a
compatible system. Each team is trying to maintain mutual compatibility and also
backward compatibility with the original AMBE-based system of member Charles Brain,
G4GUO. The specification is attached as an Appendix.
The AMBE-2020 and Thales systems cannot intercommunicate and no
nonproprietary digital voice-coding scheme has been uncovered by our Group. The
future of digital voice may lie mainly in multimedia modes-- that is, in simultaneous
voice, data and video. The Group will be interested to see the reports of the ad hoc
ARRL committee assigned to study high-speed HF data modes and that of the High-
Speed Multimedia Working Group.
Regulatory issues regarding simultaneous digital voice, data and video on HF
have not been adequately addressed. Regulations in countries such as Japan, the UK and
the USA differ by a wide margin and in many cases, they are ambiguous or speak nothing
to the issue. Digital voice per se is unaffected by that; but without simultaneous data,
video or file-transfer capabilities, further development will be held back in my view.
Respectfully,
Doug Smith, KF6DX
Reference:
1.
Cédric Demeure and Pierre-André Laurent, "International Digital Audio Broadcasting Standards: Voice Coding and Amateur Radio Applications," QEX, Jan/Feb
2003.
Appendix: ARD9800 Protocol
De AOR Japan:
1.
Digital Voice Format
1-1 General Description
The voice waveform is sampled at 8 kbps and processed through an AMBE vocoder.
It compresses the voice data stream into 72 bits for every 20-msec symbol. This is
equivalent to a 3600 bps rate. At that rate, 2400 bps is plain voice information and 1200
bps is parity information for error correction as FEC. This format is determined by the
AMBE vocoder chip.
The 72 bits feed the OFDM data frame. In this OFDM scheme, voice information is
carried by 36 orthogonal tones. Each carrier is modulated by DQPSK. The OFDM
packet structure is very simple. Before the voice packet, it has a three-tone header. This
preamble makes it possible to capture the correct symbol timing and to compensate for
any frequency offset caused by SSB tuning.
After a one-second header burst, we have a 72-bit reference vector symbol. Each
carrier is modulated by DPSK; so the receiver must have the initial phase information as
a reference. Followed by the reference comes a 4-symbol voice packet start marker.
Receivers detect the initial timing of each voice packet by matching unique 4x72 bits
pseudo-noise (PN) codes. When the unit detects PTT has been pushed, the MODEM
generates 72-bit voice packets from vocoder.
After the MODEM detects that PTT has been released, it must send an 8-symbol
closing code. The receiver can terminate voice packet decoding by detecting this end
marker. This is also a unique PN code but it is just an inverted copy of the start marker
code.
In each 20-msec frame, a 4-msec guard interval is inserted that protects against
degradation from multi-path fading. The guard interval is just added to the start of each
16-msec voice frame.
Reference Vector
Fig 1 Voice Packet Start marker End marker
3 tones Header 72bits Voice symbols
Fig 2 OFDM symbol Copy
Guard interval
OFDM signal
4msec
16msec
1-2 AMBE(Advanced Multi-Band Excitation)
AMBE was developed by DVSI. If you want to implement this protocol into your
system, you need to use the AMBE chip supplied by DVSI or you have to make a license
agreement with DVSI. DVSI have not released detailed information about their AMBE
frame.
There are many possible types of output format from the AMBE chip. In this
protocol, a 3600-bps data frame has to be selected. This includes 2400 bps plain voice
data and 1200 bps parity data. Error control is a part of AMBE. For the AMBE2020 chip,
the parameters you have to set are as follow:
Fig 3 AMBE2020 parameters
table with 3 columns and 8 rows
1
.$13EC
Frame head marker
2
00000000000000002 ********------------- ------------*------------Lo -----------------------*CN
(Depends on your system) Power control: normal operation st Frame is used former dataI Disable
3
$1030 Ra
te information 1 2400/1200
4
$4000 Bl
ock Coding
5
$0000 Ra
te information 2
6
$0000 Ra
te information 3 Block Code
7
$0048 R
ate Information 4
AMBE compresses 8-kbps-sa
mpled digital voice into a 72 bits/20 msec data stream.
table end
The parity data are included in 72-bit frame. The OFDM modulator has to synchronize its
symbol timing with the 20-msec voice frame of AMBE chip.
1-3 Three Tones Header
HF communication has been done by SSB in ham radio for a long time now. With
analog voice, mistuning causes incorrect pitch in a receiver; but a little bit is acceptable.
In the OFDM scheme, error rate is very sensitive to frequency offset. Without automatic
compensation, it would be impossible to make digital communications by OFDM through
an HF channel.
An OFDM receiver has to be locked to the symbol timing of the transmitter.
Synchronization by detection of the convolution peak of the guard interval is possible;
but it is too weak to get the correct phase. On the other hand, autocorrelation of the
header provides fast lockup.
For that reason, the digital voice packet has a three-tone preamble. The original idea
was the G4GUO modem. From a compensation point of view, a single tone is enough to
send as preamble; but it is not enough for frequency-selective fading. Even if a receiver
were unable to detect one of three tones, it can detect and compensate the signal using the
other two tones. Consider frequencies as follow:
Tone 1 62.5Hz x 8 = 500 Hz
Tone 2 62.5Hz x 16 = 1000 Hz
Tone 3 62.5Hz x 24 = 1500 Hz
In this OFDM mode, carrier spacing is 62.5 Hz so that header can also be generated by
the same signal processing as another OFDM voice frame. This means the three tones are
also orthogonal (mutually exclusive).
The header frame has the 20-msec symbol structure shown in Fig 2. The phase
of each tone is inverted every 20-msec symbol. This is equivalent to a 1,0,1,0… data
stream modulated by BPSK on each tone. Modulated tones are added as in Fig 4's
waveform.
Fig 4 Three-tone header waveform
1-4 OFDM carriers and IFFT
This OFDM symbol has to be synchronized with 20-msec frame of the vocoder. The
digital voice sampling rate is 8 kHz. OFDM modulation is managed by a 128-point
inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). That means that 128 samples of voice data are feed
to IFFT processing. A 4-msec guard interval is inserted into each OFDM symbol. Basic
parameters of the IFFT are as follow:
8 kHz = 125 usec. digital voice sampling rate
125 usec x 128 = 16 msec IFFT output
125 usec x 32= 4 msec guard interval
125 usec x 160= 20 msec total OFDM symbol
8 kHz /128 = 62.5 Hz carrier spacing
The output signal has to be real so that 64 carriers can be used for this modem.
An HF radio can send signals from around 300 Hz to 2.6 kHz. Only 36 carriers are
selected for this modem.
62.5
Hz x 5 = 312.5 Hz lowest carrier
62.5
Hz x (5+35) = 2,500 Hz highest carrier
1-5 OFDM modulation
36 carriers are modulated by the differential QPSK. At first, each 72-bit AMBE
frame is formatted into 36 symbols/2-bits pair.
Fig 5 Formatting 36 symbols
MSB 72bits AMBE frame LSB
table with 10 columns and 2 rows
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A
6
A71 A72
table end
36symbols for 36 carriers
A1 A3 A5
A71 U axis (Real part)
A2 A4 A6
A72 V axis (Imaginary part)
table with 11 columns and 2 rows
Each symbol is Gray coded.
Fig 6 Gray code A2n-1 (U) A2 n (V)
0 0
0 1
1 0
1 1
Gray code
Uj Vj
0 0
0 1
1 1
1 0
table end
Symbols are modulated by the differential QPSK.
Fig 7 DQPSK modulation
table with 5 columns and 3 rows
Uj Vj
0 0
0 1
1 1
1 0
Phase Change
0
+90
-90
+180
table end
Im Im
Re
Last Symbol Current Symbol
Fig 8 IFFT
1-6 Reference Vector
In this OFDM scheme, each carrier is modulated by differential QPSK so that
receiver must know the last phase position to calculate the current phase change. Just
after the three-tone header, the receiver cannot have the most-recent phase information of
the transmitter. So each OFDM packet has the reference vector at the end of header. It
would be acceptable to set any vector as the reference; but for convenience, an example is
shown as follows:
MSB LSB
.$F5,$5F,$5F,$F5,$F5,$5F,$5F,$F5,$5F
1-7 Start Marker Code
The OFDM signal is pseudo-random colored noise so it is hard to identify the signal
as OFDM or just noise at the receiver end. After the reference vector, four symbols are
inserted into each OFDM voice packet. 4x72 bits are a unique PN code. They are
modulated by the normal 36 tones of OFDM instead of the 72-bit AMBE voice frame.
Fig 8 Start Marker Code
MSB LSB
table with 11 columns and 4 rows
$65
$10
$F8
$12
$19
$71
$5A
$D1
$06
Symbol1
$26
$BB
$C1
$FB
$79
$A3
$A9
$4
B
$BE
Symbol2
$60
$00
$65
$10
$F8
$12
$19
$71
$5A
Symbol3
$D1
$06
$26
$BB
$C1
$FB
$79
$A
3
$A9
Symbol4
table end
1-8 End Marker Code
To close each OFDM voice packet, the end marker code is added at the end of each
voice frame. Eight symbols are inserted into the voice packet after the modem detects
PTT is released. The code is a unique PN code but it is just an inverted copy of the start
maker code.
Fig 9 Start Marker Code
MSB LSB
table with 11 columns and 8 rows
$9A
$EF
$07
$ED
$E6
$8E
$A5
$2E
$F9
Symbol1
$D9
$44
$3E
$04
$86
$5C
$56
$B4
$41
Symbol2
$9F
$FF
$9A
$EF
$07
$ED
$E6
$8E
$A5
Symbol3
$2E
$F9
$D9
$44
$3E
$04
$86
$5C
$56
Symbol4
$9A
$EF
$07
$ED
$E6
$8E
$A5
$2E
$F9
Symbol5
$D9
$44
$3E
$04
$86
$5C
$56
$B4
$41
Symbol6
$9F
$FF
$9A
$EF
$07
$ED
$E6
$8E
$A5
Symbol7
$2E
$F9
$D9
$44
$3E
$04
$86
$5C
$56
Symbol8
table end
Annex A Crest Factor
This is not a part of the digital voice format but you have to pay attention to the
peak-to-average (crest factor) of OFDM transmissions. OFDM has a flat spectrum so that
it must generate a very high crest factor. This may cause serious problems for the final
amplifier of transmitter.
Crest-factor management is recommended in your system. There are a lot of
ways to fix this problem. The easiest way is just to clip peaks over a certain level. In
many cases, this would work well.
This standard has not described the absolute phase of header burst tones, but it is
very important to decide initial phase in BPSK modulation. These phases strongly affect
the crest factor of the header burst signal.
Annex B Compatibility
This digital voice coding is based on Charles Brain, G4GUO's work. He is a
pioneer of practical OFDM voice modems in HF radio.
(http://www.chbrain.dircon.co.uk/).
Unfortunately, I have never had a chance to test compatibility between G4GUO's
modem and mine. One thing I would like to note is that his modem board used the
AMBE1000 vocoder. It also uses a 3600-bps rate, but I am not sure whether it is the same
format as the AMBE2020 or not, because DVSI has not released detailed information the
formats.
ARRL Teachers Institute Off to a Great Start
ARRLTI1B
Mark Spencer, WA8SME, Director of the ARRL Teachers Institute in Wireless Technology, leads the first of six four-day sessions to be held in 2008.
ARRLTI1C
These participants at the Teachers Institute in Tampa, Florida work together to learn robotics, just one of many topics taught at the Institute.
ARRLTI1A
These Teachers Institute participants try their hand at making a satellite QSL.
The first of six
Teachers Institutes
in 2008 -- hosted by the Museum of Science & Technology in Tampa, Florida -- wrapped up April 10. The 11 participating teachers came away from the experience
with a multitude of ideas to improve their classroom instruction. According to Mark Spencer, WA8SME, Director of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology, the four-day institute "focuses on the science of radio, bringing space technology into the classroom, microcontroller basics and basic robotics
with emphasis not only on the basic concepts, but also teaching strategies to bring those concepts into the classroom."
Spencer said the Teachers Institute curriculum is an ever-evolving process; this year, a radio telescope project was added that can be used to demonstrate
the fundamentals of radio astronomy. The "Soldering 101" unit was enhanced with the addition of a 24-hour clock kit that the teachers construct and learn
how to solder in the process. Finally, a BOT Instructor's Board was added to enhance the teacher's ability to instruct basic robotics. Spencer said he
designed and developed the BOT board to "tie all the different pillars of the Teachers Institute into one umbrella activity that teachers can use to pull
the school year together. The board also can be used to instruct the individual components of robotics, as well as instruct TV remote technology." Spencer
said he added an ATV component with the board: "There is a lot of stuff going on with this particular resource."
The Teachers Institute isn't all inside classroom work. The teachers participate in a fox-hunt activity, take part in ham satellite QSOs and observe the
collection of satellite imagery transmitted by NOAA satellites -- just as they can do in their classrooms.
Here are a few of the comments from the first 2008 Teachers Institute participants that summarize their experience:
"One of the other teachers in our Academy of Engineering and Design Technology class has applied to attend the Teachers Institute in Dayton this summer.
She is excited about the class after hearing of it and seeing my show-and-tell session."
"We are working on robots now in my class and will be well entrenched by the end of this school year. Next year promises to be fun and exciting for the
students. The Teachers Institute was a great experience, and the personal tutelage was responsible for making it so."
"Wonderful doesn't begin to describe it. I knew the basics of radio communications and transmission through electromagnetic waves, but I now understand
it better than I ever have. The robot was very cool -- it reinvigorated my love of programming. It only took me four attempts to run the maze perfectly!
I also made many contacts that I will use to help throughout my teaching career!"
"The instructor is great, absolutely great -- proof that if you do what you love, you'll love what you do!"
"Thanks again for the wonderful experience. I am looking forward to implementing what I learned in the classroom. Please let me know if you will be offering
any follow up institutes."
The remaining Institutes for 2008 are just about filled to capacity, Spencer said. "Though the application deadline is May 15, the available seats filled
up fast. If you are a teacher, or know of a teacher who could benefit from the experience, don't wait to submit an application for the few remaining seats.
If you can't make it this year, perhaps next year. We are adding two additional instructors in anticipation of expanding the program in the future."
Five more Teachers Institutes are scheduled for 2008: June 16-19 in Rocklin, California at the Parallax Facility; June 25-28 in Tucson, Arizona at Pueblo
Magnet High School; July 14-17 in Dayton, Ohio at P&R Communications, and July 28-31 and August 4-7 in Newington, Connecticut at ARRL Headquarters. Enrollment
in these four-day expenses paid sessions is limited to 12 participants each. Application deadline is May 15, 2008. Applicants must be an active teacher
at elementary, middle or high school level, or hold a leadership position in an enrichment or after-school program; an Amateur Radio license is not required.
For more information, please visit the
Teachers Institute Web site.
School Club Roundup 2006
Activity
and
fun
were
up
for
the
20th
Annual
School
Club
Roundup
this
past
February.
Lew Malchick, N2RQ
H
er
e
w
e
ar
e
a
t
th
e
botto
m
o
f
th
e
sunspot
cycle,
expecting
propa
gation
to
be
poor
and
HF
activity
to
drop
off.
That
trend
was
hardly
evident
February
13-17
in
the
20th
Annual
School
Club
Roundup.
Total
entries
increased
dramatically
from
55
in
2004
to
72
this year. Junior
High/Middle
Schools
entries
went
up
from
12
to
18
and
individual
entries
were
at
an
all
time
high.
There
were
also
DX
entries
in
the
High
School,
College/
University
and
Individual
categories.
In
the
Jr
High/Middle
School
group,
Sacajawea
Middle
School,
K7BZN,
and
William
Byrd
Middle
School,
K4WBM,
were
again
first
and
second.
K7BZN
was
down
about
12,000
points,
while
K4WBM
more
than
doubled
their
2005
score.
In
the
High
Schools
category,
the
leader,
LBJ
High
School
ARC,
K5LBJ,
also
had
a
lower
score
than
2005,
with
the
Wagoner
Windtalkers,
WI5ND,
of
Wagoner
High
School,
nearly
tripling
last
year’s
score
to
place
second.
In
the
Elementary
and
College/University
categories,
leaders
St
Aloysius
RC,
W4KBR,
more
than
doubled,
and
the
ARS
at
Arizona
State
University,
W7ASU,
nearly
doubled
their
scores.
QSOs
were
harder
to
find,
but
operators
were
more
persistent.
The
total
number
of
hours
continued
its
upward
trend
rising
from
780
to
893,
which
is
consistent
with
more
station
entries.
After
20
years
of
running
the
SCR
as
an
annual
event,
we
are
going
to
try
something
new.
Based
on
years
of
comments
suggesting
that
a
fall
event
is
wanted,
we
are
announcing
a
second
SCR
to
be
run
during
the
third
full
week
of
October.
The
rules
are
the
same
as
they
were
in
February,
except
for
the
dates.
This
year
it
will
run
from
October
16-20.
The
hours
will
be
the
same
as
in
February,
starting
at
1300
UTC
on
Monday
and
ending
at
2400
UTC
on
Friday.
We
are
realistic.
We
do
not
expect
to
be
able
to
collect
entries
and
compile
a
report
of
results
in
time
for
the
usual
January
QST
issue
that
announces
the
February
event.
Those
interested
in
participating
are
encouraged
to
check
www.arrl.org
and
scr-L@yahoogroups.com
for
updates.
mc-ref
KØZ (KØKID) student members with borrowed equipment before receiving their ARRL
Big Project grant.
SOAPBOX
Although
band
conditions
were
not
great,
our club had a blast. We had more operators and
enthusiasm than ever before. It was great to hear
so many new schools on the air. And working an
Italian DX station was amazing. — K5LBJ
The
kids
had
a
blast!
Patience
is
a
virtue.
We’ve gotten something into the Trenton Times
about four times over the past six years or so.
We have to have a different point of interest. This
year, it was to highlight digital VoIP ability in
Amateur Radio. — Steve, KB2RMS
This
year
we
added
several
hands-on
science
and electricity experiments. We also made
some CW contacts. This greatly increased the
interest
and
enthusiasm
of
the
more
than
400
students and over 25 teachers that participated.
Kids in the Amateur Radio elective class made
their first contact. It was great to watch the kids as
they overcame the “stage-fright” nerves to make
the
contact
that
resulted
in
an
overwhelming
sense of pride and accomplishment. — Steven,
KA8HXX
Great
week
of
ham
radio.
Worked
3YØX
on several bands, plus lots of great schools and
other folks. See everyone next time. — Charles,
K5OMS
Wow, what an exciting contest. Just one “CQ
SCR” and the pileup was a mile deep! — Dave
Timoshik, WA6AYI, for W6YRA
Another fine SCR! More kids participated.
We worked more hours, made 50 percent more
contacts
and
doubled
our
points.
Forty-two
CLARENCE
CANNON
ARC,
KØKID
kids came to the shack and 25 got on the microphone.
It really gave our club a shot in the arm.
—
Charlie, AB4SK, for K4WBM
Great,
enjoyable
and
a
low-stress
contest.
This is our first contest. — Wade, KØMHP, for
KØKID (KØZ)
It
was
so
much
fun
talking
with
so
many
enthusiastic,
professional-sounding
young
people.
They
all
did
a
great
job!
—
Michele, W1MKY
This was our first time operating in the SCR.
The kids had a blast giving out the South Dakota
multiplier. We are the only school ham club
in SD! Next year we will be in the thick of it.
—
David, for KBØUQH
PSK31 on 20 meters has turned out to be our
bread-and-butter.
We
spoke
to
several
school
clubs in this mode, and several DX countries, as
well. The brightest part of the entire weeklong
experience was introducing our hobby to more
than 200 students at Barnhart School in Arcadia,
California. — David, W6ØQK, for KI6CKZ
ThiswasDuBoseMiddleSchoolRadioClub’s
first time on in the Roundup. The students really
enjoyed it. We will be back for the next Roundup.
There are 15 students in the club; 12 participated
andsevenhams
assisted
themduringthefourdays
K4DMS operated. While there are more points
for a PSK31 QSO, the students thought it was too
much
like
textmessagingandpreferred
tooperate
phone. Thanks to everyone for the QSOs, and to
the school administration and the sponsors, too.
—
Edwin, K3IXD, for K4DMS
From September 2006 QST © ARRL
2006 School Club Roundup ScoresCall Sign Score Rank QSOs States Can Prov Countries Clubs Schools Hours Operators Club Name SchoolElementary SchoolsW4KBR
91962 1 351 46 4 6 13 36 19 19 St Aloysius RC St Aloysius ElementaryW3NCS 33578 2 163 34 6 18 4 28 15 3 North Clarion School ARC North Clarion County ESAA3TH
31374 3 148 37 2 18 1 26 23 20 Clarion Area Tech Students (CATS) Clarion Area ESKB3BRT 25347 4 118 28 5 18 6 30 21 21 Cowanesque Valley School ARC Westfield
Area Elementary
SchoolKI4LPW 16416 5 90 26 1 6 4 26 21 16 Powell GT Magnet Elementary School ARS Powell GT Magnet Elementary
SchoolKØZ 3570 6 51 24 1 0 0 9 12 16 Clarence Cannon HRC Clarence Cannon Elementary
SchoolKB2RMS 3192 7 38 15 0 7 1 12 11 10 Chapin School Radio Club Chapin SchoolW9BHB 2052 8 26 15 1 3 1 11 10 2 Boulder Hill Elementary School Radio Club
Boulder Hill Elementary SchoolWA2YCJ 1444 9 19 15 0 1 0 12 12 1 Mawbey Street SchoolK2RUK 901 10 17 12 1 3 6 5 10 3 Odgensburg Amateur Radio Club St. Marguerite
D’Youville
AcademyJunior High/Middle SchoolsK7BZN 84552 1 312 45 3 17 8 38 22 14 Sacajawea Middle School HRC Sacajawea Middle SchoolK4WBM 69167 2 241 41 5 12 7 43
24 25 William Byrd MS ARC William Byrd Middle SchoolK4DMS 60198 3 224 43 5 7 7 37 21 16 DuBose Middle School Radio Club DuBose Middle SchoolK5OMS 36432
4 176 34 2 16 5 29 14 4 Olle Middle School ARC Olle Middle SchoolKG4EDK 12070 5 65 26 0 12 2 20 11 10 Coloma Junior High SchoolKC5KBO 10560 6 80 27 1 2
1 20 11 10 Westbrook Intermediate Hamsters Westbrook Intermediate SchoolAD8B 10560 6 64 31 1 1 1 26 15 38 Zion ARC Zion Lutheran SchoolKE5EJK 9975 8 75
28 2 4 2 19 14 5 Lampasas Middle School Youth ARC Lampasas Middle SchoolW7ERY 8034 9 73 19 1 2 3 15 21 34 Wildcat Hams Maple Grove Middle SchoolKI6CKZ
5626 10 61 22 1 3 1 6 18 23 Barnhart Middle School Amateur Radio Club Barnhart SchoolKC2ILA 3478 11 37 10 0 12 1 14 11 15 Central Square Middle School
ARC Central Square Middle SchoolWH6BDR 3060 12 34 20 0 0 0 14 20 19 Chelsea Middle SchoolN1IFP 1925 13 25 15 0 0 1 12 6 31 Messalonskee Middle School Messalonskee
Middle SchoolKB1KLE 520 14 13 7 0 2 3 5 6 3 New Testament Knights ARC New Testament Christian
SchoolNT5HS 486 15 9 9 0 0 0 9 2 4 North Texas Homeschoolers ARCKBØUQH 377 16 13 9 0 0 0 4 5 8 Hot Springs School Radio Club Hot Springs Middle SchoolKC8KOH
372 17 12 7 1 1 1 4 4 6 Ritchie Co Middle School ARC Ritchie Co Middle SchoolDX Junior High/Middle SchoolsWP4AOH 21691 1 118 20 1 26 1 12 22 2 CMM Cupey
Maria MontessoriHigh SchoolsK5LBJ 125375 1 423 45 4 5 8 45 24 10 LBJ High School Amateur Radio Club LBJ High SchoolWI5ND 117600 2 400 46 4 4 5 46 22 10
Wagoner Windtalkers Wagoner High SchoolWB4HS 86618 3 322 45 6 17 8 37 24 18 WBHS Amateur Radio Club William Byrd High SchoolK9SOU 31416 4 154 31 4 10 2
31 16 11 Bloomington HS South ARC Bloomington HS SouthKCØENB 31008 5 152 28 2 4 5 32 14 6 Russell High School Radio Club Russel High SchoolK1BBS 27636
6 188 33 3 15 3 18 14 35 Burr And Burton ARC Burr And Burton AcademyN3THS 24759 7 189 13 2 25 13 13 20 78 Amateur Radio Club of Trinity-ARCoT Trinity High
SchoolN4LZJ 20750 8 114 39 2 4 3 23 15 9 Colonial Forge HS Ham Radio Club Colonial Forge HSW2CXN 16485 9 105 30 0 13 2 22 13 4 Brooklyn Technical High
School ARC and Society Brooklyn Technical High SchoolKB1NAY 16402 10 109 24 2 16 1 19 24 10 Chelmsford HS ARC Chelmsford High SchoolKB3BKW 10976 11 112
17 4 16 3 11 8 7 Belle Vernon HS ARC Belle Vernon Area High SchoolK3NHC 6032 12 58 20 0 0 2 16 6 8 North Hills Amateur Radio & Electronics Club (AREC)
North Hills High SchoolKG4RSK 4982 13 41 16 0 6 1 14 14 5 Commonwealth Governor’s School Riverbend High SchoolK7EFA 3290 14 34 19 1 2 1 14 16 150 Yellowstone
Radio Club Billings Christian SchoolKC2AIF 2170 15 35 10 1 10 3 7 18 2 Pioneer HS ARC Pioneer High SchoolW8SWD 920 16 20 8 0 2 3 6 11 5 Milford High School
Communications Club Milford High SchoolKC2OUQ 672 17 15 10 0 3 2 5 5 6 Walt Whitman High School ARC Walt Whitman HSKB1AMG 224 18 7 5 0 0 1 5 5 1 Bulldog
ARC Lawrence High SchoolDX High SchoolsMXØPSL 396 1 18 3 0 9 0 2 5 3 Priory LSST Amateur Radio Club The Priory LSST SchoolColleges/UniversitiesW7ASU 273240
1 572 46 6 23 10 73 23 5 Amateur Radio Society at Arizona State University Arizona State UniversityW6YRA 188365 2 505 49 6 7 3 61 17 2 UCLA ARC University
of California,
Los AngelesK5LSU 140010 3 290 44 5 22 9 54 24 5 Amateur Radio Society at Louisiana State University Louisiana State UniversityND1U 64496 4 227 42 6 8 3
34 24 5 Amateur Radio Club of Notre Dame University of Notre DameWD5AGO 27945 5 115 34 1 2 3 40 12 3 Tulsa Community College ARC Tulsa Community CollegeK4TTC
25724 6 109 32 1 2 3 39 14 8 Amateur Radio Club-Hohenwald Tennessee Technology Center-
HohenwaldW4BUC 3900 7 39 26 0 2 1 14 10 3 University Amateur Radio Club Eastern Tennessee State
UniversityW2DSC 3430 8 35 20 1 0 1 15 1 1 New York University Amateur Radio Society New York UniversityW8EDU 3030 9 30 16 1 0 2 16 5 1 Case Western Reserve
University Club Station Case Western Reserve
UniversityNØUNL 1020 10 34 14 1 0 0 3 3 1 UNL Amateur Radio Club University of NebraskaDX Colleges/UniversitiesON4HTI 20520 1 188 16 2 34 9 4 20 3 STARCom
Oostend Polytechnic UniversityClubs (Non-School)
K3FBI 13132 1 98 28 2 5 2 19 6 1 FBI ARAWB2MIC 990 2 18 11 0 0 2 8 3 1 Wage Peace! Radio GroupW7ASC 96 3 4 4 0 0 0 4 4 1 Center for Amateur Radio LearningIndividualsAF1T
1404 1 18 13 0 0 0 13 2 1W4YCF 1215 2 15 9 0 0 1 14 9 1NIØCK 1168 3 16 11 0 0 1 12 10 1W1MKY 828 4 12 9 0 0 0 12 2 1KA2NRR 767 5 13 9 0 0 0 10 6 1WO8L
704 6 11 9 0 0 0 11 3 1W7CH 490 7 10 8 1 0 0 8 3 1KC7KML 468 8 9 7 0 0 0 9 7 1N2RQ 36 9 3 2 0 0 0 2 1 1WN7Y 24 10 2 2 0 0 0 2 1 1DX IndividualsVE3CRU 3168
1 24 16 0 1 0 23 8 1
From September 2006 QST © ARRL
2006 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes Results
Great
improvement
in
weather
from
last
year
—
scores
are
up!
Jan Carman, K5MA
k5ma@capecod.net
W
W
hat
a
contrast
we
have
in
2006
(January
21-23)
from
last
year’s
weather
conditions
in
the
central
and
northeastern
part
of
the
country,
which
caused
substantially
lower
than
normal
scores
for
the
2005
January
VHF
Sweepstakes
competition.
With
only
one
exception,
VE3LCA
noting
that
a
raging
blizzard
simulated
emergency
conditions
very
well
in
Ontario,
good
weather
conditions
were
reported.
Scores
are
up
in
all
categories
compared
to
the
2005
results.
Propagation
on
the
VHF/UHF
bands,
however, was generally poor. Flat conditions
prevailed
in
most
areas
of
North
America.
Normal
tropo
range
out
to
around
300
miles
or
so
was
generally
the
limit
with
a
few
exceptions,
mostly
for
operators
in
elevated
or
coastal
locations.
I
normally
check
the
signal
levels
from
the
W3CCX
beacons
in
downtown
Philadelphia
over
the
283
mile,
partial
water
path
to
my
Cape
Cod
QTH
prior
to
the
VHF
contests.
This
time,
the
bottom
four
beacons
(50
through
432
MHz)
were
audible
just
above
the
noise
level;
that
is
the
normal
signal
level
I
hear
when
there
is
no
extended
propagation
taking
place.
These
signal
levels
are
very
typical
for
the
winter
season.
N3NGE’s
summation
of
both
weather
and
propagation
is
typical
of
many
soapbox
entries:
“Band
conditions
were
flat,
activity
was
moderately
low,
and
the
weather
was
fabulous!”
Some
participants
were
quite
disappointed,
as
noted
by
N8XP:
“The
worst
propagation
on
2m
that
I
have
ever
seen.”
These
kinds
of
conditions
are
very
typical
of
the
winter
season,
and,
with
rare
exceptions,
the
January
VHF
SS
event
requires
stamina
and
perseverance
to
produce
a
competitive
score.
The
increasingly
popular
digital
modes
now
being
used
in
the
VHF/
UHF/Microwave
region
provide
contest
entrants
with
tools
to
take
advantage
of
meteor
scatter
and
other
less
common
propagation
modes.
Operators
who
are
able
to
take
advantage
of
the
latest
technology
can
significantly
enhance
their
contest
scores.
2006 Overall
The
number
of
logs
submitted
for
the
2006
January
VHF
SS
competition
was
substantially
higher
than
the
total
last
year.
Logs
submitted
this
year
totaled
793,
compared
to
718
in
2005.
Participation
in
the
2005
event
The W8RU Limited Multiop: Ron,W8RU, getting some quality air time with future hams
Julia (left) and Caroline.
was
down
substantially
because
of
the
heavy
snow
that
made
life
difficult
for
everyone
in
the
midwestern
and
northeastern
states.
As
a
consequence
of
the
greatly
improved
weather
conditions
compared
to
last
year,
the
number
of
rovers
who
participated
this
year
was
up
by
27%.
Participation
in
each
of
the
six
entry
categories
was
up
over
last
year.
There
were
479
Single-Operator,
Low-
Power
(SOLP)
entries,
up
8%
from
last
year.
The
Single-Operator,
High-Power
category
(SOHP)
participation
level
was
up
in
2006
by
7%
over
last
year
to
149.
Participation
in
both
the
Limited
Multiop
(LM)
and
QRP
Portable
categories
was
up
by
a
whopping
45%,
14
participants
and
43%,
6
participants
respectively.
This
is
likely
a
result
of
the
huge
snow
event
last
year,
when
participation
numbers
were
down
substantially.
Rover
participation
was
up
by
27%,
14
participants,
over
last
year,
while
the
Multioperator
category
was
up
by
12%,
3
participants.
Propagation
Most
of
the
Soapbox
comments
indicated
that
propagation
was
poor,
flat
and
nonex-
Top 10 ScoresSingle Operator,
Low PowerK2DRH 174,894WA3GFZ 106,470N1DPM 106,268AF1T 91,001K1TR 87,859K8GUN 80,357W2MMD (N2NRD, op)
60,528WB2SIH 49,551K3EGE 48,868K9MU 47,806Single Operator,
High PowerK1TEO 429,840K1RZ 293,607K3TUF 249,318WA3NUF 174,240W3SZ 172,840K1JT 168,063K3DNE 140,956WA3DRC 105,462K8TQK 102,466WZ1V 97,440QRP PortableKA1LMR
45,504K6MI 36,427W9SZ 4,875KI7JA 3,040W6DWI 2,106WB2AMU 1,577N8XA 1,156KG6TGI 736KQ6EE 728KØNR 544Limited MultioperatorW3SO 276,210K3YTL 98,084K2AXX 71,412N8ZM
49,206W9RVG 45,582KB1DFB 41,760WN8R 36,192W1QK 31,565W3HZU 29,768KG9BV 25,728MultioperatorK3EAR 804,357N3NGE 504,597W2FU 368,373N2PA 245,632K5QE 187,210K8EB
155,354K3EOD 102,580WA3ZKR 71,796KW1AM 58,800K4LTX 50,350RoverW6XD (+N6NB)
1,180,674K6VCR (+KG6TOA)
1,096,647N6MU 1,070,700N3IQ 334,645N6TEB (+KE6HPZ)
264,972N6DN 232,170K1DS 134,394N1XKT 82,089W3ZZ (+K8ISK)
78,960N3FTI 68,839
From July 2006 QST © ARRL
Affiliated Club Competition
Score Entries
Unlimited Category
Mt Airy VHF Radio Club 2,564,104 56
Medium Category
South Mountain Contest Club 1,146,265 3
Potomac Valley Radio Club 1,057,447 31
North East Weak Signal Group 954,261 19
Rochester VHF Group 775,651 24
Downey ARC 274,365 3
Society of Midwest Contesters 247,853 10
Contest Club Ontario 223,984 15
Badger Contesters 208,348 19
Michigan VHF-UHF Society 203,697 8
Western States Weak Signal 182,577 16
Northern Lights Radio Society 178,616 26
Pacific Northwest VHF Society 156,060 22
Yankee Clipper Contest Club 147,786 8
Murgas ARC 123,180 3
Chippewa Valley VHF Contesters 103,833 12
Northern California Contest 62,122 11
Mad River Radio Club 53,149 4
Six Meter Club of Chicago 29,865 11
Tennessee Contest Group 22,911 7
Florida Contest Group 22,678 3
Carolina DX Assn 20,592 3
Bergen ARA 18,856 5
West Park Radiops 4,832 3
Bears of Manchester 3,513 4
Mobile Sixers Radio Club 2,608 4
Minnesota Wireless Assn 341 3
Local Category
North Texas Microwave Society 163,531 10
Roadrunners Microwave Group 148,212 5
Eastern Panhandle ARC 131,475 5
Delaware Valley VHF Society 60,029 5
Eastern Connecticut ARA 44,201 3
Peconic Amateur Radio Club 13,703 3
Dauberville DX Assn 11,689 3
Medina 2 Meter Group 9,693 4
Raritan Bay Radio Amateurs 7,779 6
10-70 Repeater Assn 3,920 7
Meriden ARC 3,742 3
Ventura County Amateur Radio 2,320 3
East Coast DX Assn 898 3
istent.
AK4FL,
for
instance,
indicated
“no
propagation...brute
force
only.”
K2SZ
said
“very
flat
band
conditions
and
not
much
activity
heard
at
the
Jersey
shore.”
In
Texas,
Ron,
K5LLL,
noted
that
“conditions
were
worse
than
I
have
ever
seen
for
a
January
contest.”
KC4PX
noted
“worst
propagation
I
have
ever seen.” There were some good moments
during
the
weekend
as
noted
by
K1RZ,
“Lots
of
activity
around
the
region...very
warm
weather,
but
no
unusual
conditions
until
Sunday
night
on
microwaves
with
several
rain
scatter
QSOs.”
Propagation
conditions
summed
up
by
Fred,
WO2P,
echoed
the
opinions
of
the
great
majority
of
Soapbox
entries:
“Beautiful
weather;
conditions
were
terrible
on
Saturday
and
only
fair
on
Sunday.
Activity/
participation
was
generally
down.”
The National Scene
Scores
in
the
North
Central
and
Northeast
regions
were
up
significantly
from
last
year
because
of
the
great
improvement
in
weather
conditions.
Scores
from
the
remainder
of
the
country
were
up
generally
and
helped
substantially
by
rover
participation.
Single Operator
Bob,
K2DRH,
operating
from
EN41
in
Illinois,
took
the
top
spot
in
the
SOLP
competition
for
the
sixth
straight
year.
Bob’s
174k
score
is
up
by
36%
from
his
winning
2005
score.
The
greatly
improved
weather
conditions
this
year
certainly
contributed
not
From July 2006 QST © ARRL
Bob, KØNR, hiking the trail to the summit
of Mt Herman (DM79mb) for a Single-Op
portable effort.
only
to
Bob’s
score
improvement,
but
acted
to
boost
most
scores.
Second
place
in
SOLP
goes
to
Paul,
WA3GFZ,
operating
from
PA
with
106k
points,
up
47%
from
his
second
place
score
last
year.
Fred,
N1DPM,
took
the
third
spot
this
year
with
106k
points
operating
from
Massachusetts,
while
Dale,
AF1T,
operating
from
New
Hampshire
took
fourth
place
with
91k.
Not
far
behind
Dale
was
fifth
place
winner
Ed,
K1TR,
with
87k
points,
also
operating
from
New
Hampshire.
In
the
SOHP
category,
Jeff,
K1TEO,
continues
at
the
top
position
with
429k
points,
up
21%
from
his
2005
score.
Jeff
has
now
taken
the
top
SOHP
spot
nine
years
in
a
row
from
his
outstanding
location
in
western
Connecticut.
Second
place
in
SOHP
was
again
taken
by
Dave,
K1RZ,
operating
from
FM19
in
Maryland.
Dave’s
293k
score
is
up
a
whopping
58%
from
his
finish
last
year.
Third
place
in
the
SOHP
category
goes
to
Phil,
K3TUF,
with
249k
points.
Phil
managed
to
move
up
from
his
fourth
place
finish
last
year
in
this
highly
competitive
category
by
more
than
doubling
his
score.
Fourth
place
goes to Phil, WA3NUF, with 174k points,
followed
by
Roger,
W3SZ,
in
fifth
place
with
172k
points.
In
the
QRP
portable
category,
Chris,
KA1LMR,
took
the
top
spot
with
45,504
points
from
New
Hampshire.
He
was
followed
closely
by
John,
K6MI,
with
36,427
points
to
take
the
second
spot.
W9SZ,
KI7JA
and
W6DWI
round
out
the
top
five
QRP
portable
entrants.
Multioperator
The
top
Multi-multi
spot
goes
to
the
South
Mountain
Contest
Club
station,
K3EAR,
with
804k
points.
Running
12
bands,
K3EAR
outdistanced
their
nearest
competi-
Since he lives in an antenna-restricted area
of town, Ron, KL1PL, operated as a mobile
from a hill above Anchorage — that’s
devotion for mid-winter in KL7-land.
tor,
N3NGE,
by
300k
points.
The
Packrats
station,
N3NGE,
turned
in
a
504k
effort
for
second
place
Multiop
station.
Third
place
Multiop
station
W2FU,
from
the
Rochester,
New
York
area
turned
in
a
368k
point
effort.
Jeff’s
team
beat
their
first
place
Multiop
score
from
last
year,
but
it
wasn’t
enough
to
outdistance
the
two
Multiop
leaders
this
time
around.
N2PA
took
fourth
place
with
245k
points,
while
K5QE
in
Texas
took
fifth
place
with
187k.
The
limited
Multioperator
category
winner
is
the
Wopsononock
Mountaintop
Operators,
W3SO,
in
western
Pennsylvania
with
276k
points.
This
group
was
on
the
air
for
the
full
contest
period
except
for
the
last
hour
when
they
were
forced
to
leave
their
mountaintop
location
because
of
freezing
rain.
Second
place
limited
multi
goes
to
K3YTL
with
98k
points.
K2AXX
took
third
place
with
71k
points,
while N8ZM took the fourth spot with 49k
and
W9RVG
took
fifth
with
45k.
Rover
The
team
of
Art,
W6XD,
and
Wayne,
N6NB,
took
the
top
spot
in
the
Rover
competition
with
a
score
of
1,180,674
points.
Second
place
went
to
the
team
of
K6VCR
and
KG6TOA
with
1,096,647
points,
with
third
place
going
to
N6MU
with
1,070,700
points.
Fourth
place
went
to
N3IQ
with
334k
points
with
fifth
place
awarded
to
the
team
of
N6TEB
and
KE6HPZ
at
264k
points.
Art,
W6XD,
comments:
“Contesting
while
mobile
in
motion
crossing
grid
boundaries
is
an
interesting
and
fun
challenge.
A
highlight
was
having
six
10-band
rovers
together
at
the
Mojave
convergence
at
one
time.
There
was
a
lot
of
commotion
on
the
microwave
bands
as
we
all
worked
each
other
—
and
everyone
else
available.”
Regional Scores
Table lists call signs, score and class (A = Single Op Low, B = Single Op High, Q = Single Op Portable, L = Limited Multi, M = Multi Multi, R = Rover).
table with 11 columns and 38 rows
Northeast Regio
n
Southeast Regio
n
Central Regio
n
Midwest Regio
n
West Coast Regio
n
(New England, Hudson and
(Delta, Roanoke and
(Central and Great Lakes
(Dakota, Midwest, Rocky
(Pacific, Northwestern and
Atlantic Divisions; Maritime
Southeastern Divisions
)
Divisions; Ontario Section
)
Mountain and West Gulf
Southwestern Divisions
;
and Quebec Sections
)
Divisions; Manitoba and
Alberta, British Columbia and
Saskatchewan Sections
)
NWT Sections
)
WA3GFZ 106,470
A
K8GUN
80,357
A
K2DRH 174,894
A
NØKP 42,032
A
KC6ZWT 21,816
A
N1DPM 106,268
A
W4SHG
45,045
A
K9MU 47,806
A
NØVZJ 24,375
A
W7GLF 12,628
A
AF1T 91,001
A
WØAH
25,272
A
N9DG 43,279
A
WB5ZDP 15,336
A
KG6DHQ 9,331
A
K1TR 87,859
A
W3IP
19,000
A
K4TO 41,418
A
NM5M 12,578
A
NU6S 6,300
A
W2MMD (N2NRD, op)
K4FJW
13,452
A
WA1MKE 26,404
A
W6ZI 8,370
A
KN6VR 6,142
A
60,528
A
K1TEO 429,840
B
K4QI
78,657
B
K8TQK 102,466
B
K9MK 49,113
B
KG6IYN 39,760
B
K1RZ 293,607
B
W4WA
77,965
B
VE3AX 91,959
B
W5LUA 33,361
B
N7EPD 30,743
B
K3TUF 249,318
B
W4ZRZ
68,320
B
K8MD 77,694
B
W3XO 28,645
B
K6TSK 19,380
B
WA3NUF 174,240
B
K4XR
51,181
B
WA8RJF 56,880
B
K5VH 27,132
B
K7YO 19,195
B
W3SZ 172,840
B
KE2N
45,298
B
KB8U 56,826
B
K5LLL 25,670
B
WA6KLK 14,280
B
KA1LMR 45,504
Q
KZ1AMY
1
Q
W9SZ 4,875
Q
KØNR 544
Q
K6MI 36,427
Q
WB2AMU 1,577
Q
N8XA 1,156
Q
NUØC 36
Q
KI7JA 3,040
Q
N3TEP 160
Q
KC9FVW 15
Q
W6DWI 2,106
Q
KC2JRQ 108
Q
KG6TGI 736
Q
N1ZGY 45
Q
KQ6EE 728
Q
W3SO 276,210
L
KG4LEV
14,535
L
N8ZM 49,206
L
K5ETX 3,795
L
W6SN 8,439
L
K3YTL 98,084
L
N4DXY
8,344
L
W9RVG 45,582
L
WØETV 1,595
L
K6UCI 6,375
L
K2AXX 71,412
L
K4NGA
7,854
L
WN8R 36,192
L
NØUNL 1,098
L
K7XC 2,697
L
KB1DFB 41,760
L
N4ARR
2,886
L
KG9BV 25,728
L
N1SZ 4
L
VE7HPS 217
L
W1QK 31,565
L
KØXXX
1,470
L
N9TF 13,986
L
K3EAR 804,357
M
K4LTX
50,350
M
K8EB 155,354
M
K5QE 187,210
M
N6KN 26,509
M
N3NGE 504,597
M
AG4V
21,988
M
N8KOL 44,304
M
KBØHH 25,192
M
W6YX 7,260
M
W2FU 368,373
M
N4JQQ
11,960
M
N2BJ 27,141
M
W5LCC 3,132
M
KG6ONE 3,600
M
N2PA 245,632
M
WC8VOA 3,105
M
KQ6NO 1,984
M
K3EOD 102,580
M
AB8LB 189
M
N3IQ 334,645
R
AF4OD
44,840
R
VE3OIL 34,272
R
N5AC (+W5TX) 45,804
R
W6XD (+N6NB) 1,180,674
R
K1DS 134,394
R
N4FLM
22,320
R
WB8BZK 19,796
R
WDØACD (+K5FOG)
K6VCR (+KG6TOA
)
N1XKT 82,089
R
W4TXS
14,357
R
K9JK 10,582
R
34,293
R
1,096,647
R
W3ZZ (+K8ISK) 78,960
R
K4AL
8,477
R
VE3VZ 7,163
R
ND2X (+NX1N) 32,472
R
N6MU 1,070,700
R
N3FTI 68,839
R
WC4J
5,481
R
VE3WCC (VA3NFA, op
)
KD5SHM 26,334
R
N6TEB (+KE6HPZ)
2,320
R
W5TV (+AE5P) 22,100
R
264,972
R
N6DN 232,170
R
table end
Regional Highlights
Weather
was
not
generally
an
issue
this
year
as
it
has
been
in
past
years,
notably
2005
when
the
north
central
and
northeastern
states
and
most
of
southeastern
Canada
were
blanketed
with
heavy
snowfall.
Scores
are
higher
this
year
than
last
for
the
most
part,
except
for
the
three
Rover
records
set
last
year
by
N6NB,
N6ZZ
and
N6MU.
Detailed
ARRL
Division
scores
can
be
found
on
the
Web
report
at
www.
arrl.org/contests/results.
Northeast
Participation
was
definitely
up
in
the
Northeast
this
year
compared
to
last
year.
The
weather
conditions
were
generally
excellent,
which
encouraged
rover
activity.
In
addition
to
the
top
scores
already
mentioned,
Jim,
N2NRD,
operating
W2MMD
took
the
seventh
position,
followed
by
Bill,
WB2SIH,
and
Bill,
K3EGE,
at
the
eighth
and
ninth
positions
nationally
in
the
SOLP
category.
High
Power
participants
Joe,
K1JT;
Ed,
K3DNE;Ed,
WA3DRC,
and
Ron,
WZ1V,
took
the
sixth,
seventh,
eighth
and
tenth
positions
nationally.
In
the
Limited
Multioperator
section,
the
top
three
stations
are
in
the
Northeast
region.
Kim,
KB1DFB,
took
the
sixth
spot
with
41k
points.
Dan,
W1QK,
and
W3HZU,
the
Keystone
VHF
Club
from
Pennsylvania,
took
the
eighth
and
ninth
positions
with
31k
and
29k
points,
respectively.
Multioperator
entrants
K3EOD,
WA3ZKR
and
KW1AM
took
the
seventh,
eighth
and
ninth
positions
nationally.
While
four
of
the
top
five
national
Rover
scores
were
all
produced
in
California,
the
seventh
through
tenth
positions
were
produced
by
stations
in
Pennsylvania
and
Maryland:
K1DS,
Richard
in
the
seventh
spot
with
134k;
Leon,
N1XKT,
from
PA
in
the
eighth
position
with
82k;
W3ZZ
in
Maryland
operating
with
Terrence,
K8ISK,
with
78k
in
ninth
position,
and
Steven,
N3FTI,
from
Pennsylvania
in
tenth
position
with
68k
points.
Southeast
Almost
doubling
his
score
from
last
year,
SOLP
leader
Dan,
K8GUN,
tops
the
list
with
80k
points
from
his
6-band
effort
in
FM09.
Second
place
goes
to
Steve,
W4SHG,
with
45k
from
seven
bands.
Rounding
out
the
top
five
SOLP
scores
are
WØAH
with
25k,
W3IP
with
19k
and
K4FJW
with
13k
points.
The
top
five
SOHP
scores
cover
a
relatively
narrow
scoring
range
beginning
with
Howard,
K4QI, at the top with 78k points from his
five-band
effort.
Following
closely
behind
is
Charles,
W4WA,
at
77k;
Jim,
W4ZRZ
at
68k;
Zolie,
K4XR,
at
51k,
and
Ken,
KE2N,
at
45k.
The
Limited
Multioperator
category
was
led
by
KG4LEV
with
14k
points,
while
the
top
Multioperator
station
was
K4LTX
at
50k.
The
top
five
Rover
entries
included
Bill,
AF4OD,
at
44k;
Charles,
N4FLM,
at
22k;
David,
W4TXS,
at
14k,
and
finishing
with
Mike,
K4AL,
8k,
and
Jack,
WC4J,
5k.
Central
Once
again,
Bob,
K2DRH,
topped
the
Low-Power
list
nationally
with
174k
points
from
his
centrally
located
Illinois
QTH.
Rounding
out
the
top
five
Low-Power
Central
region
entries
are
Justin,
K9MU
at
47k;
Duane,
N9DG,
43k;
John,
K4TO,
41k,
and
David,
WA1MKE,
26k.
The
top
High-Power
score
was
made
by
Glenn,
K8TQK,
with
102k
points,
followed
by
Peter,
VE3AX,
at
91k;
Mark,
K8MD,
with
77k;
Anthony,
WA8RJF,
with
56k,
and
Russ,
KB8U,
at
56k.
The
top
Limited
Multi
effort
was
turned
in
by
N8ZM
with
49k,
followed
by
W9RVG
at
45k
points.
The
top
Multiop
score
was
produced
by
the
K8EB
team
with
155k
points,
followed
by
N8KOL
at
44k.
Because
of
favorable
weather,
Rover
activity
was
substantially
better
this
year
than
last.
Russ,
VE3OIL,
took
the
top
spot
with
34k,
followed
by
Mike,
WB8BZK,
at
19k
and
John,
K9JK,
at
10k.
Midwest
Repeating
his
first
place,
Low-Power
position
is
Dave,
NØXP,
with
42k
points,
his
third
first
place
win
in
a
row.
Vince,
NØVZJ,
placed
second
with
24k
points,
followed
by
WB5ZDP
at
15k,
NM5M
with
12k
and
W6ZI
at
8k.
In
the
High-Power
category,
Mike,
K9MK,
took
the
top
spot
with
a
49k
score,
followed
by
Al,
W5LUA,
at
33k,
Bill,
W3XO,
with
28k,
Tom,
K5VH,
27k
and
Ron,
K5LLL,
at
25k.
The
top
LM
score
was
posted
by
John,
K5ETX,
with
3.7k
points.
K5QE
led
From July 2006 QST © ARRL
the
Multiop
category
with
a
187k
point
effort
followed
by
KBØHH
at
25k.
Rover
activity
was
substantial
with
N5AC
leading
the
pack
at
45k
points,
followed
by
WDØACD
at
34k
and
ND2X
at
32k.
West Coast
The
top
SOLP
score
this
year
was
turned
in
by
last
year’s
second
place
winner,
Division Leaders
Single Operator Low Power
Atlantic WA3GFZ 106,470
Central K2DRH 174,894
Dakota NØKP 42,032
Delta KD4HIK 11,895
Great Lakes K4TO 41,418
Hudson WB2SIH 49,551
Midwest NØLL 6,820
New England N1DPM 106,268
Northwestern W7GLF 12,628
Pacific KC6ZWT 21,816
Roanoke K8GUN 80,357
Rocky Mountain WVØH 4,836
Southeastern W4LIA 9,802
Southwestern KG6DHQ 9,331
West Gulf WB5ZDP 15,336
Canada VA3KA 15,840
Single Operator High Power
Atlantic K1RZ 293,607
Central K9EA 55,836
Dakota WØGHZ 19,432
Delta K5WBX 3,784
Great Lakes K8TQK 102,466
Hudson N2GHR 43,344
Midwest KMØT 5,265
New England K1TEO 429,840
Northwestern N7EPD 30,743
Pacific WA6KLK 14,280
Roanoke K4QI 78,657
Southeastern W4WA 77,965
Southwestern KG6IYN 39,760
West Gulf K9MK 49,113
Canada VE3AX 91,959
Limited Multioperator
Atlantic W3SO 276,210
Central W9RVG 45,582
Delta KØXXX 1,470
Great Lakes N8ZM 49,206
Hudson K2BAR 16,698
Midwest WØETV 1,595
New England KB1DFB 41,760
Pacific W6SN 8,439
Roanoke KG4LEV 14,535
Rocky Mountain N1SZ 4
Southeastern N4DXY 8,344
Southwestern K6UCI 6,375
West Gulf K5ETX 3,795
Canada VE2DC 1,952
Multi-multi
Atlantic K3EAR 804,357
Central N2BJ 27,141
Delta AG4V 21,988
Great Lakes K8EB 155,354
Hudson N2GCZ 16,170
New England KW1AM 58,800
Pacific W6YX 7,260
Roanoke K4LTX 50,350
Southwestern N6KN 26,509
West Gulf K5QE 187,210
Single Operator Portable
Atlantic N3TEP 160
Central W9SZ 4,875
Great Lakes N8XA 1,156
Hudson WB2AMU 1,577
Midwest NUØC 36
New England KA1LMR 45,504
Northwestern KI7JA 3,040
Pacific K6MI 36,427
Roanoke KZ1AMY 1
Rocky Mountain KØNR 544
Southwestern W6DWI 2,106
Canada VE7VIE 18
Rover
Atlantic N3IQ 334,645
Central WB8BZK 19,796
Dakota KCØIYT 10,080
Delta N4FLM 22,320
Hudson KJ1K 2,162
New England W1AUV 13,630
Northwestern K3UHF 43,152
Pacific W6XD (+N6NB) 1,180,674
Roanoke W4TXS 14,357
Southeastern AF4OD 44,840
Southwestern N6TEB (+KE6HPZ) 264,972
West Gulf N5AC (+W5TX) 45,804
Canada VE3OIL 34,272
mc-ref
The Western Piedmont Amateur Radio Club
(Morganton,North Carolina) and the Marion
(NC) Amateur Radio Association joined
forces to enter as KG4LEV from Walker Top
Mountain.
Norman,
KC6ZWT,
with
21k
points.
Ed,
W7GLF,
from
Washington
placed
second
with
12k,
followed
by
Robert,
KG6DHQ,
with
9k.
Bruce,
KG6IYN,
was
the
top
SOHP
winner
with
39k,
followed
by
Eric,
N7EPD,
at
30k;
Ralph,
K6TSK,
with
19.3k,
and
Jim,
K7YO,
at
19.1k.
In
the
QRP
category,
John,
K6MI,
with
36k
points
was
the
second
highest
scorer
nationally.
The
Limited
Multioperator
category
was
won
by
W6SN
with
8.4k
points.
N6KN
led
the
Multiop
category
with
26k.
The
Rover
category,
once
again,
is
where
the
scoring
action
is
at
its
peak
with
two
teams
plus
one
single
operator
posting
very
large,
nearly
equal
scores.
The
top
score
producing
team
was
Art,
W6XD,
and
Wayne,
N6NB,
with
1.180
million
points
followed
closely
by
the
second
highest
score
producing
team
of
Tom,
K6VCR,
and
Bob,
KG6TOA,
with
1.096
million
points.
The
third
team
was
single
operator
John,
N6MU,
with
1.070
million
points.
Fourth
and
fifth
place
finishers
were
N6TEB
(plus
KE6HPZ)
with
264k
and
N6DN
with
232k.
Affiliated Club Competition
As
the
only
club
that
consistently
fields
over
50
member
entries
for
the
January
VHF
SS
competition,
the
Mount
Airy
VHF
Radio
Club
produced
the
highest
score,
exceeding
2.5
million points from 56 members in the Unlimited category. This score is more than twice the score they posted last year, the year of the huge snowstorm
in the central and northeastern parts of the country; however, their total score in 2004 from 56 members exceeded 2.8 million points, so 2006 was not their
best year!
In
the
medium
category,
the
South
Mountain
Contest
Club
took
the
top
spot
in
the
local
club
category
with
1.146
million
points
produced
by
only
3
entries.
The
Potomac
Valley
Radio
Club
took
the
next
spot
with
a
score
of
1.05
million
points
from
31
members,
up
from
the
number
3
position
last
year.
Third
place
was
taken
once
again
by
the
Northeast
Weak
Signal
Group
with
a
score
of
954k
from
19
members.
The
Rochester
VHF
Group
fell
to
fourth
position
this
year
with
a
score
of
775k
from
24
members,
down
from
their
40
member,
first
place
position
last
year.
Fifth
place
in
the
medium
category
goes
to
the
Downey
ARC
with
274k
points
from
only
three
members.
First
place
in
the
local
category
went
to
the
North Texas Microwave Society with 163k
points
from
10
members,
while
second
place
went
to
the
Roadrunners
Microwave
Group
with
148k
points
from
5
members.
The
Eastern
Panhandle
ARC
topped
the
100k
mark
to
take
third
place
in
the
category.
Clubs are Critical to Success
A
total
of
40
clubs
reported
scores
this
year
compared
to
only
30
clubs
last
year.
The
improved
weather
conditions
across
most
of
North
America
certainly
played
a
role
in
the
increased
activity
level.
Club
activity
is
critical
to
building
interest
in
VHF/UHF/Microwave
radio
activities.
It
is
primarily
through
contacts
with
club
members
that
enthusiasm
and
technical
expertise
is
promoted
and
improved
so
that
higher
competitive
score
performance
can
be
achieved.
If
you
are
not
presently
a
member
of
your
local
VHF/UHF
oriented
radio
club,
visit
the
club
and
become
a
member.
Another
excellent
activity
that
helps
to
promote
interest
and
build
technical
expertise
in
the
VHF/UHF/
Microwave
world
is
the
various
club
sponsored
meetings
and
hamfests
that
occur
throughout
the
year.
These
events
provide
excellent
forums
for
gaining
technical
expertise
and
learning
about
new
technologies
and
techniques
for
building
and
operating
high
frequency
radio
equipment.
Strays
ECHOLINK RESOURCE
A
Web
page,
at
www.wx1der.com/elk.htm,
gives
a
quick
overview
of
EchoLink,
what’s
required
to
use
it,
a
guide
to
checking
into
the
nets,
what’s
required
for
a
net
to
be
listed
on
the
page,
a
note
about
third
party
traffic
agreements
and
the
Echolink
nets
by
day
of
the
week.
—
Daryl
Stout,
N5VLZ
I would like to get in touch with...
those
who
studied
Amateur
Radio
with
Ted
Ryan,
WB6JXY,
who
became
a
Silent
Key
in
December.
As
a
teacher
at
John
Burroughs
junior
high
school,
the
Red
Cross
and
San
Fernando
Valley
ARC
in
Los
Angeles,
he
licensed
thousands
of
hams
from
the
1960s
into
the
’90s.
If
you
studied
with
Ted,
please
visit
www.
webspawner.com/users/tedryan/index.html.
—
Cliff Cheng, KI6CM
From July 2006 QST © ARRL
San Diego Area Youngsters Enjoy Contact with NA1SS Aboard the International Space Station
Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR and John Phillips, KE5DRY
Flight Engineer John Phillips, KE5DRY (right), responded to questions from pupils at Coronado Village Elementary School May 24. At the left is Expedition
11 Crew Commander Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR. [NASA photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 3, 2005--During a May 24
ARISS
contact with the International Space Station, students in Mrs Singleton's class at Coronado Village Elementary School near San Diego asked Expedition 11
flight engineer John Phillips, KE5DRY, about his view of Earth from orbit and the end of the world.
"When the sun collapses into itself and becomes a black hole, will it have enough gravity to suck in the other planets?" one student wanted to know. Phillips
replied, reassuringly, "Our sun in not big enough to become a black hole…" Asked about his view of Earth, he told the students, "Earth is very, very beautiful.
In the daytime you see the blue of the ocean, the white snow and tan deserts, and in the night you can see lights and lightning. Just the other day I flew
over Coronado and saw the beach and the big hotels…"
One student asked if the space station's living quarters looked like an apartment. Phillips replied, "It's sort of like an apartment. We have a kitchen,
a bathroom and two tiny bedrooms." In view of the fact that ISS astronauts are in space for months at a time, Adam Phillips, the astronaut's nephew, asked,
appropriately, how Phillips kept in touch with his family. "I can send and receive e-mail," he replied. "I have weekly video conferences with my wife and
two children, and I can even make phone calls some of the time. In fact I'm going to call my brother Nathan and your family one of these days."
Roberto Vittori, Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and John Phillips, KE5DRY
The ISS Expedition 11 crew and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori (top left) inspect the interior of their Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft. Expedition
11 is commanded by cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR (center), with NASA astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY (right), serving as flight engineer. ESA photo.
Click here
to listen to the ARISS QSO between NA1SS and students at Coronado Village Elementary School in California: [8:07]. ARRL and ARISS thank MCI for making this
audio clip possible.
One envious student asked how to become an astronaut. "Well," Phillips replied, "you start by doing well in school and then going to college and start a
career as a scientist, engineer, pilot or a medical doctor."
The last question belonged to Mrs Singleton, who was filling in for an absent student. She asked Phillips whether he dreams in space. "I haven't remembered
any dreams in space yet," he replied, "but that's normal for me because I hardly ever remember them on Earth, either."
ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
ARRL and United States Power Squadrons Join Forces in Education
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 3, 2005--The ARRL and the United States Power Squadrons (
USPS),
a national boating and educational organization, will formally ratify a memorandum of understanding (
MoU)
on June 4. The MoU spells out areas where the two organizations can work together in educational activities of overlapping or mutual interest to their respective
memberships.
"ARRL and USPS have long and distinguished histories, both dating back to 1914, but both organizations have their focus on the future," said ARRL CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ. "It is a pleasure to be working together." Sumner signed the MoU on behalf of the League, while Chief Commander G. Leslie Johnson signed
for the USPS.
Among other things, the MoU calls for the League and USPS to assist each other in marketing, developing and promoting educational materials specific to
the dual interests of the recreational boater and the Amateur Radio operator. In addition, the two organizations have agreed to collaborate in the development
and distribution of promotional materials and to develop products to serve boaters who are also Amateur Radio licensees.
With a mission of promoting safe boating through education, USPS--"America's Boating Club"--has more than 50,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across
the continental US, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Japan. Local squadrons offer public boating safety courses on a regular basis. Successfully completing
a USPS boating course qualifies boaters to meet the educational requirement for boat licensing and operation in most states. It's also a requirement to
become a local Power Squadron member.
Organized in 1914 as a non-profit boating organization, USPS is a world leader in speaking out for and promoting the needs of all recreational boaters.
USPS teaches classes in seamanship and navigation to help our members improve their boating skills, confidence and performance on the water. In addition,
through a cooperative program with the US Coast Guard, squadron members conduct vessel safety checks to make sure boaters have all Coast Guard-required
equipment aboard.
USPS Dayton booth
US Power Squadrons representatives were a part of ARRL EXPO 2005 at Dayton Hamvention in May.
"This is a great way to introduce boating education to the thousands of ARRL members," said Don Stark, ham radio operator and USPS member. "Many hams are
also boaters and see the value of continuing boating education. The USPS advanced and elective courses are a natural for this kind of study."
Stark says USPS on-the-water events often are coordinated using Amateur Radio, so the match of boating and Amateur Radio operations is a good fit.
"It's also a great way to introduce boaters to Amateur Radio," said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "Time and again hams have
shown that Amateur Radio gets emergency messages through when other systems fail or are overloaded. The ability to have such a resource on board would
make any skipper safer and better able to render aid if needed."
The USPS/CPS Amateur Radio Net meets Saturdays, 1700 UTC, on 14.287 MHz. A once-a-month 10-meter net takes place on the first Saturday of each month at
1800 UTC on 28.357 MHz.
Nebraska Bill Would Effectively Prohibit BPL
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 3, 2005--Nebraska's unicameral
legislature
has passed a bill supported by telecommunications interests to ban "agencies, political subdivisions and public power suppliers" from providing any broadband,
Internet, telecommunications or video services. This would include broadband over power line (BPL). The "Unicam," as it's called, approved the measure,
LB 645, by a vote of 37-8-4.
"So it's time for rejoicing, ARRL Nebraska State Government Liaison Bob Mitchell, WB0RJJ," said. "BPL is dead in Nebraska for this year!"
ARRL Nebraska Section Manager Matthew Anderson, KA0BOJ, hailed the bill's passage as "great news." He also extended congratulations to the Nebraska Section
team for its work in securing passage for the measure. "All of our contacts, letters, e-mails, phone calls and personal visits have paid off," he said.
"This is indeed a great day for ham radio in Nebraska."
Mitchell said even if LB 645 is overturned next year, he believes BPL by then "will have been superseded by superior technology that will not pollute the
RF environment." The measure now goes to Gov David Heineman for his signature. Mitchell said it's unlikely that the governor would veto the bill.
The legislation also creates a Broadband Services Task Force to study--among other things--"The need and necessity for the provision of wholesale broadband
services, Internet services, telecommunications services or video services by agencies or political subdivisions of the state and public power suppliers."
The task force will report to the legislature, the governor, and the Unicam's Natural Resources and Transportation and Telecommunications committees by
December 1, 2006.
The "final reading" text of the bill is available via the Unicam's
Web site.
r
House Resolution 230 "A Fair Request," ARRL President Says
Dayton05-W5JBP-1
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, makes a point during his "ARRL Goes to Washington For You" forum at Dayton Hamvention 2005.
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 6, 2005--ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says House Resolution 230 (
HRes 230)
represents "a fair request" to the FCC and deserves the support of the US House of Representatives. Sponsored by Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, of Arkansas, HRes
230 calls on the FCC to comprehensively evaluate BPL's interference potential incorporating "extensive public review and comment," then to "reconsider
and review" its
new BPL rules
in the light of that public input. Renewing his call for League members to contact their congressional representatives to sign on as cosponors of the non-binding
measure, Haynie said Ross's resolution only asks the FCC to do what it should have done in the first place regarding BPL.
"What this basically asks the FCC to do is to take another look at their methodology and how they arrived at the conclusions they did," Haynie said. The
FCC adopted
rules
to govern so-called Access BPL last October 14 in ET Docket 04-37. "I think that's a fair request and something that we should do as amateurs to make sure
this is done right and not without a lot of haste." Haynie says Motorola's announcement of its
Powerline LV system
suggests the FCC rules can provide much greater protection to radicommunication services without preventing properly engineered BPL systems from going forward.
US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR.
Ross, who is one of two amateur licensees in the US Congress (the other is Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, of Oregon), introduced HRes 230 on April 21. He told
Broadband Over Power Line World (
BPLW)
recently that he's concerned about potential interference that BPL deployment could generate.
"Based on my own knowledge of the unique nature of the high-frequency radio spectrum, I was concerned about the evidence submitted to the Federal Communications
Commission that I believe demonstrates the need to postpone any rules regarding BPL deployment," Ross said. He explained that passage of HRes 230 would
put the House on record as "supporting a more careful study by the FCC of the radio interference issue, especially as it relates to public safety communication,
and reconsideration of the adequacy of the rules in light of this study."
While HRes 230 does not specifically address the BPL concerns of the Amateur Radio community, Ross said those concerns were what led him to look more closely
at BPL's implications for the public safety community. He noted that the federal interagency emergency SHARES (SHAred RESources) network uses HF, and many
states and localities still use the 30-50 MHz "low-VHF" band for public safety communications--spectrum that some BPL pilot projects also have occupied.
Ross said BPL interference on HF would be proportional to the extent of the technology's deployment using medium-voltage power lines. "Broadband energy
cannot be put on these lines without causing interference to radio receivers using the same frequencies," he explained to BPLW's Marc Strassman. He also
said the existing emission limits are "much too high" and never were intended to apply to systems like BPL. Existing BPL systems should be made to conform
to future limits, he added.
He said BPL's potential to disrupt aviation operations is so great that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) successfully
argued to prohibit Access BPL via medium-voltage power lines on frequencies used by commercial aeronautical communications.
Ross also wants the Commission to address "without further delay" the "substantial number" of BPL interference complaints now pending at the FCC. And while
he'd like to see his colleagues eventually approve HRes 230, he hopes the FCC will "take the interference issue to heart, whether or not the resolution
is adopted."
He further expressed the hope that BPL companies will "realize it's in their interest to treat the interference issue as a technical and engineering challenge,
not as a political issue."
Speaking at Dayton Hamvention in May, Haynie urged individual amateurs to begin participating in the political process. "We've got to ratchet up our presence,"
he told a forum audience. Haynie said that while ARRL can serve as the unified voice of the national association for Amateur Radio, individual licensees
are voters, and lawmakers are quite aware that there are radio amateurs in their districts.
Regarding HRes 230 specifically, Haynie said this week that the task at hand is to encourage other House members to sign on as cosponsors of the resolution
as the first step toward House adoption. And that's where League members come in, he said.
"I really encourage you to contact your congressional representative," Haynie said. "It's listed in the front of almost every phone book who your congressman
is. If not, you can go to the
United States House of Representatives
Web site and find out by typing in your ZIP code. I really encourage you to do this because it's important to the future of Amateur Radio."
A
sample letter
is available on the ARRL Web site, but Haynie called on members to express their support for the resolution in their own words.
To expedite delivery, send all correspondence bound for Members of Congress--preferably as an attachment--to
hres230@arrl.org
or fax it to 703-684-7594. The ARRL will bundle correspondence addressed to each Member of Congress for hand delivery.
Procedural & Substantive Grounds
Amateur Radio Operators Weigh Legal Challenge to FCC’s BPL Order
Expressing disappointment over the Bush administration’s “failure” to prevent radio spectrum “pollution”
by BPL systems, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) said it was weighing various remedies, including a
legal challenge to the FCC’s BPL order (CD Oct 15 p4). In a letter to Commerce Secy. Donald Evan, ARRL Pres.
Jim Haynie said that despite the “excellent” work done by the NTIA to “document the extensive harmful interference
that will occur if BPL systems are deployed at the radiated emission limits permitted by the FCC rules, it appears
that the NTIA concurred in the FCC’s decision not to tighten those limits.” The ARRL had lobbied the FCC
in vain at the last minute to get the emission limits reduced.
ARRL CEO David Sumner said in an interview that it was likely that the amateurs would file a petition for
review of the FCC’s rules on procedural and substantive grounds. On the procedural issues, he said FCC Chmn.
Powell’s attending a BPL event in Manassas, Va., on the eve of the Oct. 14 Commission meeting at which the BPL
order was adopted (CD Oct 14 p2) was “clearly a violation.” The FCC gen. counsel can “try to put whatever lipstick
on it he wants after the fact,” he said, “but it was clearly prohibited.” Even if Powell’s attendance was permitted,
Sumner said, the Commission is required to reveal the information obtained from the Manassas presentation
and hasn’t done so. The other procedural issue is the Commission’s refusal to release the results of its technical
studies, on which it says it based its BPL decisions.
Sumner said the NTIA’s submission to the FCC noted that the probability of harmful interference to amateur
radio was actually 100% within 200 m of a power line at 4 MHz and within 400 m of a power line at 20
MHz. Given that, it’s “completely unreasonable” to expect amateur operators -- whose stations are invariably
closer than that to power lines -- to deal with every instance of harmful interference, he added. Asked if he realistically
expected the FCC to reduce emission limits, he said the amateurs knew it would very difficult to persuade
the Commission to do that: “There is a solid technical basis for a lower limit.” In its discussions of notching,
the FCC has acknowledged the desirability of reducing emission by 20dB, he said, although it needs to be
closer to 30-40dB to bring the probability of interference down to a reasonable level. “They [FCC] clearly understand
there is a problem here. But they also are trying to encourage BPL... so they can be seen as promoting
competition in the delivery of broadband services.”
JUILLET &
SAULT STE. MARIE, CANADA’S FIRST
WORKING BPL INSTALLATION
AOÛT 2004
Bob Hawkins, VE3AGC
Late January 2004 was the beginning of
the first working Broadband over
Powerline (BPL) installation in Canada.
The installation was a partnership of
Amperion Corporation of Massachusetts
and PUC Telecom, a subsidiary of the
Sault city Public Utility Commission.
Amperion offers three “solutions” for
placing BPL on a power grid. The Lynx
1000 is marketed for locations where the
power grid is mostly underground (such
as new housing developments). The
Falcon 1000 is used where injector/
extractor/repeaters are added to an
existing power grid directly on the
medium voltage lines. The Griffin 1000
system is used where injector/extractor/
repeaters are mounted in boxes on the
power poles and connected to the power
grid wiring via linking wires and
hardware. This last system is the one
installed in a small area of downtown
Sault.
The Sault Layout
The trial network established in the Sault
is a closed loop involving fibre optic
cable, medium voltage transmission
lines and WiFi reception.
The transmission over medium voltage
lines is done using six Griffin 1000 units
mounted on telephone poles along the
BPL pathway. The signal goes out from
the PUC central office to a local
substation via fibre optic cable where it
is converted to WiFi
and broadcast.
A receiving unit on
the first Griffin
receives the signal
and converts it to HF
that is then “inserted”
onto one of the three
phase medium
voltage lines in a
nearby power grid.
Where this grid
section ends, the
signal is “extracted”
from the medium
voltage line and WiFi
(wireless networking
signals usually
described in
computer jargon as
802.11) transmitted
to another Griffin unit
which repeats the
process over a second leg of medium
voltage line.
A third section in the Sault trial ends with
a Griffin transmitting WiFi receivable
back into the PUC office and
surrounding area, thus closing the loop.
WiFi is the usual term used to describe a
2.4
or 5 GHz signal transmitted to any receiver within range. Usual effective networking ranges are 100-200 metres. Power output is unknown.
Each Griffin unit not
only acts as a down- or
up-converter between
WiFi and HF over the
power grid, but also
has the ability to be
reconfigured via
transmitted signal.
Each Griffin unit
communicates with its
partner on that leg of
the grid via a pair of
HF frequencies. Thus
each leg of medium
voltage line carries two
HF signals. Typical
bandwidths are 2.5
and 3.75 MHz.
I assume that the
wider bandwidth signal
is the Internet traffic
carrier signal. This
does mean that there
is about 6 MHz of HF bandwidth in use
on each leg of the WiFi grid.
Amperion literature says that over long
runs the HF signal is repeated about
every 2000 feet. As the longest run in
the Sault is about 1000 feet, there are no
Griffin units in the trial area acting as
repeaters. Injected HF power can only
be estimated from the Griffin published
specifications. But a power level of
10-20 watts for the injection transmitter
maximum power seems reasonable.
The three sections of medium voltage
test lines are Church Street
(approximately 320 metres), Queen
Street (approximately 100 metres) and
Bay Street (approximately 120 metres).
Testing BPL
I visited the Sault on two occasions to
study the BPL installation. The first was
on March 25-26, 2004. During the first
visit I was able to obtain a general
overview of the BPL installation there, do
some testing of unintentional radiation
levels, and meet a variety of people
connected to the presence of BPL in
Sault Ste. Marie. I had several specific
points to look for in tests to be carried
out. After the first tests on March 25-26, I
found additional points in the Internetbased
literature that sent me back to the
Sault for a second visit on April 19.
Doug Slomke of the Industry Canada
field office in the Sault was able to give
me some technical details of the
installation. Bob Rollins, President of the
Algoma ARC, and Frank MacDonald,
mc-ref
Map courtesy of MapQuest.com
TCA La Revue des Radioamateurs Canadiens
1
JULY &
AUGUST 2004
President of the Algoma Seniors
Electronic Communicators, were able to
give me details of the “happenings”
taking place in the Sault. Unfortunately,
business activities prevented Martin
Wyant, General Manager of PUC
Telecom, from seeing me on two
occasions during my visits there. I was
able to exchange emails with Mr. Wyant
later. The layout of the BPL setup in the
Sault is shown in the Sault BPL Map on
the previous page.
In going to the Sault I wanted to do
several things. The first was to acquaint
myself with the nature of the received
radio signals from BPL in the Sault.
Published reports on the World Wide
Web (WWW) have both audio and audio/
visual recordings at BPL test sites from
around the world. The ARRL in the USA
has published their own tests. On their
video, Test Site 3 is an Amperion Lynx
site. A visit to Penn Yan, NY by Dave
Hallidy, K2DH, resulted in a log
recording of an Amperion Griffin 1000
installation. There are published
recordings of BPL from Austria, Japan,
Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland and
Spain. These have some similarities and
many differences.
The second was to ascertain the level of
signal volume at different distances in
order to evaluate the occurrence of
interference with Amateur Radio signal
reception. Third was the desire to see
whether the transmission of Amateur
Radio signals would pose a problem to
the Internet data carried by BPL. Fourth
was to obtain pictures where possible of
the installation for future reference. Fifth
was to obtain my own recordings that
could be added to the library of BPL on
the World Wide Web.
I believe I have been successful in all
except point three. During both visits the
weather was uncooperative. The first
visit was cool and cloudy with a high
wind. Photos are quite flat in tone as a
result. On the second visit the weather
was worse with temperatures still around
3-7 C and blowing rain made testing very
uncomfortable. In addition, there was no
“good” location to set up a real world
ham radio antenna to receive or transmit.
As a result my receive-only test suite is
described below.
The radio used was a Yaesu FT817
backpacking radio operating from
internal battery or external vehicle
power. The radio receives continuously
from below 500 KHz to 56 MHz as well
as bands above this. For testing I kept
the frequency range from 2 to 56 MHz.
The Amperion system has no published
capabilities above 80 MHz. The signal
strength meter was used for relative
signal strength. Please see below for
comments on calibration. The common
testing mode was AM (bandwidth about
9 kHz), but little difference was noted by
using SSB (2.5 kHz) or FM (15 kHz).
The antenna used was a
“Superantenna MP-1” backpacker
antenna made by Vern Halter, W6MMA.
It is a shortened quarter-wave vertical
antenna with a base loaded coil. The
coil is continuously adjustable from 6.5
MHz to above 100 MHz to resonate the
antenna. I chose a resonance about 27
MHz and did not try to reset the
antenna when receiving on any other
frequency. This antenna has its own
small tripod and is quick to erect and
move. It is insensitive to received signal
strength due to its small size (see later
comments). Cable was 50 feet of
RG8X. No ground plane wires were
used for simplicity of operation. See
comments below comparing the MP-1
to typical ham antennas.
Test Results
The first tests were carried out on
Thursday, March 25. A setup directly in
front of the PUC office building on
Queen Street found no trace of any
noise. At this time I did not know any
technical details of the installation in the
Sault and it seemed a good place to
start.
After visiting the IC Sault office and
getting the technical details presented
on a layout map, I went to each of the
BPL sections in turn. I began on Church
Street, parked across the street from,
and a little south of Griffin unit #1.This
unit was described as transmitting on 32
MHz. I found a strong “carrier” tone
between 32 and 33 MHz with no trace of
the data “clicks” evident on other BPL
recordings posted on the World Wide
Web. Signal level was about S1.
On the section along Queen Street,
there were carrier and data “clicks”
around 25 MHz as well as the signal
around 31.55 MHz. An 18-wheel
“trucker” went by (Church/Wellington is
Highway 17B) and his CB transmissions
were interrupted by clicks on a
frequency of 26.919 MHz. Directly under
the extractor operating at 13 MHz on
Queen, the signal level was S5-S9
varying. Behind the PUC office on Bay
Street, the short wave band at 21.5 MHz
was mostly clear with faint carrier
intermittently present from 21 to 29 MHz
with levels below S1 (no meter reading).
I walked the three sections again using
only the short whip antenna (“rubber
duck”) on the FT817 and found that five
of the six poles where Griffin units were
mounted had grounding wires running
down to ground rods at the base of the
pole. Three were covered with
weatherproofing. Two had exposed
wires. Why one Griffin unit was not
grounded was not determined.
The ground wires were tested by holding
the rubber duck antenna next to them.
All were similar with carrier signals
present sporadically from below 13 MHz
to above 36 MHz. This was a surprise as
each section of BPL is isolated from the
others. Yet the signals were getting
across the streets and into the ground
lines.
I checked another pole just across from
Griffin #5 which lies in front of the Bush
Plane Museum. It is not part of the BPL
network directly. However the medium
voltage lines from the Queen Street
section run down Bay to this pole.
Another set of lines run along Bay from
this pole that includes the last section of
BPL test line. Why PUC Telecom chose
to WiFi the signal from Griffin #4 on
Queen to Griffin #5 on Bay when there is
a direct medium voltage linkage between
the two sections via this pole is
unknown. However, the ground wire on
this pole also carried carrier signals from
below 13 MHz to above 36 MHz as did
the other five tested ground wires.
Signals were clearly being picked up at
this pole site even though it was not part
of any BPL test section. This indicates
BPL signals are also received inductively
by power wires away from the BPL line.
After visiting all sections of the BPL test
area, I was about to return to my motel
when the BPL conditions changed. The
signal levels rose enormously, causing
table with 2 columns and 8 rows
Table 1:
Broad 32.29->29.220->28.00
Typical signal frequencies
27.120->strong 26.965->26.170
detected in ground wires
sporadic to 23.10
measured March 25, 2004.
strong 20.745->19.53->19.275
These are from the pole in
fades at 18.030
front of the Bush Plane
strong 17.785->17.140 (gone there)
Museum.
SWL station at 17.705 blotted out
Intermittent carrier 14.420->10.205 (gone there)
table end
2
TCA Canada’s Amateur Radio Magazine
JUILLET &
AOÛT 2004
22.795->21.715 level S8
SWL station at 21.645 barely audible through BPL carrier
Level varies S1 21.000->21.220
S5 21.220->21.450
S8 20.000 MHz no time signal heard
S4 to 19.940, gone at 18.870
Start 16.920, S8 16.805
Continues to 15.700, SWL station at 15.725 barely audible in
BPL,
Deutsche Welle at 15.240 S9+ audible clearly above BPL S8
Time signal at 15.000 wiped out by BPL – can’t make out
anything
S8 to 14.290 gone by 14.265
Maritime net at 14.300 wiped out by BPL-faint talking only
detectable (USB)
Short wave stations 13600-13800 easy and clear.
Table 2:
Results of BPL Measuring
on April 19, 2004
me to realize that I had been testing the
system while it was in a quiescent mode.
I was able to make a series of
measurements late on March 25 and in
the morning of March 26 while the
system was apparently active.
After 4 pm on March 25, I measured the
signal level from a location close to
Griffin #1 on Church Street. I parked on
the west side of Church about one power
pole south of the Griffin extractor and set
the antenna on the curb side snow drift.
The signal level ran S8 to S9 on the
FT817 meter. The antenna location was
about 50 metres from the Griffin #1 pole
and at ground level. The Griffin units are
about 9 metres up, a little below the
medium voltage power lines. As only
frequencies that the system had been
signal at 15.000 MHz was obliterated by
transmissions centered on 32 and 25
reconfigured since my trip almost a
the BPL carrier level. CHU Canada
MHz were loud, I believe this was not a
month earlier. We went to the location
above 14.6 MHz was likewise gone
full data transmission. BPL signal levels
behind the PUC office near Griffin #6.
below the noise. Short wave stations
were S8+ under extractor 1 on Church
The signals at 38 and 28 MHz were
below 14 MHz were clear and free of
with the rubber duck. I then moved one
gone. In their place were signals at 20
interference.
block east to a location about 50 metres
and 15 MHz (center frequencies). Peak
Bob and I walked the length of section 3
signals were again S8+ centered on
“south” of Wellington where BPL signals
of the BPL test area (directly under the
21.715
MHz and 16.805. The signals
were S6. Moving another three blocks
medium voltage line) along Bay Street
were as strong as they had been in
east on Wellington to a side street, then
with the FT817 rubber duck antenna.
March, just relocated in frequency. We
south of Wellington an equivalent
From Griffin 6 to Griffin 5 and back, the
checked several short wave
distance, BPL signal levels had
signal level remained constant S8+
broadcasters (SWL) as well as 20 metre
disappeared into the noise (<S0) using
(using the 21.8 MHz carrier) except for a
band USB nets and stations
the MP-1 antenna.
periodic drop to below S1 every 25
I returned to the Sault on April 19, 2004.
Results are summarized in Table 2. Of
metres or so. This was repeated on the
I met with Bob Rollins and we went to
significance was the loss of the Maritime
return walk from #5 to #6 at the same
various locations around the BPL test
net (it runs usually for 24 hours) at
place. It gave the impression of a
area. It was clear from the signals and
14.300
USB. Additionally, the WWV time
standing wave signal strength.
TCA La Revue des Radioamateurs Canadiens
3
AUGUST 2004
JULY &
The nulls were repeatable as the signal
devices below 30 MHz the limit is
The injector/extractor components were
could always be reduced by walking
30 uV/meter at 30 metres distance. The
not part of the licence and no licence
back to a null point.
second is to test at two different
was applicable for them as they were not
distances, measure the signal decay and
radio transmitters as such. Accordingly,
After dropping Bob off, I went back to
calculate at 30 metres distance. The last
at this time, any interference would be
make further measurements using
is to measure at one distance and
covered under Section 50 of the
different distances from the BPL line. I
calculate radiation density using a
Radiocommunication Regulations
chose a point midway between Griffin #5
formula of 40 dB/decade distance
regarding equipment for which no
and #6 and moved to different distances
change. This last method implies a rapid
standard exists.
at right angles to the medium voltage
decay (40 dB/decade) of signal strength.
line. Signal strength was S8 under the
This does not mean that Industry
I found from my measurements that the
MV line. It dropped to S6 at 55 metres
Canada has a lax position regarding
decay rate ran 20-25 dB per decade
from the MV line and S4 at 100 metres
BPL. To the contrary, the development of
distance change. I feel that for BPL
further away. I went north across Queen
BPL is of strong concern to Industry
systems the option to use the
to get farther away. At 400 metres I could
Canada. The regulatory problem is that
40 dB/decade method should be
not detect the carrier. When I went back
BPL is so new and so rapidly changing
deleted.
to a point at 200 metres from the MV line
that it lies outside current regulation. The
the signal disappeared. When I checked
The second problem is a technical
Sault installation was the first look at
at the Griffin #6 ground line there was no
submission by Ameren Energy, August
BPL by Industry Canada officials. The IC
signal! The system had gone completely
2003, to the American FCC. They
testing that took place in the Sault was
quiet.
claimed that their testing had shown that
done using equipment driven from and
BPL systems had signals decay in
back to Toronto. Other proposed
Expected Signal Levels in Ham
intensity away from the injector/extractor
installations will be closely studied by
Antennas
in any direction. I walked the third BPL
Industry Canada personnel to see how
I checked the S meter in the FT817
line on Bay Street to look for decay. I
new regulations will be developed.
against published calibration reports in
found that the signal not only showed no
The response to the FCC’s Notice of
signs of decay as I walked from Griffin 5
QST, Radcom and FunkAmateur. The S
Proposed Rulemaking regarding Part 15
to Griffin 6, but instead had peaks and
meter has a response of typically 3 dB
regulations in the USA will have a strong
nulls indicating a standing wave along
per S unit up to S9, at which point it
bearing on what happens here. The
that section of BPL line. It seems to me
becomes accurate for changes above
release of the US Department of
that at least the Amperion system will
S9. I also compared the MP-1 antenna
Commerce – National
show decrease of spurious emissions
with two other antennas: the Butternut
Telecommunications and Information
only travelling away at right angles to the
HF6V full-sized vertical and Alpha Delta
(NTIA) Technical Report on BPL Testing
BPL power grid line.
LB Plus multiband dipole in an inverted
released at the end of April 2004
vee configuration. The MP-1, as
contains copious information being
Regulation of BPL in Canada
expected, lost between 20 and 25 dB of
evaluated here to test BPL systems
I was able to interview Jean-Claude
signal compared to full-sized antennas,
using new or current methods.
Brien, Director, EMC and Consultation,
Industry Canada is involved with other
with only small variations at different
Industry Canada at length. He was able
government agencies in this process.
frequencies. This means that the S
to clarify the regulatory position of BPL
Mr. Brien did state that if/when the FCC
meter readings of the test setup should
in Canada.
generates regulations regarding BPL,
be increased typically by 20-25 dB to get
values expected on normal Amateur
At the present time, Industry Canada
Canada will seriously consider
Radio setups using ground mounted
has no clear regulations covering BPL.
harmonizing on a technical level, but our
verticals or wire dipole antennas.
The radio specification standard RSS
regulations will be different enough to
210 applies to intentional radiators.
I ran tests on both March 25 and April 19
serve the situation in Canada.
On the subject of interference, Mr. Brien
reaffirmed that reports of interference to
primary spectrum users will be treated in
a manner consistent with previous
behaviour, regardless of whether they
are caused by BPL or other sources.
Complaints concerning reception of
short wave broadcasters would be
rate of
accorded the same status as other
about 20-25 dB per decade distance
The interference causing equipment
complaints. Additionally, unlicensed
increase from the BPL line. Extrapolating
standard ICES-006 applies to AC wire
spectrum users would be subject to the
Table 3, the BPL signal should be
carrier current devices of a design for
same rules regarding interference from
audible to distances of more than 4
which any radiation of radio frequency
licensed users as at present.
kilometres using normal ham rigs and
energy is unintentional. But Mr. Brien
the above mentioned antennas.
Thanks
indicated that this regulation was more
for small point sources, such as
Peculiarities of Testing
Many people have contributed
individual devices and/or radiating
information, feedback or help regarding
Two points seemed to be amiss dealing
apparatus rather than extended sites
BPL.
with BPL noise levels. One is the testing
such as BPL. Furthermore, ICES-006 is
process, the other advanced by Ameren
Particular thanks go to Bob Rollins,
Energy, another BPL equipment
specifically applicable to AC wire carrier
VA3RRN and the members of the
manufacturer.
current devices used in business and
Algoma ARC and Sault Seniors EC,
Jean Claude Brien and Doug Slomke of
residential buildings known as in-house
BPL. Consequently, Access BPL,
Industry Canada, Roger Parsons, VE3ZI,
The first is the measurement of spurious
i.e., BPL using exterior power lines, is
Jim Dean, VE3IQ of RAC, Bob Chandler,
radiation level at the specified distance
not covered by the current ICES-006
VE3SRE, Dana Shtun, VE3DSS, Steve
to meet compliance with USA Part 15
standard.
Kavanagh, VE3SMA and Dave Hallidy,
regulations. For testing, three methods
are acceptable. The first is to test at the
The developmental licence for the PUC
K2DH.
designated distance and measure
Telecom/Amperion setup actually only
covered the WiFi transmitters.
radiation field strengths. For Part 15
to see the
decay rate
of the BPL
signals. In
both cases
the signal
seemed to
drop at a
10-20 metres > S9+20
(effectively under/adjacent the BPL power wires)
100 metres > S9+10
400 metres > S9
1 kilometre > S5
Table 3
Expected BPL noise levels
at various distances from
the Sault BPL installation
using verticals or wire
dipole antennas.
TCA Canada’s Amateur Radio Magazine
CALL SIGN: ____________________
NAME: ___________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________
CITY: ______________________________________ STATE: ______ ZIP: __________
CATEGORY: ________________________________________________
QSO’S: __________ X MULTIPLIERS: __________ = POINTS: _________ + BONUS:
table with 4 columns and 3 rows
__________
= TOTAL POINTS:
____________
(Handhelds multiply “POINTS “ times 2)
CALL SIGN
NAME
AREA
table end
WAMCO OFFICAL LOG (CONT.)
CALL SIGN NAME AREA
STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT
Call Used ______________________________ ARRL Section or Country _____________________________________
Call of Operator if Different from Call Used _________________________________________________________________
Check one: ❑ Single Operator ❑ Multioperator
If Multioperator, list call signs of all operators and loggers: ____________________________________________________
Number of Straight Key QSOs ___________________________________________________________________________
Number of Hours Operated ______________________________________________________________________________
My vote for the Best Fist is ______________________________________________________________________________
My vote for the Most Interesting QSO is ___________________________________________________________________
Please note any interesting stories, equipment, and comments below: __________________________________________
Please enclose log, photos, comments, ideas, etc. with your entry and mail within 30 days after the contest to:
SKN, ARRL Contests, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111.
Email: straightkey@arrl.org www.arrl.org/contests
“I have observed all competition rules as well as all regulations for Amateur Radio in my country. My report is correct and
true to the best of my knowledge. I agree to be bound by the decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee.”
Date ______________________ Signature _______________________________________ Call ___________________
Name _________________________________________________ Call _____________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________
E-mail address
Tang--or Something Like it--Still a Space Drink
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 1, 2003--Despite some technical problems, youngsters at the
Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana
got answers to more than a dozen questions via ham radio from NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ. The direct
2-meter contact took place June 26 between Lu, at the controls of NA1SS, and W9PUC, the call sign of the Purdue Calumet Amateur Radio Society, whose members
assisted in setting up the Earth station equipment. The contact was arranged as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
One youngster asked Lu if astronauts still drink Tang--the orange drink made from powder--while in space. "Actually, we do have an orange drink, I'm not
sure if it's actually Tang or not--actually, I think it might be--but it's labeled as 'orange drink.'" Lu said. "When you add water to it, it tastes pretty
good."
Despite the February 1 shuttle Columbia disaster, Lu told another Challenger Center camper that he was not worried about having to pass through Earth's
atmosphere when the crew returns from space in October. "Obviously, space flight can be risky, but our ship is totally different than the shuttle," he
said, noting that the Russian Soyuz now being used to transport ISS crew members doesn't even have wings. "I think it will go just fine," Lu predicted.
Expedition7-Lu-2
Tang or something like it: Astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, gets ready to prepare a meal in the ISS galley. Lu celebrates his 40th birthday today, and Hawaii Gov
Linda Lingle has proclaimed July 1 "Edward Tsang Lu Day" in Hawaii. Lu considers Honolulu his hometown, and he and Yuri Malenchenko received a supply of
colorful aloha shirts earlier this month. Mission Control flight control team members will wear Hawaiian shirts July 1 to honor Lu's birthday. [NASA Photo]
The Expedition 6 crew experienced a bit of a bumpy landing this spring in its Soyuz spacecraft and also undershot their landing zone. The NASA shuttle fleet
remains grounded as the space agency continues its investigation into the Columbia tragedy.
Taking off from Earth was quite an experience, Lu told another youngster, saying it felt as if "a giant hand" were pushing him back into his seat aboard
the Soyuz. Lu has been maintaining a Web site that describes his perspective on
life in space.
The Expedition 7 crew of Lu and Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUO, has another four months left on its duty tour. Lu--who turns 40 years old
in space today--told the youngsters--who were in grades three through eight--that the two-man crew has been involved in hundreds of experiments, some of
which involve observing the Earth and others the crew members themselves, he said.
Click here
to listen in on the ARISS QSO between Astronaut Ed Lu at NA1SS and the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana: [10:10]
The contact was plagued at various points by a poor downlink signal reception. "There were quite a few times where Ed was pretty rough copy, although he
said he heard us just fine," said Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, the ARISS mentor for the contact. Local AM radio station WJOB aired the contact.
Sufana said some 150 to 175 people were in attendance for the event. Ed Perosky, K9TZT, was the Amateur Radio coordinator for the contact, while Mark Skowronski,
K9MQ, serves as the control operator. Members of the Lake County Amateur Radio Club also assisted in the contact's success.
ARISS is an international program with participation by NASA, ARRL and AMSAT.
Make a Map of Your Radio Club
By Kenneth Harker, WM5R
July 1, 2003
More than simple drawings of where club members live, clubs can use maps to help plan activities, assist new members in finding Elmers, coordinate during
disasters and more.
For a few years now, I have been the Webmaster for the
Central Texas DX & Contest Club.
One of the features on our Web site is a set of maps showing the locations around town and in the surrounding countryside where our members live. Our maps
also highlight to show where the local DX Cluster nodes are located. The maps are useful for coordinating club activities and for connecting club members
with new and prospective club members who live nearby.
In our particular club, highlighting the DX Cluster locations can help members decide which clusters to try out. In a repeater club, highlighting repeater
locations might be a desirable focus of a club map. An ARES organization might highlight member locations, EOCs, hospitals, Red Cross headquarters and
other points of interest. Maps can do a lot that is useful for radio clubs.
map1
The red dots show the locations of CTDXCC members in the Austin, Texas, metropolitan area. Green dots represent the locations of area DX Clusters.
Making a map of your club members' locations is easier than you think, and if your club is located in the United States, it can be done without purchasing
any software. The maps I've made for the Central Texas DX & Contest Club were generated using the
US Census Bureau TIGER Map Server.
The TIGER Map Server (TMS) can be browsed interactively, or with a simple data file you can create in any text editor, you can draw custom maps on-line.
The map server can add several data layers to your map, showing city labels, county labels, highways, parks, railroads, census tracts, bodies of water and
more. The city/county/road labels are all from 1990 data, so some of them may be out of date. The TIGER map server was developed in 1995 as a proof-of-concept
project that proved to be useful enough to leave up and running after the end of the experiment. It's a fine tool for building a simple map of radio club
members' locations. Most importantly, the maps you download from the TIGER map server site are in the public domain and you are free to use them as you
choose. More details about what the TMS
can and cannot do
and what you can use it for are on the Web.
To generate a map using TMS that has multiple markers displayed on it, you will need to prepare an ASCII text data file. The data file contains one line
of text for each marker, indicating the exact latitude and longitude for the marker, the icon to use for the marker, and a label (if any) to put next to
the marker. This data file is accessed by the TMS over the Web, so you will need to place it--temporarily, at least--on a Web server so you can pass the
URL to the TIGER Map Server. A map can be requested directly from TMS by using a URL of the following format:
http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapgen?parameter¶meter&...
map2
This map contains the same set-up information as the previous map, but increases the scale to show hams farther out from Austin.
By providing the right parameters, you can turn the various data layers (the cities, counties, railroads and more) on or off. You will use the "murl" parameter
to pass the URL of your marker data file. This is
documented thoroughly
on the Web. An example of a file that places two markers on the map looks like:
#tms-marker
-97.765723,30.423949:reddot10:WM5R
-97.731050,30.286850:reddot10:N5XU
The first marker will be placed at 97.765723 degrees West and 30.423949 degrees North, it will be a red dot 10 pixels in diameter, and the text label for
it is "WM5R." The coordinates are given as longitude,latitude (note the order) with positive numbers for north and east, negative numbers for south and
west. "reddot10" is one of 77 different marker icon choices available. You can use red dots, green dots, blue dots, stars and pins, to name some of the
many choices with which you can experiment.
To generate a map with a file, you will need to load a URL in your Web browser that looks like the following example:
tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapgen/.gif?lat=30.435&lon=-97.79&off=CITIES
&wid=.66&ht=.66&iht=900&iwd=900&murl=http://www.example.org/example.dat
What does all this mean? ".gif?" means that the result will be a .gif formatted graphics file, and will use the following parameters, each of which is separated
by and ampersand (the & symbol). The first two parameters are "lat=30.435" and "lon=-97.79". These define the center of the map in latitude and longitude,
using decimal degrees, with positive denoting north and east, negative south and west. The next parameter is "off=CITIES". This overrides the default,
which is to draw city and town labels on the map. "wid=.66" and "ht=.66" specify how many degrees wide (in longitude) and high (in latitude) the map will
cover. In this case, we're drawing a square map that covers 2/3 of a degree by 2/3 of a degree, a good size for many metropolitan areas. "iht=900" and
"iwd=900" specify how many pixels high and wide the map should be. Finally, "murl=http://www.example.org/example.dat" specifies the URL of the marker data
file. (The data file can be removed after the map is generated.) You will want to experiment with different map centers, widths and heights to generate
the right map for you.
map3
A wide view of DX Clusters in the Austin area.
Once you generate a nice map that you like, save a copy to disk and use that for your club Web pages, meeting handouts and hamfest displays. If you place
the URL you used to create the map into your Web page design, you will force the TIGER Map Server to re-generate the map every time someone visits your
Web page. This can be slow and is unnecessary. You would also need to keep the data file online all the time, which you might not want to do. Save a copy
of the map, put that copy on your Web server and use it instead.
The biggest challenge to drawing really nice maps of radio club members' locations is determining accurate latitude and longitude values for each club member.
You probably have a street address for each club member, but how do you convert that to latitude and longitude? The process is called "
geocoding."
More information
on geocoding options is on the Web.
An easy source of latitude and longitude values are the coordinates reported in some of the online call book servers, such as
QRZ.com
and Buckmaster
HamCall.
These servers use geocoding approximations based upon the center of ZIP code boundaries, six digit Maidenhead grid locators, and other techniques that make
the results close, but sometimes less than perfect.
Depending on the scale of your map, these latitude and longitude values may be good enough. If you want to get really accurate, though, you'll want to explore
other options. See the ARRL Web site for general information on the
Maidenhead Locator System.
One option, of course, is to use the Global Positioning System (GPS). Handheld GPS receivers are so common now that simply asking your club members for
their latitude and longitude to five or six decimal digits of precision will get a lot of answers. For those that remain, an afternoon of driving around
town with a GPS receiver to get the rest may be all you need to do.
Another option is to use
TopoZone.
The maps served at the TopoZone Web site are scanned images of USGS topographic maps. There is no search facility for finding a location based on street
address and most of the streets on the USGS maps are not labeled, but if you can navigate to the right spot on the map (using another online mapping engine
as a guide, perhaps) and click on it, TopoZone will tell you the latitude and longitude to four decimal degrees of precision. Unfortunately, many USGS
topographical maps are years out of date, so streets may not match the current reality!
Finally, online geocoding services are available.
Tele Atlas
offers one such service. You can test drive their geocoding service for free (US addresses only) up to 25 queries. A license to geocode 1000 addresses is
just $50. Using a professional geocoding service like Tele Atlas will give you really accurate results. Many Geographic Information System (GIS) software
packages can also do geocoding, as well as excellent maps. For those serious about making maps, an investment in GIS software may be a good decision.
Maps can say so much more about your radio club membership than a simple list of club member names with counties or grid locators. Clubs can use maps to
help plan their services and activities, to assist new members in finding Elmers, to coordinate during disasters and more. With the US Census Bureau's
TIGER Map Server, it has never been easier to generate a nice digital image map with markers showing the locations of ham stations.
A ham since 1993, Ken Harker, WM5R, is a computer scientist for an Austin, Texas company that specializes in Internet performance monitoring and analysis.
He holds an Extra class license. He is a former president of the University of Texas Amateur Radio Club and is the current Webmaster for the Central Texas
DX & Contest Club. You can contact the author by surface mail at 7009 Fireoak Dr, Austin, TX 78759,
on the Web,
or via e-mail at
wm5r@arrl.net.
See You on 60! Five Channels Now Open for Use
By Rick Lindquist, N1RL
Senior News Editor
July 3, 2003
US amateurs have been counting down the weeks and days. Now, the five new 60-meter "channel center" frequencies--5332, 5348, 5368, 5373 and 5405 kHz--have
become available to US Amateur Radio operators. Given the constraints imposed on the five lightly used government frequencies, ARRL has been advising members
to demonstrate their best operating behavior and to use common sense when operating under the new rules. The channelized allocation at 5 MHz marks the
first new HF amateur band since the 1980s.
Given the constraints imposed on the five lightly used government frequencies, ARRL has been advising members to demonstrate their best operating behavior
and to use common sense when operating under the new rules. The channelized allocation at 5 MHz marks the first new HF amateur band since the 1980s.
The only legal mode is upper sideband voice (USB), with a maximum bandwidth of 2.8 kHz (centered within each channel). The FCC has imposed a 50 W effective
radiated power (ERP) limit, which its rules--§97.303(s)--define as the transmitter output in peak envelope power (PEP) multiplied by antenna gain relative
to a half-wave dipole or the equivalent calculation in decibels. The Commission presumes that a half-wave dipole on the 5 MHz allocation has a gain of
0 dBd--technically its "free-space gain." This means that if you use a half-wave dipole--about 87 feet 3 inches for the "middle" channel--setting your
transmitter's power output power at up to 50 W PEP should ensure compliance.
The FCC rules neither invite nor suggest creative ways for hams to justify running more than 50 W PEP transmitter power on the 5-MHz domestic, secondary
allocation. The rules also impose a new record-keeping requirement on amateurs using antennas other than half-wave dipoles or their equivalent. "Licensees
using other antennas must maintain in their station records either manufacturer data on the antenna gain or calculations of the antenna gain," the newest
addition to the FCC's Amateur Service rules says. Amateurs can safely ignore feed line losses. In most typical ham installations, feed line loss at 5 MHz
will be so small as to not have any practical effect on signal.
Under no circumstances may amateurs on 5 MHz radiate more than 50 W ERP in any direction, so those choosing to employ gain antennas will have to "do the
math" and calculate their ERP. When in doubt, think simple, not complicated. The bottom line for most hams will be to erect a wire dipole, set their transmitter
to 50 W PEP output and enjoy the new band.
Maxim Memorial Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says W1AW has no special plans to be on the air for the allocation's debut on July 3, but the station does
expect to have 60-meter capability within the week.
For more information, see the
60-Meter FAQs
posted on the ARRL Web site.
Working Stations in the UK
Amateurs in the US and the United Kingdom share one 5-MHz channel--5405 kHz. While it will be legal for US hams to work UK amateurs, US hams should keep
in mind that UK operators are on the air specifically as part of an experiment and not for routine contacts.
UK licensees must obtain a special Notice of Variance (NoV) to use the 5-MHz channels available to them--5260, 5280, 5290, 5400 and 5405 kHz--and their
access to the frequencies is temporary, ending in 2006. The RSGB's 5 MHz Working Group explains that the
Radiocommunications Agency
in the UK--in cooperation with the UK military--gave amateurs access on 5 MHz to enable propagation and equipment experiments to "assess and optimize inter-UK
links rather than to provide additional spectrum for general amateur operation."
As UK amateurs are being told, UK-US contacts "need to be carried out in the context of experimentation and care taken to maintain transmissions within
the channels allocated to UK amateur usage, whilst operating frequency offsets, where appropriate, to receive US amateur transmissions. UK amateurs are
limited to 3.0 kHz bandwidth.
The RSGB 5 MHz Working Group says it neither encourages nor discourages international contacts on 5 MHz but emphasizes that--at least for UK NoV holders--such
contacts need take place within "the context of experimentation."
Starting July 29, the RSGB's GB2RS began transmitting Amateur Radio news on 5 MHz as part of the continuing propagation investigations in the UK. The news
transmission at 1130 UTC are on 5405 kHz.
For more information on the UK experimental activity on 5 MHz, visit
the 5 MHz page
on the RSGB Web site.
Radio History is Made at WRC-03 with 7-MHz Realignment Compromise
WRC-03-IARUTeam-4C1-SP5FM-VK3KI-K1ZZ-VE7RWJ
(L-R) IARU team members Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM, Michael Owen, VK3KI, David Sumner, K1ZZ and Robert W. Jones, VE7RWJ. Jones is serving as a consultant
to the IARU. IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, heads the IARU observers. [Tim Totten, N4GN, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 3, 2003--There's good news from World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) for 40-meter enthusiasts. In an 11th-hour compromise,
delegates to WRC-03, which wraps up officially July 4, agreed to move broadcasters out of 7100 to 7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 to make room for the Amateur
Service. The agreement eventually will mean a 200-kHz worldwide allocation at 40 meters. Although the change does not go into effect until 2009, that's
considered speedy in International Telecommunication Union (ITU) terms. Some of the timelines proposed during discussions on the 7 MHz agenda item would
have held off the changes until 2033! The WRC-03 action on 7 MHz makes no change in the exclusive US 40-meter allocation. US amateurs will continue to
enjoy the full 7000 to 7300 kHz band they now have.
"History was made today," said International Amateur Radio Union Secretary (and ARRL CEO) David Sumner, K1ZZ, who called the agreement a big change over
the status quo. "Never before in the history of radiocommunication has an HF broadcasting band been shifted to accommodate the needs of another service.
But that's what happened at WRC-03 this morning."
Sumner said a "carefully crafted compromise" was approved on first and second reading in the WRC-03 Plenary. It calls for broadcasters to vacate 7100 to
7200 kHz by March 29, 2009, and it allocates the band to the Amateur Service from that date forward.
WRC-03-JanVerduijn-1
Sumner cited "the extraordinary efforts" of Jan Verduijn of the Radiocommunications Agency, The Netherlands, the CEPT Coordinator for Agenda Item 1.23--the
7 MHz issue. "Jan was totally committed to finding a solution, not only for radio amateurs but for broadcasters and the fixed and mobile services as well,"
Sumner said.
"This provides a worldwide amateur allocation of 200 kHz less than six years from now," noted Sumner, speaking on behalf of the IARU observer team headed
by IARU President Larry Price, W4RA. Sumner pointed out that the compromise cuts in half the incompatibility between amateur and broadcasting use of the
7 MHz band and doubles the 40-meter spectrum available to amateurs in Regions 1 and 3.
While the result falls short of the IARU's goal of a 300-kHz worldwide exclusive band for amateurs, Sumner explained that ITU conference decisions are reached
by consensus. "Building consensus requires give and take," he said, "and we didn't have much to give."
Sumner said the historic 7-MHz compromise "took the cooperation of broadcasters and many, many others to enable us to bring this home for radio amateurs."
He credited delegates and other conference participants--not all of them radio amateurs and including some who were strongly opposed to the proposal at
the start--with making the compromise possible.
A number of countries--mostly in Region 3 and the Arab States--also have allocated 7100 to 7200 kHz by "footnote" to Fixed and Mobile services, shared with
amateurs on a national basis. None of the countries is in Region 2.
More than 2600 delegates and other participants have been attending the four-week conference, chaired by Dr Veena Rawat of Canada. For WRC-03, the IARU
fielded its largest team of observers at an ITU conference in more than a decade.
WRC-03-CICG
The Geneva International Conference Center where WRC-03 took place is adjacent to International Telecommunication Union headquarters in Geneva.
"Good ITU compromises--and virtually every decision made here is a compromise--are sometimes described as leaving everyone equally unhappy," Sumner remarked.
"Your Geneva team is tired and pretty happy."
Other Amateur Radio-Related Actions at WRC-03
WRC-03 delegates also agreed to an extensive rewrite of Article 25 of the Radio Regulations, which defines the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services. Article
25 had included a requirement that an amateur applicant "shall prove that he is able to send correctly by hand and to receive correctly by ear texts in
Morse code signals" but permitted administrations to waive the requirement for operation for "stations making use exclusively of frequencies above 30 MHz."
The reworded Article 25.5 now says, "Administrations shall determine whether or not a person seeking a license to operate an amateur station shall demonstrate
the ability to send and receive texts in Morse code signals." Sumner said edits to the Article 25 rewrite--including the Morse issue--continued right up
to the proposal's first reading in the Plenary. That included agreement upon a Canadian proposal to replace the word "prove" with the word "demonstrate."
The practical difference is that the wording change now leaves it up to radiocommunication regulatory bodies in each country to determine if they wish to
require a Morse code test for amateur applicants. Some US observers predict that the revised wording of 25.5 will spark a flurry of petitions for rule
making to the FCC to eliminate Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse code examination, as a requirement for HF operation.
An additional Article 25 change calls on administrations to verify "the operational and technical qualifications" of amateur applicants, using ITU Radiocommunication
Sector
Recommendation M.1544
as guidance. Other revisions permit international communication on behalf of third parties only in case of emergencies and disaster relief, but it leaves
up to administrations to determine the applicability of the provision to amateur stations under their jurisdiction. In addition, an administration may
determine whether or not to permit those granted an amateur license by another administration to operate an amateur station while that licensee is temporarily
in its territory, "subject to such conditions or restrictions it may impose."
A more detailed explanation of these and other Article 25 changes is included in the article "
New Regulations for the Amateur Services,"
by Michael Owen, VK3KI, a member of the IARU team at Geneva, is available on the IARU Web site.
WRC-03-4U1ITUants
The rooftop antennas of 4U1ITU atop the headquarters of the International Telecommunication Union headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
In other Amateur Radio-related items, WRC-03 okayed revisions to Article 19 of the Radio Regulations to provide more flexibility for administrations to
assign amateur call signs. Administrations will be able to assign amateur stations call signs with suffixes containing up to four characters--the last
of which would be a letter. The prefix would be the national identifier and a single numeral (the "call district" in some countries) specified in the Radio
Regulations. For special events, the revision provides for even more than four characters for temporary use.
Delegates also provided a secondary allocation for satellite-borne synthetic aperture radars (SARs) within the 70-cm band (432-438 MHz), subject to limitations
designed to protect the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services, among others.
A ceremonial signing of the Final Acts of the Conference is set for the afternoon of July 4. Articles 19 and 25 take effect on July 5, 2003. In general,
the other Final Acts take effect on January 1, 2005.
Planning Under Way for Next WRC
Planning already is under way for the next WRC, tentatively planned to be held in 2007. Two items of significance to the Amateur Service are on the WRC-07
agenda being recommended by WRC-03 to the ITU Council.
The first calls for a review of "the allocations to all services in the HF bands between 4 MHz and 10 MHz" with a number of exclusions, including the band
7000 to 7200 kHz that WRC-03 just reviewed. Since spectrum requirements for HF broadcasting are among the factors to be taken into account, this item either
could present a threat to 7200 to 7300 kHz, or it could provide an opportunity for further realignment. "For both reasons it merits our close attention,"
Sumner said in his
final report from WRC-03. "
Unfortunately, the agenda item does not include a clear 'pointer' toward the desirability of trying to complete the [7 MHz] realignment."
The second item would "consider a secondary allocation to the Amateur Service in the frequency band 135.7-137.8 kHz." The low-frequency allocation is in
the common table of frequency allocations used by European administrations, and Canada has been pressing for such an allocation in the international Table.
Earlier this year, the FCC went along with objections from utility companies that use the band for power line carrier (PLC) communication and denied a
sliver allocation at 136 kHz to amateurs.
By Steve Ford, WB8IMY
Part 1—
1997 will
be the year
Amateur Radio
celebrates a new,
powerful satellite.
Will you be ready?
Get Ready for Phase 3D!
Date: April 1997
Location: Centre Spatial Guyanais
(CSG)
Kourou, French Guyana
The Ariane 5 rocket waits on the launch pad,
growling and seething like a caged beast.
Cryogenic pumps whine as torrents of liquid
hydrogen and oxygen pour into Ariane’s cavernous
fuel tanks. Its side-mounted solid-fuel
boosters remain silent—for now.
At T minus 6 minutes 30 seconds, launch
computers take complete control. Now
Ariane’s human masters can only watch and
wait. A single voice counts down the remaining
minutes in French.
A few seconds before zero the Vulcan
main engine comes to life. Ariane struggles
against its restraints as the thrust builds to
take-off power.
Zero! The boosters explode in incandescent
fury. Shock waves ripple through the
billowing exhaust, causing distant trees to
sway and sending flocks of frightened birds
scattering skyward. From the control center
technicians watch anxiously as the second
flight of Ariane 5 climbs slowly off the
launch pad.
To everyone’s relief, telemetry and radar
show the rocket on course, heading east and
accelerating to supersonic velocity. One hundred
and twenty-five seconds later, at an altitude
of about 36 miles, the boosters are
exhausted. They fall away from the fuselage
AMSAT-NA—KEITH BAKER, KB1SF
while the main engine continues to burn.
At T plus 10 minutes, the Vulcan engine
falls silent and the stages separate. The second-
stage engine ignites. As the rocket
streaks into the blackness, the nose-cone fairing
that has protected its precious cargo from
atmospheric friction is no longer needed. It
disengages and plummets earthward.
At T plus 24 minutes the second-stage
engine shuts down. Soon thereafter, a satellite
detaches and glides into space. The departing
“passenger” is Phase 3D, the largest
and most complex Amateur Radio satellite
ever created.
Even though the giant satellite has
achieved transfer orbit, its journey is far
from over. Now the Phase 3D teams shift into
high gear, testing various systems to make
sure they survived the ride to space. When all
is ready, they send the command that ignites
the main engine, hurling Phase 3D into a
high, elliptical orbit. More tests and engine
firings follow as the satellite is nudged into
its precise orientation.
At long last—about 90 days after it left
the confines of its mothership—Phase 3D
opens for general use, fulfilling the dreams
of thousands of hams throughout the world.
Of course, we’ll be calling it an OSCAR by
that time: Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur
Radio. Assuming that another Amateur
Radio satellite isn’t launched before it, Phase
3D will become OSCAR-31.
mc-ref
A close-up view of the business end of Phase
3D’s 400-Newton kick motor. The engine
burns a mixture of hydrazine and nitrogen
tetroxide to propel Phase 3D to its final orbit.
28 January 1997
Figure 1—The Earth as seen from OSCAR
13 (as depicted by InstantTrack satellitetracking
software). In this view, the satellite
is centered over the Pacific southwest of
Peru. When OSCAR 13 was in this position,
nearly every satellite-active ham in the
continental US could work stations
throughout the Caribbean, Central America,
South America and a large portion of the
South Pacific.
The Late, Great OSCAR 13
To understand Phase 3D you must know
the story of OSCAR 13. The satellite is just
above my horizon here in Connecticut as I’m
typing these words. By the time you read
them, however, OSCAR 13 will be little more
than a memory.
Launched in 1988, OSCAR 13 quickly
became the most popular satellite in Ama-
mc-ref
Figure 2—Phase 3D will travel in an elliptical orbit with a maximum altitude of
almost 30,000 miles (48,270 km). Imagine how much territory the satellite will “see”
from that height!
Table 1
Phase 3D Frequencies
Note: These are inverting transponders. For example, if you transmit upper
sideband in the lower portion of the uplink passband, the satellite repeats in
lower sideband in the upper portion of the downlink passband.
table with 3 columns and 25 rows
UPLINKS
Band
Digital (MHz)
Analog (MHz)
15 meters
—
21.210–21.250
2 meters
145.800–145.840
145.840–145.990
70 cm
435.300–435.550
435.550–435.800
23 cm (1)
1269.000–1269.250
1269.250–1269.500
23 cm (2)
1268.075–1268.325
1268.325–1268.575
13 cm (1)
2400.100–2400.350
2400.350–2400.600
13 cm (2)
2446.200–2446.450
2446.450–2446.700
6 cm
5668.300–5668.550
5668.550–5668.800
DOWNLINKS
Band
Digital (MHz)
Analog (MHz)
10 meters
none
29.330 MHz (To be used for AM
voice bulletins)
2 meters
145.955–145.990
145.805–145.955
70 cm
435.900–436.200
435.475–435.725
13 cm
2400.650–2400.950
2400.225–2400.475
3 cm
10451.450–10451.750
10451.025–10451.275
1.5 cm
24048.450–24048.750
24048.025–24048.275
BEACONS
Band
Beacon 1 (MHz)
Beacon 2 (MHz)
70 cm
435.450
435.850
13 cm
2400.200
2400.600
3 cm
10451.000
10451.400
1.5 cm
24048.000
24048.400
table end
teur Radio history. It traveled in an elliptical
orbit that sent it about 22,000 miles into space
at its greatest distance from Earth (its apogee).
From that vantage point, OSCAR 13
could “see” huge portions of the globe (Figure
1). Any station within its footprint could
use the satellite as a relay to work anyone
else within that footprint. Its transponders
functioned like repeaters in space, except that
they could relay many signals at once. When
the satellite was positioned over the Atlantic,
for example, hams east of the Mississippi
could enjoy SSB and CW conversations with
hams in Europe, the Middle East and much of
Africa.
Any tracking program could be used to
determine when OSCAR 13 was in range, but
there was an extra complication: Every 90
days the satellite shifted its orientation in
space so that its solar cells could receive
sufficient sunlight. When it did, its antennas
would point away from Earth, making it difficult
to use the bird. So, not only did you
have to know when you were within OSCAR
13’s footprint, you had to determine where
its antennas were pointing relative to your
station. This was the so-called “squint angle”
or “off-pointing angle.”
Also, OSCAR 13 was equipped with several
transmitters, but they were not very powerful.
This meant that most OSCAR-13 users
needed sizable antennas.
But despite these difficulties, OSCAR 13
never had a shortage of activity. On weekends
in particular, the downlink sounded like
20 meters. DXpeditions would bring satellite
equipment and treat OSCAR 13 like another
“band,” generating huge pileups!
More Than a Replacement
To say that Phase 3D is a mere replacement
for OSCAR 13 is like saying that a new
Ferrari is a “mere replacement” for a Ford
Taurus.
Consider the output power of Phase 3D’s
transmitters, as compared to OSCAR 13’s.
On 2 meters, OSCAR 13 managed to generate
about 50 W PEP. On the same downlink,
Phase 3D will pump more than 100 W PEP to
an 11-dB gain antenna. On its 2.4-GHz downlink,
OSCAR 13 produced a single watt of
output. On 2.4 GHz, Phase 3D will furnish
50 W to a 19-dB gain antenna!
With Phase 3D’s substantial output power
and high-gain antennas, you won’t need large
January 1997 29
AMSAT-NA—KEITH BAKER, KB1SF
mc-ref
Chuck Hennessey, W4AT, explains the Phase 3D fuel-delivery
system. The round objects are fuel tanks.
mc-ref
Phase 3D is a cooperative, international project. Here the Phase 3D
project workers meticulously check drawings and schematics at the
AMSAT-DL Laboratory in Marburg, Germany. From left, Dick Jansson,
WD4FAB, AMSAT-NA Vice President, Engineering; Karl Meinzer,
DJ4ZC, AMSAT-DL President and Phase 3D Project Leader; Peter
Guzelow, DB2OS; and Werner Haas, DJ5KQ, AMSAT-DL Vice President.
antennas on many bands, or great amounts of mixed and matched as the need arises. For and all tests are complete.)
RF power on any bands. That translates into example, the satellite could be configured to If everything goes as planned, Phase 3D’s
smaller, more affordable stations—particu-listen on 70 cm and relay on 10 GHz. Or lis-orbit will be higher at apogee and more stable
larly if you make the leap to microwaves. ten on 1.2 GHz and relay on 24 GHz. than OSCAR 13’s (see Figure 2). It may also
Apartment dwellers and hams suffering un-Or…well, you see what I mean. And if the allow the satellite to perform a neat trick.
der antenna restrictions will appreciate this! power budget is as great as expected, Phase That is, Phase 3D may appear in the same
When it comes to uplink and downlink 3D will operate in two uplink/downlink position in your local sky every 48 hours. If
frequencies, Phase 3D has phenomenal flex-modes simultaneously. (We’ll know if this the satellite is 10° above your neighbor’s
ibility (see Table 1). The transponders can be will be possible once the bird is in final orbit apple tree at 8 o’clock on Monday morning,
Phase 3D Questions and Answers
Q:
Who owns Phase 3D?
A:
No single group or country owns Phase 3D. It is a truly international satellite, created through the efforts and financial contributions of hams from the
United States, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Russia, Hungary, Belgium, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Canada, Finland and France.
Although Phase 3D will be a satellite that hams all over
the world can use, like any amateur station, it must be licensed
in a specific country. In the case of Phase 3D, as it
was with OSCAR-13 and still is with OSCAR-10, the country
of license will be Germany. This is because the original concept
for the satellite came from that country and because
Phase 3D will be launched on a European rocket.
Q:
Why can’t I use FM through Phase 3D?
A FM is a 100% duty-cycle mode. In other words, an FM
transmitter generates full output whenever it’s in use. Phase
3D would need an enormous power source to produce FM
signals that could be heard at a distance of nearly 30,000
miles. Not only that, because of the considerable bandwidth
of an FM signal, the number of simultaneous conversations
per transponder would decrease dramatically.
Q:
Who decides which modes will be active and when?
A:
The groups that made the largest financial contributions to the construction of Phase 3D will each have a representative on the satellite’s controlling
board. This board will design the operating schedule for the satellite. When this article went to press, DARC, AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-NA and the ARRL
all had “seats” on the board.
The control board will issue “guidance” to the Phase 3D
command stations regarding the satellite’s operating schedule.
However, the command stations will carry ultimate responsibility
for the health of the satellite. Health issues must,
of course take priority.
It’s worth noting that some of the mode designations have
changed. Here is a sampling of the possible configurations for
Phase 3D:
Mode Uplink (MHz) Downlink (MHz)
U/V 435 144
V/U 144 435
U/S 435 2400
L/U 1,200 435
L/S 1,200 2,400
L/X 1,200 10,500
C/X 5,600 10,500
Q:
I presently own a Mode-B station that I used with OSCAR
13.
Can I use it with Phase 3D?
A Yes. Mode U/V through Phase 3D is the same as Mode B.
Q:
Why does Phase 3D travel in an elliptical orbit? Why not make it a geostationary satellite?
A Launching a satellite into geostationary orbit and maintaining
it there is very expensive. Governments and large corporations
have the funds to pull it off, but not amateur satellite organizations.
If an AMSAT group did decide to pursue a geostationary
satellite, it couldn’t expect much help from hams in other countries.
A geostationary satellite positioned to cover, say, North
and South America, would be useless to hams in much of Europe,
Asia and Africa. They would have little incentive to contribute
to its creation!
Instead, Phase 3D will travel in an orbit that allows all hams
to benefit. Using Earth’s gravity like a slingshot, it will soar into
space and appear to “hover” for hours above a particular portion
of the globe. Then, it will dive back in and shoot outward once
again to hover over yet another area.
30 January 1997
Phase 3D Features
•
Uplinks and downlinks on six bands, from 15 meters to 24 GHz.
•
Powerful, wide-bandwidth transponders supporting many simultaneous SSB or CW conversations.
•
AM voice bulletins on 10 meters receivable with common shortwave radios.
•
On-board color video cameras. (Download spectacular images from 30,000 miles up!)
•
Sophisticated on-board Global Positioning System (GPS). Phase 3D will generate and transmit its own orbital elements.
•
Digital communication up to 56 kbaud.
•
An orbital track that places the satellite at the
same points in your local sky every 48 hours.
The propellant flow assembly arrives in Orlando, ready for
installation into Phase 3D.
AMSAT-DL
AMSAT-NA—KEITH BAKER, KB1SF
Matjas Vidmar, S53MV, is shown
experimenting with prototypes of the LEILA
circuit for the Phase 3-D satellite at his
workshop in Slovenia. It is designed to alert
ground station operators who inadvertently
run too much uplink power by
it would be there again at 8 o’clock on What It All Means to You
superimposing a warning message on the
“offending” station’s downlink signal.
Wednesday morning. This doesn’t mean that Phase 3D will open the door to long-disyou
can throw away your satellite tracking tance communication regardless of solar consoftware,
but it certainly won’t be as critical ditions. Whenever the satellite is above your
to your station. horizon, the band will be “open” for you. And
Phase 3D may also dispose of the squint-I’m not talking about chats over a few hunangle
problem that bedeviled the OSCAR 13 dred miles. Each time the satellite is at apocommunity.
If the large solar panels deploy gee, half of the Earth’s disc will be “visible” downlink using a tiny, two-foot dish. How
properly, Phase 3D won’t have to reorient to its antennas and wide-bandwidth transpon-about a portable microwave satellite station
itself periodically for proper Sun exposure. ders. That’s a sizable footprint, with oppor-that fits into a standard suitcase? We desper-
Instead, it will keep its antennas pointed di-tunities for lots of DX. ately need more activity on our microwave
rectly at the Earth at all times. Translation: If Technician-class amateurs will be among frequencies and Phase 3D will give hams a
Phase 3D is above your horizon, you can the big beneficiaries of Phase 3D. The satel-powerful incentive.
probably use it. lite will open the world to them, allowing
Like the cheesy commercials on late-many to work DX on a regular basis. After Tune in Next Month
night TV, I could keep saying, “But wait! Phase 3D reaches orbit, we’ll have to make If you’ve read this far you must be eager to
There’s more!” The main point, however, is room for many more Technicians on the start planning and building your own Phase
this: Phase 3D is a communication engine DXCC rolls! 3D station. Well, you’re in luck! In subsetotally
unlike any amateur satellite that has Phase 3D will also function as an ideal quent issues we’ll offer practical advice on
come before. Its effects on Amateur Radio platform for those who want to extend their station equipment and design for various upwill
be profound—particularly among hams horizons into the microwave bands. Imagine link/downlink combinations—beginning next
licensed to the Technician class. being able to receive the satellite’s 24-GHz month with 2 meters and 70 cm.
January 1997 31
mc-ref
Some electronic modules for Phase 3-D undergo final bench testing at the AMSAT-DL
Laboratory in Marburg, Germany prior to their shipment to Orlando, Florida for
integration into the satellite.
Instructions for Software/Data on
Accompanying CD-ROM for 21st Edition of
The ARRL Antenna Book
September 6, 2007
The companion CD-ROM for the 21st Edition of The ARRL Antenna Book includes software
associated with several areas of the book (to find the programs in the book itself, look in the
index under “Programs:”).
Installing The Programs/Data
Please use the Setup.exe program on the CD-ROM to install the files and programs to your
hard disk. Normally, Setup.exe will start automatically when you place the CD-ROM in your
computer, but you can also start it manually. From the Windows desktop (assuming your CD-
ROM drive is D:), at the Windows Taskbar on the bottom left of the screen, click Start, select
Run, type in (or Browse to find) Setup.exe, click on OK and then follow the on-screen
instructions.
Pay attention to your geographical area when you are clicking on statistical elevation-angle
data for HFTA. The default files are for the entire USA (East, Mid and West).
Note that some operating systems may not respond to the selection of “Restart” at the end of
the installation routine for EZNEC ARRL or MicroDEM. (In fact, some operating systems won’t
even show the form where you can specify rebooting.) It is best not to select restart, but to reboot
your system manually at the end of the whole installation.
Installing Over Existing 20th Edition Software
When the Setup.exe installation procedure detects a previous version of the software before
the 21st Edition, it requires the operator to uninstall that earlier version before installation can
proceed for the 21st Edition. Note that data saved using an older version of the software will not
be erased, but will remain in the subdirectory previously used. For a default installation, that
would be in the c:Program FilesARRLAntBk20 subdirectory for the 20th Edition versions of
the software.
Click on ‘Remove all installed components’ and then ‘Next’ to uninstall a previous
installation. Then bring up Setup.exe once again to install the 21st Edition software.
Microsoft Vista
Some readers have reported difficulties installing and using software from the 20th and 21st
Editions of The ARRL Antenna Book on computers using the new Microsoft Vista operating
system. Here are some tips on how to get things installed and running properly.
DOS Programs in Vista
Vista really doesn’t like DOS programs. Here is a list of DOS programs included on the CD-
ROM disk for both the 20th and the 21st Editions of The ARRL Antenna Book. Most especially
Vista doesn’t support “fullscreen mode,” where the DOS program tries to use the entire screen.
The error message (labeled “16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem”) says: “This system does not support
fullscreen mode. Choose ‘Close’ to terminate the application.”
There is a workaround, however, for most of the programs. Instead of clicking ‘Close,’ click
instead the ‘Ignore’ button for the DOS programs listed below. The program will open in a small
window. The exceptions are LPCAD28.EXE and LPCAD30.EXE. Vista absolutely refuses to
work with these two programs, although they work fine on older Windows systems. You’ll
simply have to find an older Windows or DOS computer to run either of them.
list of 9 items
• AAT.EXE — analyzes antenna tuner configurations
• BVYAGI.EXE — analyzes Yagi antennas (use YW instead) **
• GAMMA.EXE — analyzes gamma matches
• LPCAD28.EXE—for LPDA arrays (20th Edition) — won’t work in Vista
• LPCAD30.EXE—for LPDA arrays (21st Edition) — won’t work in Vista
• MAKEVOA.EXE — makes antennas file for VOACAP/VOAAREA *
• MOBILE.EXE — analyzes mobile whip antennas
• SCALE.EXE — scales Yagi designs to other frequencies/tapers **
• TLA.EXE — analyzes transmission lines/tuners (use TLW instead) *
list end
* Will run without problems by clicking on the icon in Windows Explorer.
** Starting list of available modeling files is badly formatted on-screen. Type in the name
you want and this DOS program will work properly.
YW (Yagi for Windows) Program in Vista
Vista has a new security system called UAC (User Account Control). UAC is constantly
lurking, looking for possible threats to your computer system — like a virus, a worm or similar
kinds of malware. Its vigilance can be so overwhelming that it refuses to let legitimate programs
work properly. Such is the case with the YW program, which Vista appears to at first allow, but
which will finally abort, giving an error message similar to this: “The file ‘212-06M.YW’ has an
error. Examine it with a word processor.” (This is an error message inherent to YW, but Vista
forces it into this false “error” condition.)
The workaround is somewhat clumsy, but it will work consistently. Simply right-click on the
YW icon, and select ‘Properties.’ Select the ‘Compatibility’ tab and check: ‘Run this program as
an administrator.’ Click on ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK.’
Now, when you click on YW to start it, the UAC will require you to “Allow” YW to run.
Note: In the 21st Edition YW software, the first time you actually boot up YW, it will tell you:
“Writing new YW.DEF. Please start YW again.” This only happens once, and it clears any
possibly bad settings for on-screen windows.
Most other Windows programs from either the 20th or 21st Editions (TLW, HFTA,
ArrayFeed1, MicroDEM, EZNEC-ARRL and Range-Bearing) work hassle free with the UAC,
except for GAW-ARRL (GeoAlert Wizard) program, which also requires you to ‘Allow’ it to start
under Vista.
The advanced Vista user may want to look into the freeware program TweakUAC, which can
be found at
http://www.tweak-uac.com/.
Installation of MicroDEM in Vista
For some reason Vista sometimes leaves the Windows Explorer open with the icons
generated by MicroDEM during its installation procedure. You may close Windows Explorer
anytime after the installation is finished.
Adobe Reader Version 7.0.9
The CD-ROM bundled with the first printing of the 21st Edition of The ARRL Antenna Book
was missing the file: AdbeRdr709_en_US.exe. You need Adobe Reader Version 7 to use full
indexing on the electronic version of The ARRL Antenna Book.
Unfortunately, the latest version of Adobe Reader Version 8 doesn’t work properly with book
indexing, so you do really need Version 7. Go to the Adobe site:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html
and select Adobe Reader
7.0.9, after making sure you specify the operating system as Windows XP SP2. (If you are
running Vista, Adobe normally wants you to use Version 8, but you need to run Version 7.)
Macintosh Adobe Reader
Adobe Reader for the Macintosh does read the pdf files that are on the Antenna Book. The
full-search index doesn’t work, however, so searching for individual words will take longer than
on a PC.
Chapter 6 CVD Modeling Files
The modeling files for EZNEC-ARRL were accidentally left off the first printing of the CD-
ROM. They may be downloaded in zipped format from:
http://www.arrl.org/notes/9876/Ch6_Files.zip.
Extract these files to the location you specified for
Modeling, Chapter 6. (The default location would be: c:Program
FilesARRLAntBk21ModelingChap 6.)
Placing Icons on Your Desktop
At the last step of the installation you will probably click on the option to install icons for
most of the ARRL programs on your desktop. This places icons on the desktop for HFTA, TLW,
YW, Range-Bearing, EZNEC ARRL and MicroDEM, if you have chosen to install those
programs.
If you have changed the default directory for MicroDEM, you will need to find the
microdem.exe executable file and right-click on it in order to put an icon on your Desktop. Then
click Send To the Desktop (create shortcut).
Subdirectories
Although you may override it, the default subdirectory AB21Install.exe creates on your hard
drive is C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21, with 7 subdirectories beneath it:
Antenna Tuners
EME & Satellite
General
Modeling
Terrain
XmsnLines
Yagis
Listed below are short descriptions of the files in each subdirectory.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21Antenna Tuners SUBDIRECTORY:
The AAT program automatically evaluates antenna tuner networks over a very wide range of
load impedances. You can use a word processing program to read the three sample output ASCII
files created by AAT. See Chapter 25 for more information on AAT and see AAT.pdf for detailed
instructions.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21EME & Satellite SUBDIRECTORY:
K5OE1_MMDS.pdf — “A Helix Feed for Surplus MMDS Antennas” by Gerald R. Brown,
K5OE.
K5OE_2_foot_mods.pdf — “2 Foot MMDS Dish Modification” by Gerald R. Brown,
K5OE
K5OE_DualBandPatch.pdf — “Build This No-Tune Dual-Band Feed for Mode L/S” by
Gerald R. Brown, K5OE.
SatFreqGuide0303.pdf — “Amateur Satellite Frequency Guide” by AMSAT.
W0LMD Dish Feed Systems.pdf — “Dish Feed Systems” by Robert Suding, W0LMD.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21General SUBDIRECTORY:
ANTPLNR.pdf — “Antenna Height and Communications Effectiveness” by Dean Straw,
N6BV, and Gerald L. Hall, K1TD. This article may help you during Planning Commission or
Zoning Board of Appeals meetings to convince town/city officials about your antenna needs.
EFFLEN.FOR is described in Chapter 2. This is an ASCII Fortran file that illustrates the
principle behind the Schelkunoff tapering algorithm. This converts a tapered element into a
single “monotaper” that can be modeled with a method-of-moments program like NEC-2 or its
derivatives.
GAMMA.BAS is described in Chapter 25. It is an ASCII text file that can be run in QBASIC
or GWBASIC to compute the parameters for a gamma match. GAMMA.EXE is a compiled,
executable file you can run from the DOS prompt or in a DOS Window.
MOBILE.EXE is described in Chapter 6. This is a terrific DOS program by Leon Braskamp,
AA6GL, for evaluating and designing mobile whip antennas and the coils used for loading these
short antennas.
LPCAD30.EXE is described in Chapter 10. Roger Cox, WBØDGF, wrote this DOS program
for computing LPDA designs.
Range-Bearing computes the range/bearing from one latitude/longitude point to another. It
also computes the latitude/longitude of a second point, given the range/bearing from the first
point. Range-Bearing can be used in conjunction with a mapping program such as Google Earth
to create terrain plots that the HFTA program can use.
Arrayfeed1 by W7EL computes parameters necessary for feeding 2-element and 4-element
phased-arrays. Arrayfeed1 is described in Chapter 8.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21Modeling SUBDIRECTORY:
This subdirectory contains EZNEC data files for antenna designs utilized in a number of
chapters in the printed book. These modeling data files will work with EZNEC ARRL (also
included with the CD-ROM), provided that the number of segments is less than 500. They will
also work with the standard version of EZNEC 4.0. See the file Readme_EZNEC ARRL.pdf
for further details.
Very complex models (such as some of the stacked VHF/UHF models in Chapter 18, for
example) are also provided for completeness, but they must be run using the professional version
of EZNEC, EZNEC Pro, which is not included with The ARRL Antenna Book. EZNEC Pro can
be purchased from Roy Lewallen, W7EL.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21Terrain SUBDIRECTORY:
This subdirectory contains the HFTA (HF Terrain Assessment) program by Editor Dean
Straw, N6BV, and sample terrain data for evaluating the effect of uneven local terrain on the
launch of HF signals throughout the world. See HFTA.PDF documentation file on disk or use
the Help button in HFTA itself. The program HFTA is described in detail in Chapter 3.
During the installation process you will be asked to specify the region where you live so that
appropriate statistical elevation-angle files can be installed along with HFTA. (The default files
installed cover a number of locations throughout the USA. You can add files from other
locations throughout the world.) The statistical elevation angles are computed for the full 11-year
solar cycle from transmitting sites indicated by the filename.
MAKEVOA.EXE is also included in this subdirectory. This program takes the OUT.PRN file
generated by HFTA and creates an antenna file compatible with VOACAP. See the HFTA.pdf
documentation file for details.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21XmsnLine SUBDIRECTORY:
This subdirectory contains files for TLW (Transmission Line for Windows) program by
Editor Dean Straw, N6BV. This is described in Chapter 24. TLW computes many parameters for
transmission lines and antenna-tuners—including detailed losses and stresses. TLW runs under
Windows 98, XP, XP Professional, NT or 2000. The documentation file TLW.pdf is also
located in this subdirectory, or you can open it from inside TLW by clicking on the Help button.
IN THE C:Program FilesARRLAntBk21Yagis SUBDIRECTORY:
This archive contains the YW (Yagi for Windows) program by Editor Dean Straw, N6BV,
plus 80 optimized Yagi antenna designs. See YW.pdf for documentation or click on the Help
button in YW. YW is described in Chapter 11.
SCALE.EXE is a DOS program from scaling Yagi files to other frequencies or other element-
taper schedules. See SCALE.pdf for details.
PROPAGATION-PREDICTION FILES
Located on the CD-ROM itself are a huge number of propagation-prediction files.
Choices, Summary and Detailed Propagation Tables
USA
W1B Boston, MA
W2A Albany, NY
W2N NYC, NY
W3D Washington, DC
W4A Montgomery, AL
W4F Miami, FL
W4G Atlanta, GA
W4K Louisville, KY
W4N Raleigh, NC
W4T Memphis, TN
W5A Little Rock, AR
W5H Houston, TX
W5L New Orleans, LA
W5M Jackson, MS
W5N Albuquerque, NM
W5O Oklahoma City, OK
W5T Dallas, TX
W6L Los Angeles, CA
W6S San Francisco, CA
W7A Phoenix, AZ
W7I Boise, ID
W7M Helena, MT
W7N Las Vegas, NV
W7O Portland, OR
W7U Salt Lake City, UT
W7W Seattle, WA
W7Y Cheyenne, WY
W8M Detroit, MI
W8O Cincinnati, OH
W8W Charleston, WV
W9C Chicago, IL
W9I Indianapolis, IN
W9W Milwaukee, WI
WØC Denver, CO
WØD Bismarck, ND
WØI Kansas City, MO
WØK Middle of US, KS
WØM St. Louis, MO
WØN Omaha, NE
WØS Pierre, SD
Other, North America
6Y Kingston, Jamaica
8P Bridgetown, Barbados
HP Panama City, Panama
KL7 Anchorage, Alaska
KP2 Virgin Islands
TI San Jose, Costa Rica
V3 Belmopan, Belize
VE1 Halifax, Nova Scotia
VE2 Montreal, Quebec
VE3 Toronto, Ontario
VE4 Winnipeg, Manitoba
VE5 Regina, Saskatchewan
VE6 Edmonton, Alberta
VE7 Vancouver, BC
VE8 Yellowknife, NWT
VO1 St. John’s, NFL
VP2 Anguilla
VP5 Turks & Caicos
XE1 Mexico City, Mexico
Europe
CT Lisbon, Portugal
DL Bonn, Germany
EA Madrid, Spain
EI Dublin, Ireland
ER Kishinev, Moldava
F Paris, France
G London, England
I Rome, Italy
JW Svalbard
OH Helsinki, Finland
OK Prague, Czech Republic
ON Brussels, Belgium
OZ Copenhagen, Denmark
SV Athens, Greece
TF Reykjavik, Iceland
UA3 Moscow, Russia
UA6 Rostov, Russia
UR Kiev, Ukraine
YO Bucharest, Romania
YU Belgrade, Yugoslavia
South America
CE Santiago, Chile
CP La Paz, Bolivia
FY Cayenne, French Guiana
HC Quito, Ecuador
HC8 Galapagos Islands
HK Bogota, Columbia
LU Buenos Aires, Argentina
OA Lima, Peru
P4 Aruba
PY1 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
PY0 Fernando de Noronha
YV Caracas, Venezuela
YV0 Aves Island
ZP Asuncion, Paraguay
Asia
1S Spratly Islands
3W Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
4J Baku, Azerbaijan
4S Columbo, Sri Lanka
4X Jerusalem, Israel
9N Katmandu, Nepal
A6 Dubai, UAE
AP Karachi, Pakistan
BY1 Beijing, China
BY4 Shanghai, China
BY0 Lhasa, China
HS Bangkok, Thailand
HZ Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
JA1 Tokyo, Japan
JA3 Osaka, Japan
JA8 Sapporo, Japan
JT Ulan Bator, Mongolia
TA Ankara, Turkey
UA9 Perm, Russia
UA0 Khabarovsk, Russia
UN Alma-Ata, Kazakh
VR2 Hong Kong
VU New Delhi, India
VU7 Andaman Islands
XZ Rangoon, Myanmar
Oceania
3D2 Fiji Islands
DU Manila, Philippines
FO Tahiti
H4 Honiara, Solomon Islands
JD1 Ogasawara Island
KH0 Saipan, Mariana Islands
KH5K Kingman Reef
KH6 Honolulu, Hawaii
KH8 American Samoa
V7 Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
VK2 Sydney, Australia
VK6 Perth, Australia
VK8 Darwin, Australia
YB Jakarta, Indonesia
ZL1 Aukland, New Zealand
ZL3 Christchurch, New Zealand
Africa
3B9 Rodrigues
3C Bata, Equatorial Guinea
3V Tunis, Tunisia
5N Lagos, Nigeria
5R Antananarivo, Madagascar
5U Niamey, Niger Republic
5Z Nairobi, Kenya
6W Dakar, Senegal
7Q Lolongwe, Malawi
7X Algiers, Algeria
9J Lusaka, Zambia
9L Freetown, Sierra Leone
9X Kigali, Rwanda
C9 Maputo, Mozambique
CN Casablanca, Morroco
CT3 Madeira Islands
D2 Luanda, Angola
EA8 Canary Islands
IG9 Lampedusa, Italy
J2 Djibouti
ST Khartoum, Sudan
SU Cairo, Egypt
VQ9 Chagos, Diego Garcia
XT Burkina Faso
ZS1 Capetown, So. Africa
ZS6 Johannesburg, So. Africa
These PDF files contain propagation prediction tables valid from the transmitting site
indicated in the filename to seven generalized receiving locations throughout the world in the
Summary Tables and for the 40 CQ Zones in the Detailed Tables. The user selects a single
transmitting site closest to his/her location. You can access this data by opening Adobe Acrobat
Reader and selecting Prop Index.pdf. Or you can operate from the main table of contents in the
left pane of the opening window.
Each transmitting location is organized by five levels of solar activity over the whole 11-year
solar cycle:
VL (Very Low: SSN between 0 to 20)
LO (Low: SSN between 20 to 40)
ME (Medium: SSN between 40 to 60)
HI (High: SSN between 60 to 100)
VH (Very High: SSN between 100 to 150)
UH (Ultra High: SSN greater than 150)
The seven generalized locations throughout the world for the Summary Tables are:
EU = Europe (all of Europe)
FE = Far East (centered on Tokyo, Japan)
SA = South America (centered on Asuncion, Paraguay)
AF = Africa (centered on Lusaka, Zambia)
AS = southern Asia (centered on New Delhi, India)
OC = Oceania (centered on Sydney, Australia)
NA = North America (all of USA).
Both types of propagation files show the highest predicted signal strength (in S-units)
throughout the generalized receiving area, for a 1500-W transmitter and rather good antennas on
both sides of the circuit. The standard antennas are 100-foot high inverted-V dipoles for 80 and
40 meters, a 3-element Yagi at 100 feet for 20 meters, and a 4-element Yagi at 60 feet for 15 and
10 meters. Discount the S-Meter readings in the tables to represent a smaller station:
Subtract 2 S units for a dipole instead of a Yagi
Subtract 3 S units for a dipole at 50 feet instead of a Yagi at 100 feet
Subtract 1 S unit for a dipole at 50 feet rather than a dipole at 100 feet
Subtract 3 S units for 100 W rather than 1500 W.
Subtract 6 S units for 5 W rather than 1500 W.
Shown below is an image of a Summary Table printout from Boston to the rest of the world,
for Very High solar activity in January. This table could be used, for example, to help plan which
bands to operate when on a DXpedition to some exotic location.
The Detailed Table printout from Boston to the rest of the world on 20 meters for January
from Boston during a Very High level of the solar cycle is shown on the following page. It
shows the predicted signal strength in each of the 40 CQ Zones around the world. Note that long-
path openings are predicted by an asterisk appended to the end of the predicted signal strength.
Also located on the CD-ROM in the Propagation subdirectory is the Fig6Tab.pdf file
described in Chapter 3 of the printed book. This set of tables shows the hours open to each of 10
regions throughout the USA for Very-Low/Medium/Very-High levels of SSN.
Sample Summary Propagation-Prediction Table, January from Boston to the World.
Sample Detailed Propagation Table for 20 Meters, January, Boston to World for Very High SSN.
Product Notes
Be sure to check ARRLWeb for the latest updates at
http://www.arrl.org/notes,
or go through
the ARRLWeb menu system by clicking on Support, Product Notes and Updates from
http://www.arrl.org/.
Enjoy the software. We would appreciate any feedback or bug reports you might have.
73,
R. Dean Straw, N6BV
Editor, The ARRL Antenna Book
email: n6bv@arrl.org
i can't fuckin believe my good luck and I've been allowed back on to echo link after years (well 2 to be exact) It's about god damn time
ARLB052: Amateurs to remember September 11
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB052
ARLB052 Amateurs to remember September 11
ZCZC AG52
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 52 ARLB052
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 10, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB052
ARLB052 Amateurs to remember September 11
New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (NYC ARES/RACES) members will observe the first
anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the
World Trade Center by activating to assist with the remembrance
activities. NYC ARES/RACES will provide communications support to
various agencies during commemorative services and events. In
addition, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, has been invited to
address a global repeater linkup the evening of September 11. And,
special event stations are set to be on the air from New York City
and from Washington, DC, to commemorate the occasion.
Some 30 NYC ARES/RACES members will be deployed across the Greater
New York City area to support the American Red Cross, The Salvation
Army, the New York City Office of Emergency Management and other
agencies. One year ago, ARES teams--most of them from New York City,
Long Island and New Jersey--supported the same agencies during the
response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
ARRL New York City District Emergency Coordinator and RACES Officer
Charles Hargrove, N2NOV, expressed heartfelt thanks to all amateurs
coming to NYC to help. "With the chance to train and practice made
even more available to the average ham these days, please join your
local ARES group and put into practice what you learn," he said.
"Your community will thank you for it when the need truly arises."
The NYC ARES/RACES activation on the first anniversary of the
terrorist attacks will honor the memories of the amateurs who lost
their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Center's twin towers
and the other victims.
President Haynie is scheduled to address a massive repeater linkup
that hopes to span the globe. "I plan to thank all the hams who
spent thousands of hours volunteering their time on September 11,"
Haynie said. "They again demonstrated the power of Amateur Radio in
times of need." Haynie also said he wants to again acknowledge the
hundreds of supportive messages from International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) member-societies that arrived in the wake of the
attacks.
The effort, called the Commemorative 9/11 Net, is being spearheaded
by Len Signoretti, N2LEN, of Brooklyn, New York. N2LEN's 440.050 MHz
(CTCSS 114.8 Hz) internet-linked repeater covers the Greater New
York City area. The linkup will rely on either EchoLink or eQSO
Internet software connections. Signoretti said his UHF machine is
used as a central hub to coordinate EchoLink and eQSO, so users on
each can communicate. The net will attempt to interconnect repeaters
in all 50 US states as well as in many other countries around the
world.
The Commemorative 9/11 Net is scheduled to get under way at 8 PM
Eastern Daylight Time (0000z September 12) on EchoLink and eQSO
servers and could run as long as two hours. Haynie is scheduled to
address the cyberspace and RF-linked gathering at around 9 PM EDT.
John Nistico, NY6DX, has announced plans to operate special event
station W2002WTC starting at 0000z September 11. To comply with FCC
rules, he will append "W2002WTC" to his legally assigned call sign.
QSL requests go to NY6DX.
Deanna Lutz, K7DID, reports that special event station K4P will
operate from the Pentagon and other Washington, DC-area sites
September 11 and 12. QSL with an SASE to K7DID, PO Box 70071,
Washington, DC 20024.
NNNN
/EX
at least they have a forgive and forget policy because that's how Kevin VA3KKY got back on. He's been active for a month I think and he was band originally back in 2006 because he ran a node on HF and never once was he present to control it. So people were on there 24 hours a day jamming, cursing, and breaking endless F.C.C. rules. The terms and services clearly states that a system operator of a node must be present and shut it down if need be. Kevin didn't seem to give a shit either way. Plus he was letting unlicensed H.F. operators use his node (which is a no no.) It's funny because in lue of those facts, he's never been sighted by the F.C.C. or industry Canada. Maybe the echolink team did him a favour by banding him for a while. Maybe they saw what could have happened. Kevin says he has no intention of continuing the h.f. link but only for personal reasons. He says it's a resource hog on his computer and h.f. equipment, plus he's looking in to running a remote on 220 since that band's hardly ever used. He intends bringing life to it and we'll see in the next few months what happens. His node number on echolink is 183501 in case you may access it threw r.f. or you can click on VA3KKY on the site itself and it will ring his house or the radio if he has that connected. 73 de K6PT.
why were you band from echolink Jimbo?
I put racist stuff in my profile and someone snitched me out to the powers that be. I apologized for it recently and they were cool with that.
well it's good you pretty much got your shit back together again. It's one thing to be kicked from other voip programs but echolink is the most used and popular program. If I had to be thrown off of something, I'd want it to be some other unheard of program. The lost wouldn't be as much then. I can't imagine what racist crap you'd write but it sounds like it wasn't on the air. You were not on a repeater or hf gateway so they should have just erased your profile or taken out the offensive part and then given you a warning about it. You must have really written something bad to worent being thrown out. After all I'm a bit racist and nothing happens to me. I say lots of things on the air even and as far as everyone's concerned, I'm a ham with good standing. Well mind your manners and you won't be kicked from echolink.
Sometimes I put "fuck off" in my busy messages. I won't write the other shit here but it was pretty bad. It only took a few days for them to notice my "fuck off" message. I got a bit carried away when I read other funny busy messages and I wanted to be ri goddamn diculous.
I like that! "ri goddamn diculous," that's something a drunken John Wayne said. "it's getting to be ri goddamn diculous."
yeah i know i used to hear that snipet of audio over and over again on the stern show. By the way you realize you can get both Stern and O n A on shoutcast right?
That's old news you can get anything on shoutcast. Like for example the 435 repeater. Scott on the k fone yahoo group was going to charge a fee for streaming the 435 machine and once Kevin told him that it already exist accept there is no fee, he dismissed the idea. Of course Kevin also mentioned that if Scott wanted to be different, he could set up a link in which people could also key up the machine but I don't think Scott has any no how for that kind of operation. I know that at one point on the 435 website they had a link for people to key up the repeater but it's gone now. Probably people abused the shit out of it.
Aw yah Scott's crazy. Kevin pretty much told him who he was and Scott made it clear that it's ok. I mean the guy practically posts everyday writing the craziest things to Carrie from Monterey. Scott just cringes though. You can tell he's uncomfortable (not because Kevin's posting) but what he posts. He's on there writing sex things to Carrie and you can tell it turns Scott's stomach. The rest of them are sheepish though and afraid that if they respond or acknowledge Kevin that they'll be libel or some shit. It's a riot. If you like the dreambook, you'll like this too accept this doesn't move as much as the dreambook. Carrie doesn't post too much now because it gets Kevin posting and I think she's trying to keep clear of it all. I see Kevin posting on the dream book too. You can sign on with different names so he's always changing it. He fits in though. Everyone's crazy in that group.
soon as you mentioned the dream book I went to read it and it's the same nonsense as usual. I was thinking of posting some of it here but there's lots of racist stuff on it and people would be upset to read it. Besides there's lots of short posts. They're not really anything detailed that it be worth putting out here. Sometimes there's one word posts. So if at some point when I check again and I find something of substance, I'll post it out here.
I forgot the call sign but there's a link to 435 I think on the symplex animals website. I think they have nodes on echolink too but I forgot the call signs they use on there.
A Fictional Character Comes to Life
By John Curry, K5IMC
January 25, 2004
After a successful visit to an elementary school to talk about Amateur Radio, one ham makes an unexpected connection with the inspiration for a ham radio
children's book.
It was an unusually warm winter evening in Hallandale Beach, Florida, just north of Miami, as my wife and I pulled into the driveway of a large condominium
building by the ocean and spotted a distinguished-looking man standing by the entrance. In response to my inquiry, he confirmed that he was, indeed, Bob
Marx. I was eager to meet Bob after two months of phone calls and e-mails because, to me, he was a fictional character who had come to life.
Curry_Classroom
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT, leads a classroom discussion on the Amateur Radio children's book Radio Rescue, by Lynne Barasch. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
The story of our meeting began in November 2002, when I accompanied two other members of the Heart of Texas Amateur Radio club in Waco--Ed Middlebrook,
KC5NT, and John Chamberlain, AC5CV--to the elementary school in West, Texas, for an afternoon of Amateur Radio demonstrations for about 120 third-graders.
Most of the students had recently read a children's book called Radio Rescue, by Lynne Barasch. Radio Rescue is a fun book that generated a great deal
of interest in Amateur Radio among the children, and the school librarian asked Ed to make a radio presentation. You may be wondering how a radio demonstration
for elementary school students in Texas led to a visit to a new friend in Florida some three months later. Well, as I read Radio Rescue in preparation
for our visit to the school, I had no idea what was about to happen.
Radio to the Rescue
Barasch, an artist and author of several children's books, wrote and illustrated Radio Rescue. It's a story about a boy who obtains his Amateur Radio license
and has a series of ham radio-related adventures that should appeal to all children, regardless of the level of their interest in radio. The book has been
nominated for numerous awards for children's literature and was the winner of several, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2002-03, an
honor that ensures that the book is on a recommended reading list for children in Texas. The book was reviewed in the January 2001 issue of QST. Although
it's is a work of fiction, the story is true--the story of Lynne's father, Bob Marx. What makes the story especially appealing is that Bob was first licensed
as 2AZK at age 10--in 1923.
When Ed, John and I arrived at the elementary school in West, we first met with the students in large groups for Ed to lead a discussion about Radio Rescue,
which most of them indicated they had read. Ed asked questions about the book and received knowledgeable and thorough answers from the children. We then
divided them into smaller groups of about 20 to rotate among three simultaneous hands-on radio exercises.
Curry_Keyer
Students crowd around a paddle and code practice oscillator to try their hand at Morse code. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
In one classroom, I demonstrated Morse code using a memory keyer and allowed the children to send code with the keyer and to try their hand at an old straight-key-on-board
that I had brought. To my surprise the code, which some believe is no longer useful, was a hit with the children, several of whom described it as "cool."
Some of the children were also quite adept at sending a few letters on their first try. In the school library, John demonstrated voice communications and
the public service aspect of ham radio by having the children use hand-held Family Radio Service radios to call into a base station and report weather
"emergencies." Ed's part of the program included a demonstration of ham radio contacts on 10 meter SSB. We had set up the station on a porch just outside
the school, as the November day was quite warm, and raised a dipole antenna about 15 feet into the air using a telescoping painter's pole. The students
were able to talk with several amateur stations around the United States, including students at a college in California.
Our three demonstrations related to the radio themes of the book: communications, public service and Morse code. Most of the children seemed to be attentive
in all the sessions and interested in the content of our presentations. We learned that they were excitedly telling their teacher in a later class about
what we had shown them.
Curry_Drill
Two boys work together at an "emergency weather station," sending and receiving drill data using FRS radios. [John Chamberlain, AC5CV, photo]
An Unexpected Call
Because I was favorably impressed with Radio Rescue and with the success the three of us had with our school presentations, I wrote a letter to Barasch,
who lives in New York City, to tell her about the experience and about the interest her book was stimulating in Amateur Radio. I mentioned in the letter
that I was able to identify with her father's early experiences with Amateur Radio because I was licensed at age 11, although that was 33 years after Bob
received his ticket. I did not ask about her father in the letter, however. I thought it possible that Bob had become a silent key because he was not in
the FCC database of licensed amateurs and because he wouldn't exactly be a youngster any more.
Exactly one month later, two days before Christmas, the phone rang in the evening. My wife handed me the phone, saying it was "Bob Marx, a ham operator
in Florida." I still did not realize who was calling until I picked up the phone and heard a few words of introduction. I responded that I was glad to
hear from him and, impolitely I'm sure, said that I did not know he was still alive. Bob replied in a strong voice, "I'm 89 and well."
His daughter Lynne had mailed him a copy of my letter and a copy of her reply to me, which I received a few days later. He was calling to say how pleased
he was to learn about our experience with the book. We had a nice conversation, and at some point, I mentioned that my wife and I were planning a trip
to Florida in the winter. Bob suggested that we visit him, so we added a stop in Hallandale Beach to our itinerary. In a later phone conversation, we set
a tentative date of February 28 for our side trip to south Florida to meet Bob.
Retaining the Code
As Bob ushered us to the 11th floor of his building and into his home, I was impressed with his youthful appearance and demeanor. I had thought he had sounded
much younger than his 89 years over the phone, and he was the same in person. Those of us who were licensed at a young age might be tempted to think, upon
meeting Bob, that early exposure to Amateur Radio has some sort of continued rejuvenating effect. My wife and I were also pleased to meet Bob's wife, Elaine.
The four of us spent an enjoyable evening getting to know one another and had dinner at an excellent Chinese restaurant nearby. Of course, Bob and I spent
most of our time discussing Amateur Radio, although he has not been licensed for many years. I presented Bob with the January 2003 issue of QST, which
had several articles about vintage radio. I had to admit that what is considered vintage now may be newfangled to him because most of the equipment described
in that issue was developed after he left the hobby.
Because Bob is still interested in Morse code, I took along an MFJ memory keyer. He used a straight key, bug and sideswipe key in his day, but he had never
seen a simple electronic keyer, much less the memory version. I sent some code and also played some messages I had programmed into the machine for Bob.
He took to the code right away and was able to copy over 20 WPM, as well as send some code on a machine that he had never seen--after almost 70 years of
inactivity. He recalled that his speed was about 30 WPM at one time.
Curry_2AZK
At left, Bob Marx, ex-W2AZK, goes through a book with John Curry, K5IMC. Marx is the father of Lynne Barasch, who authored Radio Rescue, a children's book
based in part on some of Marx's experiences as a young ham in the 1920s. [Photo courtesy of John Curry, K5IMC]
Memories of Eighth-Floor DX
Bob had some interesting experiences in the early days of Amateur Radio, some of which are covered in the book. He had quite an impressive array of equipment
and says he operated CW rather than spark, as spark had pretty much died out from the ham bands by 1923. Bob was licensed at one of the most exciting times
in Amateur Radio, just as the first two-way transatlantic contacts were made between the United States and France in 1923. During his ham career, Bob made
a number of DX contacts, working all continents except Asia. He was even able to communicate with the first Byrd Antarctic expedition in 1928 until it
was near Brazil, and passed information about Byrd's progress to The New York Times when the Times radio operators could not get through.
No doubt Bob was a sharp operator and it didn't hurt that he was able to string his antenna between the roof of his building and the roof of the building
across the street at about the eighth floor level. Bob continued to experience the joys of having a big signal until the New York public works department
decided that his antenna had to go. He maintains, however, that he still was able to get out well with a rooftop antenna on that building and, later, on
another building after he and his mother moved.
After Bob finished school, he started a career in textiles, which he calls "the thread business," and married Elaine shortly afterward in 1936. In his late
50s, an age when most people are thinking about retirement, Bob bought a new textile agent business in Florida. After about three years of commuting from
New York, he and Elaine moved to Florida, where they have lived for the past 30 years. He is still working at age 90, although he doesn't stay very busy
because most textile work has moved overseas.
Bob left Amateur Radio behind in 1935 and he no longer has any of his equipment. He retains fond memories of his radio days, however, and is pleased that
he still knows the code. As for me, getting to know a real life fictional character who was a ham in the early days of radio has been a wonderful experience
that I won't forget, either.
John Curry, K5IMC, was first licensed in 1956. Retired from the US Office of Personnel Management, Curry is a member of the Heart of Texas Amateur Radio
Club in Waco and the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club in Alexandria, Virginia. He can be reached via e-mail at
k5imc@arrl.net.
FCC Acknowledges Interference Potential of BPL as it Okays Rules to Deploy It
FCC-Grp
The FCC: (L-R) Commissioners Kevin J. Martin, Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Michael K. Powell (Chairman), Michael J. Copps and Jonathan S, Adelstein.
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 14, 2004--As expected, the FCC has approved revised Part 15 (unlicensed services) rules to specifically regulate the deployment of broadband
over power line (BPL) technology. The Commission adopted a Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37 when it met in open session today. At the same time, three
members of the Commission, including Chairman Michael K. Powell, specifically mentioned the concerns of Amateur Radio operators at the open meeting and
expressed either assurances or hope that the new BPL rules will adequately address interference to licensed services. Republican FCC Commissioner Kevin
J. Martin addressed Amateur Radio's and broadcasters' interference concerns in his
written statement.
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said he was encouraged to see the Commission's shift from the early days of the BPL proceeding, when it followed the lead
of the BPL industry in largely ignoring interference to amateurs as a real issue in the proceeding.
"What the League has done in the last year and a half on this issue showed in the Commission's public meeting today," Haynie said. He cited the FCC's approval
of three major points that the League had been pushing for: Certification of BPL equipment instead of verification, a requirement for a public BPL database--something
the BPL industry did not want--and mechanisms to deal swiftly with interference complaints.
"Those were things that we brought to the table," he said. "I think we scored some pretty good points." Haynie concedes, however, that the devil is in the
details of the R&O, which likely will not be made public for at least a few weeks. The FCC issued a
Public Notice
reporting its action.
Anh Wride of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), who outlined the draft R&O, acknowledged that Access BPL devices "pose a somewhat higher
potential for interference to licensed radio services than typical Part 15 devices." But, Wride went on to say, "we believe the specific benefits of BPL
warrant acceptance of a small degree of additional risk, and that this interference potential can be satisfactorily managed."
Commissioner Copps agreed in part and dissented in part from the FCC's action on ET Docket 04-37.
Copps Comments on Amateur Radio Concerns
In his
remarks
before the FCC vote, Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, said he remains concerned about interference to Amateur Radio users. "I take the concerns of
this community very seriously and believe that the FCC has an obligation to work hard to monitor, investigate and take quick action, where appropriate,
to resolve harmful interference." Seemingly the least enthusiastic about BPL among his FCC colleagues, Copps called it a promising technology and new broadband
pipe "if everything goes really, really well."
Copps said if interference occurs, "we must have a system in place to resolve it immediately." He expressed the hope that the new rules will have some "rapid
turnaround procedures" in place to handle interference complaints. Haynie said he was pleased at Copps' remarks on behalf of Amateur Radio and hopes that
the Commission follows through.
Copps, who dissented in part with the R&O, again raised the question of whether utility ratepayers should have to "subsidize an electric power company's
foray into broadband."
Commissioner Adelstein: Some BPL systems co-exist with current spectrum users, others are not as effective, he said.
Some BPL Systems Can Co-Exist, Some Don't Fare as Well
As did his colleagues, the Commission's other Democrat, Jonathan S. Adelstein, asserted that BPL would spur competition in the broadband marketplace, but
he said the question of interference has made the proceeding a challenging one because it had to accommodate concerns raised by Public Safety licensees,
federal government users and Amateur Radio operators.
"These are important services that we need to protect from harmful interference," Adelstein said, "and I'm glad we made every effort to do so in this [agenda]
item." At the same time, Adelstein continued, the Commission has an obligation to encourage new technology.
Adelstein said recent BPL tests have been "very useful" in developing techniques to mitigate interference. "It's clear that some of these systems can co-exist
very well with existing licensees," he said. "Other systems, though, are not as effective and haven't fared so well," he said, adding that such systems
shouldn't be deployed commercially until it's assured that they won't cause harmful interference. He issued a public
statement
following the meeting.
Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy, a Republican, said the FCC had to "make some hard compromises" to deal with questions about interference. But she expressed
confidence in "technical solutions." Abernathy and Powell released a
joint statement.
A banner day: FCC Chairman Powell.
"A Banner Day"
Powell, who did not recuse himself from speaking and voting on the BPL proceeding as ARRL had requested (see "
ARRL Asks FCC Chairman to Recuse Himself from BPL Vote"),
called it "a banner day" for communications in the US because, he said, BPL promises "ubiquitous service to all Americans at affordable rates."
The chairman, a Republican, conceded that BPL will affect some spectrum users--including "all those wonderful Amateur Radio operators out there." Powell
said the FCC has "taken that seriously from the very beginning" and has taken great care to ensure that protections are in place "to allow that service
to continue." At the same time, Powell implied that the FCC must balance the benefits of BPL against the relative value of other licensed services.
"But let me underscore the potential for the American economy is too great, too enormous, too potentially groundbreaking to sit idly by and allow any claim
or any possible speculative fear keep us from driving this technology and drive America into the broadband future."
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, suggested that Powell was overstating the necessity of yet another broadband pipeline. "It's astonishing to me that the chairman
of the FCC can talk about needing a 'third way' to provide broadband to consumers when multiple technologies already are available, including wireless
broadband," he said.
Commissioner Abernathy and Chairman Powell released a joint statement following the FCC open meeting.
Post-Meeting Press Conference
In a press conference following the meeting, OET Deputy Chief Bruce Franca said some of the BPL equipment now in place may not meet the tighter guidelines
in the rules the FCC approved. "Some of the technologies that are being deployed today do not have all of the capabilities that we are requiring for BPL
systems," he said, "so there'll have to be some adjustments to current deployments."
Franca also emphasized that "life and safety" radio systems would receive priority protection from BPL interference through frequency notching and exclusion
zones. Other licensed users would be protected on a complaint basis, "when and if interference occurs."
OET Chief Ed Thomas said the R&O contains "an administrative procedure, step by step" to address interference complaints. He characterized the procedure
as "a bit of a refinement" to current Part 15 requirements. He also said the FCC determines "black and white" what constitutes "harmful interference" under
the rules.
"It's our belief that the notching provides the protection that's reasonable and in the public interest," Thomas continued, "and we don't think that's a
major problem. There's been a lot of rhetoric surrounding this as well."
For more information on BPL, visit the "
Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio"
page on the ARRL Web site.
Essentials of the FCC's Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a Report and Order (R&O) in ET Docket 04-37 regarding rules for Access Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
systems and ET Docket 03-104 concerning Carrier Current Systems, including BPL. The detailed text of the R&O will not be available for several weeks.
The R&O will look very much like the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET Docket 04-37. For example, there will be no change to existing Part 15 radiated
emission levels, nor any change in the absolute obligation for BPL device operators to resolve interference problems.
BPL operators would be required to "notch" certain bands, such as those used for life and safety communications, such as aeronautical mobile or US Coast
Guard communications.
There was no mention of any particular preventive measures, such as notching, for the Amateur Radio bands.
BPL systems will be subject to certification, not verification. Remarks made by the Office of Engineering and Technology staff after the FCC meeting, suggested
that certification--which requires outside verification of rules compliance--would apply to individual BPL system components, not to entire BPL systems
in place.
The R&O will require that the BPL industry maintain a public database giving at least the locations of BPL installations by ZIP code and a telephone number
to contact the BPL operator.
bpl? when can we consider this tired fuckin matter closed?
fuck!
I guess kilo yanky is soon to be kicked from blind planet judging from his latest offerings on the shout box. Oh well, like anyone goes there!
please bring back CW examination in Canada. This guy has an empty void to fill!
not all volunteer examiners or (x volunteer examiners) retire with grace. But then again they don't usually post in the shout box.
what is there three fuckin messages a day from that thing? If it's active then I should say that it's certainly about time. Incidently I'm sad to hear of Carlin's death when I turned on the radio this morning. He died yesterday of heart failure. He went in to St. John's hospital complaining of chest pains. He was 71. That's funny considering I've been listening to his older stuff and reading the extensive books he's written. I think his most recent work was a thing called When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops or ssomething.
I checked board five as well and U.S.F. surprisingly made no announcement at all about it. Usually he's got all the fuckin deaths covered.
everyone on the radio here today is sharing their memories of Carlin and I'm enjoying what they're saying. I purchased the little david years box set when it came out around 2000 I think. No doubt there will be some bonist releases now after the fact. Such as what always happens when an artist of such calibre perishes.
your nighbor posted some real good things on the R.I.P. Casrlin board, you might read it if you haven't.
that's fine and good but who's Casrlin?
not fair. I was going to point that out. That obvious type o.
yeah most the keys on this thing are close to each other so I sometimes lean on an extra key or whatever. How trivial?
i hate remote control key boards or cordless key boards. Whatever they are!
those things are fuckin wack dude
step on it and it'll work better for you.
get off the Crack mothafucka!
got me mixed up with one of your relatives or something I don't smoke the glass dickr
I understand the medifore of a glass dick but what's a glass dickr? Jesus Criste Jim don't you ever fuckin proof read? Ya cack suckay!
ok smart ass. First it's not medifore it's metaphor. Second proofread is one word. Also what on god's green earth is a cack suckay? Is that idiot speak for cock sucker?
way to go English professor wanna be!
waht the hell is going on in here?
a meaningless slug fest I guess. Hense the reason this is the animal house. Not to be confused with the other Animal house. This is the rf animal house but as of late however, I haven't seen much postings regarding ham radio or whatever. Oh well, you people obviously are deciding what you want to read I suppose!
no doubt
go fuck yourself pt!
go fuck yourself agent
oh and you two qh
fuck you too: cack suckay!
you all needa grow up. You're all bitches!
i just managed to bring up Felix's old board and it worked fine so I don't know what the trouble is but now we got both Pt's board and Jim's running.
i just posted in there
although I like this board better however
well the original one freezes up my memory sometimes and other times when I'm in it reading stuff it slows things down.
really though!
i've been so fucmkin burned out from continually smoking up everyday that I haven't really posted much anywhere. At some point I'll get back in to it however.
you've been a burn out all your life dude! how's it different now? cotton picker!
burn one for me. I'm fresh out.
that's right Jim stop jewing all the fuckin weed you fuckin tight fisted, money grubbing, gallute! fuck you!
have some mad dog 20 20 like I just did and shut the fuckin fuck up, people!
that's rut gut shit dude. And next time any of you bitches come over I'll serve you a glass of my piss and you'll say it taste like whine you fuckin queers
ouch. that's harsh!