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Ärende: Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1924 - June 27, 2014
==============================================================
Greetings Y'all!
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1924 - June 27, 2014
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1924 with a release
date of June 27 2014 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A possible challenge to ham radio
at 5 Gigahertz; revised FCC rules on ham radio testing;
digital voice modes take effect July 21st; solar researchers
once again discuss our current solar cycle 24; VK hams set
new microwave record down-under and the FCC says no to use
of ham radio gear on GMRS frequencies. All this and more on
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1924 coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO LAW: NEW MEASURE INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS COULD
THREATEN HAM RADIO 5 GHZ ALLOCATION
A bill has been introduced in Congress aimed at making more
unlicensed wireless spectrum available for Unlicensed
National Information Infrastructure Wi Fi devices that
operate in the 5 GHz band. This new initiative could
adversely affect both terrestrial and space based ham radio
operations. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with
the details:
--
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has introduced a bill to free up
more unlicensed wireless spectrum in the upper portion of
the 5 GHz band. On June 19th Rubio teamed with New Jersey
Senator Cory Booker to introduce the WiFi Innovation Act as
part of an overall wireless broadband expansion plan he
recently outlined.
According to Rubio's office, the new WiFi expansion measure
would direct the FCC to move swiftly in seeking comments and
conducting testing to assess the feasibility of opening the
5.850 to 5.925 GHz band to unlicensed use. Also, to
recognizes the need to balance the importance of developing
Intelligent Transportation and incumbent licensees while
also maximizing the use of the band for shared WiFi
purposes.
The Amateur Radio Service holds a secondary allocation at
5.650 to 5.925 GHz. This includes the Amateur Satellite
Service uplink of 5.65 to 5.67 GHz and a downlink from 5.830
to 5.850 GHz. If the WiFi Innovation Act were to be
approved as currently written, it would clearly have a
negative impact on Amateur Radio operations in the upper
portion of the 5 GHz band.
The WiFi Innovation Act appears to be the second of three
proposed laws that Senator Rubio and his supporters in the
Senate plan to introduce. The first was the Wireless
Innovation Act on June 12th. This WiFi Innovation Act is
the second and another yet unnamed measure will be aimed at
promoting expansion of the nation's overall wireless
infrastructure.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.
--
Earlier this year the FCC acted to free up unlicensed
spectrum in the lower part of 5 Ghz band. At the same time
it also made it known that it wants to do the same in the
upper portion as long as it does not interfere with
incumbent primary users. (B&C)
**
RADIO LAW: CHANGES TO FCC PART 97 AMATEUR SERVICE RULES
EFFECTIVE JULY 21ST
The news rules regarding ham radio testing and officially
permitting Time Division Multiple Access emissions in the
Part 97 Amateur Radio Service will become effective on July
21st.
As previously reported, the changes and some non changes
released in a Report and Order on June 9th include granting
examination credit to previous license holds whose
expiration date is beyond the current 2 year grace period to
get back into the hobby. This by simply passing the Element
2 Technician Class written Exam.
The rules will retain the current requirement that three
Volunteer Examiners, but will permit the use of remote
testing for instances where assembling three VE's is not
easily accomplished. Many hams in Alaska had strongly
backed this request due to the remoteness of many small
towns and villages from the more populated cities.
Lastly, the changes codify the use of transmit emissions
with designators FXD, FXE, and F7E. Up until now hams have
been able to use them only because the regulatory agency had
issued a waiver requested by the American Radio Relay League
back in 2013.
Again, the revised regulations take effect on Monday, July
21st. (FCC, ARRL)
**
PROPAGATION: HERE COMES THE SUN - THERE GOES THE SUN - PART
2
In a follow-up to a report earlier this year, solar
researchers are now dubbing the sun's recent activity as a
mini-max. This is because the maximum period of activity so
far has been shorter than usual.
Researchers note that sunspots are now showing up and lower-
density areas are appearing in the sun's corona. As such
this current situation demonstrates how hard it is to
accurately forecast a solar cycle.
They note that this cycle's strange peak appears to have its
roots in 2008 and 2009 when sunspot numbers were far lower
than scientists expected. Solar flares, which are
associated with sunspot numbers and the sun's magnetic
activity, were also relatively quiet in that same time
frame.
The average for a solar cycle from minimum to maximum and
back to minimum is in theory 11 years, however it can
actually take between 9 and 14 years. The current solar
cycle is expected to start fading in 2015 but it will likely
go out with some increased activity.
The researchers note that historically speaking, there are
usually strong flares leading to numerous auroras on Earth
at the end of the solar peak. This is because particles
from the sun strike our planet's magnetic lines and excite
gases in the upper atmosphere.
Ron Turner of Analytic Services Inc. is a senior science
advisor for NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program. He
summed it up by saying that the current Cycle 24 is one of
the weakest in the 24 cycles since 1755. (NASA, other
published news reports)
**
RADIO RECORDS; VK HAMS SET NEW MICROWAVE RECORD DOWN-UNDER
Using both SSB and digital modes on the 78 GHz or the 4
millimetre band, Alan Devlin, VK3XPD, and David Smith,
VK3HZ, have set new microwave distance records down under.
The new records were set on May 15th. VK3XPD on Mt. William
in Western Victoria state and VK3HZ on Melbourne's Mt.
Dandenong Observatory. Their efforts resulted in a new
Australian record path of 139.8 kilometres. In addition to
a contact on SSB the digital JT65C mode proved quite
effective over the path. (VK3PC)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF MULTIPLE AMATEUR
RADIO SATELLITE PAYLOADS
A dozen new ham radio birds are now on-orbit thanks to a
successful launch on June 19th. The ham radio satellites
were part of the thirty-seven satellite payload carried
aloft from a complex near Dombarovsky in the Russian
Federation.
Of the many satellites on board, the two QB50 Cubesats were
among the first deployed at 19:32 UTC. Shortly thereafter
CW signals from both were received by Andre Van Deventer,
ZS2BK in South Africa. It is expected that the ham radio
transponders on these birds will be activated after the
science missions have been completed.
Many of the other satellites on the launch have also been
heard and confirmed to be in space. Frequencies and modes
of operation for all of the amateur radio birds can be found
on the web at tinyurl.com/june-hamsat-launch (AMSAT-UK,
Southgate)
**
DX UP FRONT: CY0 SABLE ISLAND DXPEDITION IN SEPTEMBER
In DX up front, while still in the planning stages word that
Murray Adams, WA4DAN, has received permission from Parks
Canada for a one-day DXpedition to Sable Island now slated
for September 8th. A second operator will be Randy Rowe,
N0TG who is also a veteran DXpeditioner with prior
experience on Sable Island.
The two man team will be using the Sable Island Amateur
Radio Station that WA4DAN and the CY0P team left behind
after their venture to Sable in October 2013. If things go
as anticipated, WA4DAN will operate the SSB station while
N0TG will be on CW. Antennas are expected to be 17 and 20
meter Yagis with at least one of the two stations will
operating high power. (OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W2GSB repeater of the Great South Bay Amateur
Radio Club serving Lindenhurst, New York.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC TURNS AWAY PETITION REQUESTING HAM GEAR ON
GMRS
The FCC has turned down a rule making petition from s
Florida ham who asked that the rules be amended to permit
ham radio operators to use their gear in the General Mobile
Radio Service frequency spectrum. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Bruce Tennant, K6PZW has the details:
--
In his May 29th petition, Mark Friedlander, KV4I of New
Smyrna Beach, Florida had requested that the Part 95 rules
be amended so that a person who holds both a General Mobile
Radio Service or GMRS license as well as a Part 97 amateur
radio operator license above Novice Class be allowed to
operate on GMRS channels. This, using a transmitter that
has not been certificated for GMRS use as long as the it
complies with the General Mobile Radio Service technical
rules.
In his petition Friedlander noted that the amateur radio
service and General Mobile Radio Service operate on similar
frequencies. Also, that amateur radio operators are
authorized to design, build, and operate transmitters
without equipment certification in the 420 to 450 MHz
amateur band. As such he believed that they should also be
permitted to do the same on the 462 to 467 MHz GMRS channels
as well.
But the FCC wasted little time in turning down this request.
In its June 20th decision to deny the rules change request
the FCC stated that GMRS transmitters with frequency
capability for amateur frequencies will not be certificated.
That the General Mobile Radio Service and the Amateur Radio
service are separate and with different purposes and as such
the Amateur Service is unsuitable for GMRS communications.
It also stated that making an exception to the current rule
would allow for the proliferation of home-built, non-
standardized transmitters in the GMRS spectrum with no
practical way for the Commission to monitor and enforce
regulatory compliance for these devices.
Based on this and several other factors the FCC concluded
that Mark Friedlander's petition does not present grounds
for it to amend the device certification requirement in
Section 95 of the General Mobile Radio Service rules and as
such its dismisses his petition.
Or the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
In making his request Friedlander said that his proposal
would make possible interoperability for emergency
communications between the two services. This is because
many emergency response groups use both the amateur radio
and GMRS bands. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ISSUES LARGEST FINE EVER TO CELLPHONE
JAMMER DISTRIBUTOR
The FCC has issued what may well be the largest proposed
fine in history to a mainland China on-line retail firm.
This for allegedly selling Cellular Telephone and other
radio frequency jamming devices to customers in the United
States. Amateur Radio Newsline's Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, is here
with the details:
--
The FCC is calling it a landmark enforcement action to
address the illegal marketing of GPS, cellular, and other
signal jamming devices to U.S. consumers over the Internet.
This as it proposes a thirty-four million nine hundred and
twelve thousand and five hundred dollar fine against C.T.S.
Technology Co., Limited and its subsidiaries located in the
People's Republic of China.
The FCC says that the proposed fine is the result of a pro-
active investigation that shows C.T.S. Technology Co.,
Limited sold signal jamming devices to consumers in the
United States over the Internet for more than two years. In
some cases, the devices sold by the company not only jammed
the communications signals as advertised, but were
potentially much more harmful by blocking communications
far beyond the frequencies listed in their advertisements.
In addition, the FCC says that C.T.S. Technology Company
Limited apparently misled consumers by falsely claiming on
its websites that certain signal jammers were approved by
the FCC for consumer use. And as confirmed by proactive
market surveillance along with an extensive undercover
operation conducted by its Enforcement Bureau, the
Commission says that these apparent violations are not only
egregious but continue as of the date of this action being
taken.
The proposed thirty-four million nine hundred and twelve
thousand and five hundred dollar fine is the maximum penalty
permitted by law for this type of an ongoing offense. As is
usual in these cases CTS Technology Company Limited will
have 30 days to pay the fine in full, ask for a reduction in
the amount or simply file an appeal.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU,
reporting.
--
In addition to the proposed fine, The FCC is also ordering
CTS Technology Company Limited, to stop selling and
marketing the devices to United States consumers. It also
has told the company that it must provide information about
those customers in the United States that it sold them to as
well. (FCC)
**
RADIO REMOTE FLYING: FLYING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO BE
PROHIBITED IN NATIONAL PARKS
If you are into flying radio remote controlled aircraft then
listen up. National Park Service Director Jonathan B.
Jarvis has signed a policy memorandum that directs his
superintendents nationwide to prohibit launching, landing,
or operating unmanned aircraft including drones on lands and
waters administered by the National Park Service.
Unmanned aircraft have already been prohibited at several
national parks. These bans were put in place after noise and
nuisance complaints from park visitors and a least one
incident in which park wildlife was harassed.
The memorandum does not affect the primary jurisdiction of
the Federal Aviation Administration over the National
Airspace System. Also, the National Park Service itself can
continue to use unmanned aircraft for administrative
purposes such as search and rescue, fire operations and
scientific study but some of these uses must first be
approved by the Associate Director for Visitor and Resource
Protection.
You can find links to several stories regarding the new
radio controlled model aircraft ban at the following URL's:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcneal/2014/06/20/nationa
l-park-service-bans-drones-and-model-aircraft-pending-
evaluation-of-their-potential-uses/,
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/20/drones-
banned-at-national-parks/11099497/,
http://www.inquisitr.com/1310455/use-of-drones-in-national-
parks-banned
(Various news sources)
**
RESCUE RECOGNITION: AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS HONORED FOR
VOLUNTEERISM DURING CANADA'S 2013 HIGH RIVER FLOOD
When Alberta Canada's High River overflowed its banks in the
spring of 2013, it raced across the near-by town destroying
businesses, homes, and its infrastructure. That's when
local ham radio operators were quick to step in to provide
necessary communications.
Members of the Foothills Amateur Radio Club and hams across
the region responded to the emergency by working closely
with area hospitals and emergency and support services.
They also augmented or replaced communications channels that
had been damaged or destroyed in the torrent.
Now, to honor the extraordinary efforts of these radio
amateurs, the Foothills Amateur Radio Club recently
sponsored an award ceremony and banquet for its members and
for those other amateurs that came to assist in time of dire
need. All received a certificate of appreciation for their
volunteerism. Also, two principle High River authorities
during the disaster presented letters of recognition and
thanks from the town to volunteers signed by the towns
current Mayor Craig Snodgrass. (RAC)
**
RADIO RECOGNITION: AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS PRESENTED WITH
IOWA GOVERNOR'S VOLUNTEER AWARD
Polk County, Iowa, ham radio operators associated with the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service were recently presented with
the Iowa Governor's Volunteer Award.
The ARES group was nominated for the award by the Polk
County Emergency Management Agency. The two organizations
have a long-standing relationship, working together to train
and prepare to assist in the event of a disaster of if main
communications systems fail.
The Iowa Governor's Volunteer Awards program was created
back in 1982. This year's presentation was made by Lt. Gov.
Kim Reynolds in a ceremony at Southeast Polk High School.
(Press Release)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: PARA KIDS DAY JULY 19
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association will hold its 2014
PARA Kids Day on July 19th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time
to expose youngsters to the fun world of Amateur Radio.
Based on similar initiatives in other nations including the
United States, PARA Kids Day is a family oriented event
aimed at introducing youngsters age 15 or under to what ham
radio is and how it can benefit them in the future.
Certificates will be available to qualifying children and
sponsoring stations. (PARA, Southgate)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. We are
the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our
only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio
amateur:
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY SATELLITES SURVEY
EARTH'S CHANGING MAGNETIC FIELDS
The first set of high-resolution results from the European
Space Agency's three satellite constellation named Swarm has
revealed the most recent changes in the magnetic field that
protects our planet. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather
Embee, KB3TZD, reports;
--
The Swarm satellite observation system is providing some
unprecedented insights into the complex workings of Earth's
magnetic field. Measurements made over the past six months
confirm the general trend of the field's weakening, with the
most dramatic declines over the Western Hemisphere. But in
other areas, such as the southern Indian Ocean, the magnetic
field has strengthened since this past January. The latest
measurements also confirm the movement of magnetic field
Northward towards Siberia.
These changes are based on the magnetic indications stemming
from Earth's core. Over the coming months, scientists plan
to analyze the data provided by the Swarm satellites along
with contributions from other sources including other
observations of the Earth's crust, mantle, oceans,
ionosphere and magnetosphere. Together with the data
collected from space, the researchers hope to provide new
insight into many natural processes, from those occurring
deep inside our planet to space weather triggered by solar
activity. In turn, they hope this information will yield a
better understanding of why the planets magnetic field
appears to be weakening.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in
Berwick, Pennsylvania
--
The Swarm constellation was launched in November 2013. The
initial results of this long ranging study were recently
presented at the Third Swarm Science Meeting that was held
in Copenhagen, Denmark. More is on the web at www.esa.int
(ESA, SatNews)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISS SEEKS SWL REPORTS ON SCHOOL
CONTACTS
ARISS is requesting listener reports for its school
contacts. Due to issues with the Kenwood radio that are not
fully understood, the Ericsson lower power transceiver is
going to be used for these contacts in the foreseeable
future. Please send your reports to aj9n (at) amsat.org or
aj9n (at) aol.com. ARISS managers add that they thank
everyone in advance for their assistance. (ARISS)
**
RADIO RESEARCH: RADIO CLUB GRANT ASSISTS STUDENTS IN
BUILDING RADIO TELESCOPE
Taking light at wavelengths that cannot be seen by the human
eye and translating it into digital characters that cannot be
heard is the purpose of Colorado's Estes Park High School
radio telescope project.
The frequency being measured by the student telescope is
1.416 GHz. This is the wavelength of hydrogen which the
most common element of the universe.
According to one of the students who assisted in building
the radio telescope, when you gather this invisible light
and feed it through a specialized receiver it is translated
it into a digital signal. Those ones and zero's can then be
converted and displayed graphically.
The project was made possible by generous donations from the
Toshiba America Foundation, the local Masonic Lodge, the
Estes Valley Amateur Radio Club, and other grants totaling
approximately $16,000. More about the students involved in
this rather ambitious project including a photo of the
completed skyward-looking array is on the web at
tinyurl.com/colorado-student-radio-scope (Trail Gazette)
**
WORLDBEAT: UK REGULATOR OFCOM SAYS 22000 LICENSE
REVALIDATIONS OUTSTANDING
United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom has
advised the Radio Society of Great Britain that some 22,000
of the 83,000 licenses in its database have yet to be
revalidated. This includes some 206 club licenses.
By the end of June, all license holders who have yet to
revalidate will have been contacted by Ofcom. If you are a
United Kingdom ham who needs assistance in the process,
Ofcom staff will be available to help on the telephone.
(RSGB)
**
WORLDBEAT: THAILAND HS0AC CLUB STATION RESTORED FOLLOWING
FLOODING IN 2011
Work to restore the amateur radio station of Thailand's
HS0AC amateur radio club at the Asian Institute of
Technology was completed on June 15th. Radio Amateurs of
Thailand President HS1FVL announced that after the equipment
and antennas have been tested a formal Open House would be
held on August 3rd to which representatives of amateur radio
associations throughout Thailand would be invited. The
original HS0AC club station had been destroyed during the
massive flooding that hit Thailand back in 2011. (RAST,
Southgate)
**
DX
In DX, OE3GEA and OE5OHO will be active stroke FP
from Miquelon Island between July 16th and the 22nd.
Operation will be holiday style on 40 through 10 meters
using mostly CW with low power and wire antennas. QSL via
their home callsign.
OM3RM will be operational portable 9A from Vis Island during
the RSGB Islands on the Air contest on July 26th and 27th.
This as a Single-Operator All-Band Mixed entry. QSL via
OM3RM.
YB3MM will be on the air as 4W stroke NB3MM from Timor Leste
between July 31st and August 5th. Operation will be on 30,
20, 17, 15 and 12 meters using mainly SSB with some CW and
PSK31. QSL IZ8CCW direct, by the bureau or OQRS.
IW2NEF will be active from Zanzibar Island likely using the
call as 5H1NE between July 22nd and August 6th. Activity
will be holiday style on the High Frequency bands using SSB
only. QSL via IK2DUW.
DO3MY will be operational as 6V1W from Senegal from July
through September. His activities will be on the High
Frequency bands only. QSL via his home callsign.
YO2MSB will be active stroke 3A from Monte Carlo, Monaco
between September 5th and the 12th. QSL via his home
callsign direct, via the bureau or electronically using
eQSL.
Lastly, N5NU will be living in Santiago, Chile until August
and is sometimes active stroke CE3 or CE5 depending on his
exact location. His home station is a QRP radio running 5
watts to a dipole. Sometimes he is also active from the
Radio Club de Chile using its 100 watt station. Listen out
for him mainly on 15 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via his
home callsign.
(This weeks DX news courtesy of OPDX and other DX news
sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: VK-LAND TO GET PUBLIC WI-FI NETWORK
And finally this week, as the fight over who controls
broadband rights continues here in the United States, there's
some very good news for Internet access down-under. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details:
--
Australian Telephone provider Telstra plans to pour over
$100 million to get a public Wi-Fi network up and running by
2015. The plan announced by Telstra chief executive David
Thodey will see the his company install up to 8000 new
wireless hotspots as it seeks to connect customers to two
million Wi-Fi hot-spots across Australia. Thodey said the
plan was designed to not only help meet current data needs
but also deliver the capacity needed in time to deal with
higher volumes of traffic.
There's also an overseas component with Telstra striking an
exclusive partnership with global Wi-Fi technology provider
Fon. Telstra customers, who choose to join the company's Wi-
Fi network will be provided compatible modems to access
their allowance at no extra charge via domestic hotspots and
connect to more than 12 million Fon-enabled hotspots
globally.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
--
According to the news release, non Telstra customers and
Telstra customers who have not joined the Wi-Fi community
will be able to connect to Fon-enabled Telstra Wi-Fi
hotspots for a small charge using day passes. (WIA News,
The Australian)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, the
FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the
RSGB, the South African Radio League, the Southgate News,
TwiT-TV, Australia's WIA News and you our listeners, that's
all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our e-mail address is
newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is
available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website
located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or
support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue,
Santa Clarita California, 91350.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Hal Rogers, K8CMD, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2014. All rights
reserved.
Have a day!
R\%/itt - K5RXT
--- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
--- D'Bridge 3.99
* Origin: K 5 R X T (Really Xtra Terrific) San Antonio, TX (1:387/22)
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