SMARA

MARS Cuts Ribbon on New Pentagon Station

2009-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

A military institution designed to provide emergency communications has moved to new quarters in the Pentagon. On October 21, John G. Grimes, the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration, cut the ribbon on the new Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) station, now located on the fifth floor of the Pentagon. The facility -- manned by the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club (PARC) -- is packed with amateur radios, radio-telephone patches, computers and data links. "This is a great facility, manned totally by volunteers," Grimes told the crowd who came to see the new station. "It's a crucial capability for our country."

MARS, which began in the early 1950s, started as a worldwide network of shortwave radio enthusiasts who would spring into action in the event of a nuclear war or natural disaster. Thousands of civilian and military ham radio volunteers manned the system. With service members deployed far from home, or even overseas, MARS provided health and welfare messages called MARSgrams, allowing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to keep in touch with their families back home. Today, those shortwave broadcasts have been superseded by the Internet; many service members use cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to speak with loved ones.

In the event of an emergency, high-frequency communication is generally the first to recover, and even the most modern technology can get overloaded. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, PARC member Allan Hubbert, KH6ILR, noted that there were communication problems during President Barack Obama's inauguration earlier this year: "During the inauguration, there were so many people on cell phones that it system was overloaded. We [hams] could still operate, and we helped back up the system down on the [National] Mall." More than 60 volunteers help to man the Pentagon MARS station.

With more than 6000 volunteers worldwide serving Army MARS, Air Force MARS and Navy-Marine Corps MARS, the system now backs up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "There have been many crises or disasters that have struck where the first word out of an area is via [Amateur Radio], and someone has their little gas generator going," Grimes said. "That's not likely to change any time soon." -- Thanks to the Department of Defense for some information

South African Amateur Radio Payload Reaches Orbit

2009-09-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

• After several delays, South Africa's second Amateur Radio satellite, SumbandilaSat, finally blasted to orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 17 at 17:55:09 Central African Time (15:55 GMT)..

The launch of SumbandilaSat had to be postponed twice, once due to heavy winds and the second attempt due to the fuel pressure in the feed line which was four times too low and thus caused the fueling process to take too long to be completed in time for launch. The 81kg (about 200 pound) micro-satellite is about 1m x 0.5m in size. The name SumbandilaSat originates from the Venda language and means "lead the way".

The satellite was released from the rocket while over the Antarctic and accessed by the ground station at the Stellenbosch University ten minutes later when the first command was sent to 'wake up' the satellites. Despite the low elevation orbit of less than 10 degrees SumbandilaSat responded well with its first telemetry.

The main payload is a multi-spectral imager, but the satellite also carries an Amateur Radio component consisting of a 2 meter/70 cm FM repeater, parrot repeater (voice digipeater) and a voice beacon. This payload will find not only use by the amateur radio fraternity but also has a large educational outreach aspect of bringing space sciences into the class room.

Earlier in September a team of SunSpace Engineers unpacked the satellite at the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan and carried out a full systems test. All systems performed to specification. The amateur radio payload was tested from a little distance to check radio signal levels. All three systems performed flawlessly.

An intensive period of payload qualification will now follow during which each system will be tested. This is expected to take up to 3 months after which the command will shift to the CSIR's Satellite Application Centre at Hartebeeshoek, north of Pretoria.

After SumbandilaSat is fully commissioned, the repeater will be activated with an uplink at 145.880 MHz and a downlink at 435.350 MHz; there will also be a voice beacon at 435.300 MHz. The transponder mode will be controlled by a CTCSS tone on the uplink frequency. The CTCSS tone frequencies have yet to be announced.

SumbandilaSat is sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology and built at SunSpace in cooperation with the Stellenbosch University. In addition to the SA-AMSAT amateur module, the satellite carries Stellenbosch University's radiation experiment and software defined radio (SDR) project, an experiment from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and a VLF radio module from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

South Africa’s initial entry into the space age was in early 1999 with the launch of SunSat-1 (OSCAR-35), a modest satellite built by postgraduate engineering students at the University of Stellenbosch. The satellite carried various experiments and an amateur radio transponder that delighted ham radio enthusiasts world-wide. SunSat was operational for almost two years, until February 2001. (Source: AMSAT-S.Africa, ARRL.)

Monkey Man Fined!

2009-09-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Daniel K. Roberts, (San Francisco, California) - also known as "Monkey Man" - has been fined $10,000 by the FCC’s San Francisco District Office, for willfully and repeatedly operating Pirate Cat Radio, (PCR) an unlicensed broadcast radio station on 87.9 MHz.

The station founder, Daniel Roberts (who later legally changed his name to his on air persona, Monkey), started broadcasting Pirate Cat Radio out of his bedroom in Los Gatos, California (a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area) at the age of 15.

In 2008, Roberts began operating PCR from a radio studio located at the Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio in San Francisco. According to its website, PCR describes itself as "unlicensed low powered community radio station." The Bay Area is the capital of pirate radio stations.

The FCC said there is no record that Roberts and PCR have ever received authority to operate this broadcast station. "Additionally, the 87.9 MHz frequency used by Roberts and PCR is not allocated to the FM broadcast band." The FCC noted that it has issued numerous warnings and Notices of Unlicensed Operation to Roberts and PCR detailing the potential penalties for operating an unlicensed radio station.

As Roberts tells it, the FCC would send him a warning and he would send back a quote from the agency's Web page, which says that radio stations can operate without a license in times of national emergency or war. He argues that the current war on terrorism, and before that drugs, falls under that definition.

On April 28, 2009, FCC agents, using radio direction-finding methods, traced a radio signal on 87.9 MHz to an antenna on the roof of a residence. Section 15.239 of the Rules provides that non-licensed broadcasting in the 88 to 108 MHz band is permitted only if the field strength of the transmission does not exceed 250 mV/m at three meters.

The measurements indicated that the signal was more than 4,000 times greater than the maximum permissible level for a non-licensed Part 15 transmitter in the 88 to 108 MHz band and more than 10,000 times greater than the maximum permissible level in the 76 to 88 MHz band.

The following day, the agents observed Roberts operating PCR on 87.9 MHz from the Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio in San Francisco. The agents located the signal again radiating from same residence as the previous day.

The FCC said its "Forfeiture Policy Statement"), and Section 1.80 of the Rules provide for a $10,000 forfeiture (fine) for operation of a radio transmitter without an instrument of authorization. Roberts was ordered to pay the fine within 30 days. The Commission will not consider reducing or canceling the fine unless he submits tax records going back three years or other financial records.

Teen serves community in multiple roles

2009-08-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

"I'm 15," said Boy Scout, Explorer Post 1 Commander, baritone player, Student Council President, Rowlett Fire Corps member and recipient of the Do Something Disaster grant Jonathan Dutsch.

Rowlett Explorer Post 1 will install an Amateur Radio Station in their meeting room in the upcoming months thanks to the $500 grant Jonathan received from DoSomething.org. The new equipment will give the team a broader communication range to provide a quicker response in emergency situations.

"I think getting the grant is awesome for the Explorers. It will challenge more of us to get radio operator licenses," Dutsch said.

Dutsch joined Cub Scouts in fifth grade, where he met Erik Ernst, a Rowlett Citizen Corps Council and CERT volunteer. Although he was too young to become a member, Ernst described Dutsch as eager to help out with RCCC programs .

"He ... would assist us, even then, by being a volunteer victim in our drills and arranging for other Cub Scouts to ... volunteer," Ernst said.

As a result, Jonathan helped create the Rowlett Explorer Post 1 program in January 2008. Before this, there wasn't an opportunity for children under 14 to be involved with RCCC if their parents weren't also volunteers. With Explorer Post 1, he was able to become a member right after his 14th birthday.

"Explorers provides rehab and helps out with [community] events. They help out with CERT," Dutsch said. He explained how explorers are some of the first responders with tornadoes and other disasters.

"We are very proud of Jonathan and are grateful for the time and contributions he makes to the post and Rowlett in his capacity as post commander," Ernst wrote in his recommendation letter for the Do Something Disaster grant.

Today Jonathan is the Explorer Post 1 Post Commander and the youth advisor on the Board of the RCCC. He has created an Explorers Post 1 promotional video that includes pictures of events the post helps organize.

When asked about receiving the 2008 Rising Star award, Dutsch explained that he tries to be involved in everything and likes to offer his ideas in problem-solving.

Dutsch is CPR certified and is working on getting his Amateur Radio license. He was chosen for the Order of the Arrow Boy Scouts of America Honor Society, and he served as president of his middle school student council. Jonathan is a member of the Rowlett Fire Corps and plays baritone for the Rowlett High School Band.

"Jonathan conducts himself with a maturity well beyond his years when the matter is serious, yet he is a teenager when it’s time to play," said Dr. Michael D. Lucas, director of the City of Rowlett CERT. "He participates in pretty much everything and takes the lead in taking CERT or RCCC operations back to the Explorer group and motivating teens to take up the challenge."

Lucas described a number of occasions where Dutsch has helped to maintain control and provide safety in a potentially dangerous situation. Recently, after a fallen tree interrupted power in a neighborhood for a long period of time, Dutsch helped direct traffic to keep residents away from the area. Dutsch also served on bike patrol serving water to volunteers at Fireworks on Main.

In his recommendation letter for the Do Something Disaster grant, RCCC President Whitney Laning highlighted Jonathan's time commitment, leadership skills and ability to take initiative as some of his key qualities.

So what's next for this busy teenager?

Jonathan plans to continue volunteering with the RCCC programs.

"I plan on being a volunteer for the rest of my life, as long as I can," he said.

He is already making plans for college, and eventually hopes to help out his community as a firefighter paramedic.

On the air ... Ham radio operators

2009-07-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

Sitting in a small trailer in Roosevelt Park on Saturday morning, Bill Cunnane’s first contact of the day ended up being an individual in Mongolia – an Asian nation that borders Russia and China.

It was the start of the Lincoln County Amateur Radio Group’s demonstration during Fourth of July activities in Troy. Folks could step up to the equipment and try to make their own contact while learning about the art of amateur radio.

Cunnane could share plenty of stories about his experiences over the years. King Hussein of Jordan, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center are just a few examples of the fascinating subjects and events that he has taken on.

Heck, on one occasion, he chatted with astronauts.

“I’ve always been tinkering around with radios since I was a kid,” said Cunnane, who went and got a license more than 30 years ago and served as a radio operator in the military. “I’ve talked to King Hussein … I talked to the International Space Station from my car, the Calgary Stampede, the aircraft carrier Midway in San Diego.”

Although those types of contacts are fun and interesting, one of the primary purposes of amateur radio operators is to help in times of an emergency. On 9/11 when terrorism changed America, Cunnane lived in Dover, N.J. From his home station, he communicated with emergency management officials, which included operations out of McGuire Air Force Base, located in south-central New Jersey.

After moving to Libby five years ago, Cunnane brought his expertise to the Lincoln County group, which has done test drills with local emergency management in the past. With his trailer and radio equipment, Cunnane can be set up in less than a half-hour after arriving on site.

“We’re trying to get a core group together to provide service if an emergency occurs,” Cunnane said. “We’d like to get a core group of around 20 … we really want to expand.”

Doug Griffiths, a veterinarian in Libby, is an example of someone who has really embraced the activity. Years ago, he had an interest in amateur radio and took a class on Morse Code.

“I took the class with many of the same members that are still here now,” Griffiths said. “Then in the springtime, I got a little too interested in flyfishing.”

Twenty-five years passed before Griffiths picked it up again. He has completed two of the three levels of licensing by passing the Technician Class and General Class exams. He is currently working on passing the Amateur Extra Class exam.

“It becomes more complex as you move up,” Griffiths said. “Your privileges increase as you move up the scale.”

Many ham radio operators could say they have hundreds of friends around the world without exaggeration. The activity is popular among many different types of groups from large corporations to churches attempting to communicate with missionaries overseas.

“It’s an interesting little aspect of the hobby because you really meet people,” Cunnane said.

One of the most memorable ham radio experiences of Cunnane’s life occurred in late April 1986 when a nuclear reactor exploded in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere was the result – something residents knew nothing about when Cunnane picked up his radio.

“I saw something about it on CNN and went on the radio to see if any of the guys from Kiev were on,” he said. “They said nothing was wrong.”

King Hussein became involved in trying to inform the Russians that a disaster had occurred. Cunnane spent the next several hours trying to warn people to “get out of Dodge.”

It’s that power of amateur radio that motivates enthusiasts like Cunnane.

“It’s what one person can do,” he said. “Think about what thousands can do.”

NASA gives a 'go' for June 13 launch of space shuttle Endeavour

2009-06-07T21:55:00.001-07:00

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is in the final week of prelaunch preparations for its upcoming STS-127 mission. The payload is secured inside Endeavour and the payload bay doors will be closed over the weekend.

The seven STS-127 astronauts wrapped up their terminal countdown demonstration test training at Kennedy on Thursday and returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The astronauts will go into quarantine Saturday and then return to Kennedy at 12:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9 for their final preps before Endeavour’s 7:17 a.m. launch time Saturday, June 13.

The crew’s arrival at Kennedy on Tuesday will be aired live on NASA TV.

Vanity Call Sign Regulatory Fee to Increase

2009-05-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (NPRM) on May 14 seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs. Currently, a vanity call sign costs $12.30 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if the FCC plan goes through, will go up to $13.40 for 10 years, an increase of $1.10. 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 $11.70 in 2007 to a high of $70 (as first proposed in the FCC's 1994 Report and Order). In 2007, the Commission lowered the fee from $20.80 to $11.70. The FCC said it anticipates some 15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign "payment units" or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $201,000 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 three 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.

UNAUTHORIZED EQUIPMENT SOLD ON THE INTERNET AND IN PUBLICATIONS

2009-05-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) receives many complaints about alleged illegal
(non-FCC certified) equipment being offered for sale on the Internet or in publications. The FCC is
monitoring this situation carefully and requests your assistance. If you have a complaint or any
information about illegal or uncertified equipment being offered for sale, please forward it to the FCC.
Useful information includes:
 an original advertisement or Web address where the illegal equipment is being advertised or
offered for sale, highlighting the types of equipment about which the allegations are being made;
 the name of any Web auction site selling the equipment, the exact item number, and auction
opening and closing dates;
 name and address of the individual or business offering the item(s) for sale;
 your name and telephone number in the event follow-up is necessary. We will keep this
information private;
 specifically, why you think the equipment is not in compliance with FCC rules; and
 number of pieces or types of equipment about which the allegations are being made
(one piece, five pieces, how many models, etc.).
How to File a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem with any unauthorized equipment, you can file a complaint with the
FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an on-line
complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your
complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing
1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to
complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form, you
will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you
need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a
minimum, should indicate:
 your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number where you can be reached;
 the type of company you are complaining about (telephone, wireless, Internet access
provider, TV or radio station, cable or satellite provider); and
 any additional details of your complaint, including time, date, and nature of the conduct
or activity you are complaining about and identifying information for any companies,
organizations, or individuals involved.
For More Information
For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer
Center using the information provided for filing a complaint.

Indianapolis police hold first amateur radio test session

2009-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

A growing number of police officers in Indianapolis have decided to get their ham radio licenses. This, after being told by their superiors in the department to remove all personal radio gear from patrol vehicles.

Now they are discovering that there's more to the hobby than idle chit chat. Some are so impressed that they are even helping to organize training and testing sessions for their fellow officers. As we first reported in March, the Indianapolis Metro Police Department has cracked down on road officers using Amateur Radios without a license. This comes following a complaint filed with the FCC by a local ham.

As a result, the Indianapolis Police Chief ordered all illegal radios removed from police cars until the officers became licensed radio hams. That forced dozens of Metro officers to race off to the nearest Amateur Radio book store. Veteran police officer Dewey Runnels passed his test and helped organize a weekday test session for officers working Indy's eastside district. Over sixty officers signed up to take the Technician Class license test.

This called for a response from the ham radio SWAT team. That stands for Swift Working Amateur Testers. VE Dave Wendt, KA9OOH, recruited thirteen volunteer examiners from four Central Indiana counties to handle the overwhelming number of applicants. IMPD provided a training room, the officers lined up, produced an ID and put pen to paper to earn their Tech ticket. The centralized test session allowed officers from three different shifts an opportunity to work the exam into their work schedule.

Of those pre-registered only one third showed up to take the test. Sixty percent of the officers passed and now await their new amateur radio call signs. Officer Dewey Runnels, KC9PIY, expects future test sessions to be better attended. He is excited about his new privileges and looks forward to a General Class upgrade. Future weekday test sessions are being scheduled to accommodate the growing number of IMPD officers wishing to earn their Technician Class license. (Source: Amateur Radio Newsline.)

NASA gives 'go' for space shuttle launch on May 11

2009-05-03T22:38:00.001-07:00

NASA managers completed a review Thursday, April 30, of space shuttle Atlantis' readiness for flight and selected an official launch date for the STS-125 mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

Commander Scott Altman and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 2:01 p.m. EDT, May 11, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He will be joined on the mission by Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld, KC5ZTF (photo), Megan McArthur and Mike Massimino. The spacewalkers are Feustel, Good, Grunsfeld and Massimino. McArthur is the flight engineer and lead for robotic arm operations.

Atlantis' 11-day mission will include five spacewalks to refurbish Hubble with state-of-the-art science instruments. When the astronauts have finished all of their tasks, they will use the robotic arm to release the telescope, and Goddard Space Center will issue the commands to bring the telescope back into operation.

Before Hubble's science mission can resume, the telescope will undergo a several-month-long testing and calibrating period. The first new images from the telescope will be released in mid-2009. Restored and updated, Hubble will continue on its journey around the Earth, its new components merging seamlessly with the old ...its lifetime extended through at least 2014. (Source: NASA.)

TV converter box coupons available again

2009-04-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

If you still haven’t gotten that TV converter box, good news.

With the June 12 deadline for the nationwide conversion to digital TV fast approaching, the TV Converter Box Coupon Program has begun to accept replacement requests from those whose coupons expired without being redeemed.

All coupon requests are now being processed as they come in, with a maximum nine business day turnaround time.

"With the backlog of applications now eliminated, consumers can apply for coupons and get assistance right away, allowing them to continue to receive important local television news and emergency information by purchasing a converter box at a reduced cost,” says Anna Gomez, acting administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

In January, the coupon program ran out of funding, and incoming coupon requests were placed on a waiting list. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided NTIA $650 million to issue at least 12.25 million more coupons.

Consumers can apply for replacement coupons by visiting www.DTV2009.gov, calling 1-888-388-2009, mailing an application to P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208, or faxing an application to 1-877-388-4632. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).

Applications are being processed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. The coupons may not be used as a rebate and must be presented to the retailer at the time of purchase.

The Federal Communications Commission announced that of the nation's nearly 1,800 full-power televisions stations, 641 (36 percent) have already terminated their analog signals.

First Afternoon in the Expanded 7.100 to 7.200 MHz 40 Meter Band

2009-03-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

The United Nations International Telecommunications Union date for broadcast stations to move out of the 7.100 to 7.200 MHz band of frequencies is 29 March 2009.

This has created a worldwide amateur radio band from 7.000 to 7.200 MHz for two way ham radio communications.

Amateur Radio operators in Somalia, Australia, New Zealand, America and some other countries can also use 7.200 to 7.300 MHz shared with broadcasting stations.

The old 40 metre broadcast band was 7.100 to 7.350 MHz.
As of 29 March 2009 the new 40 metre broadcast band is from 7.200 to 7.600 MHz.

Report on the first day of operating in the newly expanded 40 metre amateur radio band during the Australian SUNSET.

On the Australian afternoon of the 29 March 2009 UTC 0630 UTC there was 1 shortwave broadcast station in the newly expanded 40 metre amateur band from 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.

7190 KHz (7.190 MHz) Radio Tunis in Tunisia (North Africa) was broadcasting to North and West Africa on AM with signal strength 9 in Sydney, Australia. The broadcast schedule is 0400 to 0700 UTC using 500 kW.

Amateur radio stations from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and West Africa were heard across the dial 7.000 to 7.200 MHz. USA Amateur radio stations were heard up to 7.300 MHz.

In Australia we have had 7.000 to 7.300 MHz for many years and it is great to hear 7.100 – 7.200 MHz so clear and full of Amateur Radio stations on the first day that it has been cleared by most short wave broadcast stations.

7.200 to 7.300 MHz also sounds mostly clear at 0630 UTC.

At 0740 UTC there was 1 shortwave broadcast station in the newly expanded 40 metre amateur band from 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.

7.140 MHz Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea was over signal strength 9 broadcasting AM in Chinese to North East China.

As a matter of interest at 0840 UTC from 7.200 to 7.300 MHz there were 4 short wave broadcasters.
7.200 MHz station 1.
7.275 MHz KBS World Radio on AM in Seoul, South Korea. The broadcast schedule is 0800 to 1300 UTC, 1600 to 1900 UTC and 2200 to 2300 UTC.
7.285 MHz Radio New Zealand in Wellington using a 100 kW DRM digital short wave radio transmitter from 0700 to 1200 UTC and 1751 to 1850 UTC. Radio New Zealand use a Short wave 100 kW AM transmitter from 1551 to 1750 UTC.
7.295 MHz station 4.

During Radio New Zealand DRM digital short wave radio broadcasts on 7.285 MHz Radio New Zealand is also broadcasting on AM short wave on 6.170 MHz or 9.615 MHz or 9.655 MHz.

Report on the first day of operating in the newly expanded 40 metre amateur radio band during the Australian SUNRISE.

A few days ago 7.100 to 7.200 MHz was full of short wave broadcast stations in the Australia morning.

With broadcast stations moving out of the 7.100 to 7.200 MHz band only a few remain. Here is what I heard in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, 29 March 2009 GMT date (Monday 30 March 2009 Australia date).

At 1740 UTC there were 6 short wave broadcast stations between 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.
7110 kHz Radio Ethiopia in Addis Ababa 59
7125 kHz s/off at 1808 UTC
7145 kHz Radio Hargeisa in Somaliland. (East Africa)
7165 kHz
7170 kHz
7180 kHz

At 1810 UTC there were 4 shortwave broadcast stations between 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.
7100 kHz Voice of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea 1800 UTC. North Korea national anthem at 1902 UTC. Broadcast continued.
7110 kHz Radio Ethiopia in the Amharic language.
7.145 MHz Radio Hargeisa in Somaliland in the Somali language. News at 1852 UTC followed by station identification. Somaliland national anthem at 1856 UTC, Sign off at 1858 UTC.
7175 kHz Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea in Asmara. Station identification at 1902 UTC followed by music. Sign off at 2000 UTC

At 1906 UTC there were 4 short wave broadcast stations between 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.
7.100 Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea (North East Asia).
7.110 Radio Ethiopia, Addis Ababa (East Africa).
7.175 Voice of Broad Masses of Eritrea (Voice of the people of Eritrea) (East Africa).
7.190 MHz Radio Tunis in Tunisia signs on with the call to prayer at 1906 UTC (North Africa).

At 2000 UTC there were 5 short wave broadcast stations between 7.100 to 7.200 MHz.
7.100 Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea (North East Asia). Sign off before 2050 UTC.
7.110 Radio Ethiopia, Addis Ababa (East Africa). Sign off at 2100 UTC
7.135 MHz Jamming station heard presumed jamming the Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan. No jamming and no stations at 2100 UTC.
7170 kHz China or North Korea opened with time signal and National Anthem at 2000UTC.
7.190 MHz Radio Tunis in Tunisia.

At 2100 UTC there were 4 short wave broadcast stations between 7.100 to 7.200 MHz
7.125 MHz China or North Korea at 2050 UTC.
7170 kHz China or North Korea.
7.180 MHz Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea (North East Asia) opened with North Korea National Anthem at 2100 UTC.
7.190 MHz Radio Tunis in Tunisia. The broadcast schedule is 1700 to 0000 UTC using 500 kW.

As a matter of interest at 1800 to 2000 UTC there were 2 short wave broadcast stations below 7.000 MHz.
Radio Cairo, Egypt on 6.860 MHz (North Africa) and Israel Defence Forces Radio GLZ (Galey Zahal, IDF Radio, Israel Army Radio) on 6973 KHz in Hebrew (Middle East).

In this time period 7.200 to 7.300 MHz is well used by short wave broadcasting stations.

Enjoy the 40metere band.

73,
Sam Voron VK2BVS, 6O0A
Email somaliahamradio@yahoo.com
Website https://sites.google.com/site/somaliahamradio

Global Simulated Emergency Test scheduled for April

2009-03-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

The HQ Stations of all IARU Member-Societies, as well as the stations of Emergency Communications Groups, have been invited by IARU Region 1 to participate in the 2009 Global Simulated Emergency Test (GlobalSET), on Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 1100-1500 UTC.
The GlobalSET will take place on and near the emergency Center of Activity (CoA) frequencies on 80, 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters, +/- QRM.
Stations in the United States intending to participate need to register through their IARU International Emergency Communications Coordinator. For the United States, registrations should be e-mailed to ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD at, k2dcd@arrl.org.
Dura confirmed that W1AW will participate in the GlobalSET.
According to IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, the GlobalSET is not a contest, but an emergency communications exercise to develop skills needed to provide an international emergency network.
Mossop said that the GlobalSET has four objectives:To increase the common interest in emergency communications.
To test how usable the CoA frequencies are across ITU regions.
To create practices for international emergency communications.
To practice the relaying of messages using all modes: Voice (SSB), Data or CW.
"The exercise will build on earlier GlobalSET exercises and will focus on generating and relaying messages in a common format across country borders, rather than the information gathering capabilities that we've done in the past," Mossop said. "We will pass messages in a format that we may have to use for the agencies we may serve. The message exchange will take longer than in previous exercises, and stations will have to be patient to transmit their messages across country and language boundaries."
Each participating station is to send messages to their Regional HQ station using the IARU International Emergency Operating Procedure, using IARU message forms. Stations should relay the messages they receive to their Regional HQ station; the Region 2 station is TG0AA in Guatemala.
To comply with license regulations, all messages should be addressed to Greg Mossop, G0DUB, and should come from a licensed radio amateur. Messages should contain fewer than 25 words and should not include anything that would be considered as a "real emergency" message by a listener.
Mossop suggests constructing messages that include weather conditions, the number of operators at the station or even an interesting fact about the station. "There is no limit on the number of messages to be sent," he said, "but each one must have a unique message number." Regional HQ stations will not be sending messages, only receiving them.
Mossop recommends that in order to create "a more realistic situation, please limit your transmitting power during the exercise to 100 W. We are especially interested in stations operating mobile/portable and/or on emergency power."
Usually held in May, the 2009 GlobalSET was moved to April to tie into World Amateur Radio Day. The theme of the 2009 World Amateur Radio Day is Amateur Radio: Your Resource in Disaster and Emergency Communication. "This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the work of emergency communications groups around the world," Mossop said.
For more information on the 2009 GlobalSET, including a list of CoA frequencies for Regions 1, 2 and 3, please see the GlobalSET announcement at, http://www2.arrl.org/news/files/2009GlobalSET.pdf

11-year-old acquires top ham-radio license

2009-03-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

PLEASANT GROVE — Most people know him as Adam Lee, but the 11-year-old Pleasant Grove boy has another identity: KE7UZK.

The Barratt Elementary School sixth-grader isn't a spy or secret agent. Adam is a ham radio operator, and KE7UZK is his call sign.

At BYU's Howard W. Hunter Law Library on Feb. 18, Adam passed the Federal Communications Commission's extra-class, amateur radio-licensing exam, making him one of the youngest ham radio operators on the airwaves. Extra is the highest of three U.S. amateur radio-licensing classes, and it gives Adam the privilege of operating any type of ham radio on any amateur band.

Adam said he caught the ham radio bug last year while working on the Boy Scout radio merit badge.

"I wanted to learn more about ham radio," he said. "So I got my technician (license) in July, and then I just kept going and got my general and extra."

Technician is the lowest license class for ham radio operators, and general is the middle class. Adam said the exam for the technician class focused more on logic, and the general- and extra-class exams become more technical.

For now, Adam is the man around the Lee house when it comes to radios. His dad, Sam Lee, only recently passed the technician exam.

"A lot of adults try to pass the extra," the elder Lee said. "And it's not an easy test to pass, so (other operators are) impressed that he's already passed the test."

For Christmas, Adam wanted an amateur-extra study manual full of technical information and practice test questions. Prior to taking the test, operators must understand radio-wave propagation, electrical principles, circuit components, signals and emissions, antennas and transmission lines.

From January until his test last month, Adam read the study book three times from cover to cover, evidenced by his book's worn corners, highlighted pages and bookmarks. Sometimes his father would help by quizzing the boy.

"Without even giving him the choices, he would know the answer," Sam Lee said. "He just knew this inside and out. It was amazing."

With new privileges afforded him thanks to his amateur-extra license, Adam has hopes to upgrade his radio this summer. Right now, he has a small hand-held device with a maximum range of about 400 miles. He said the most distant operator he's contacted was up in North Salt Lake.

"I'm saving for a bigger radio so I can go all the way around the world," Adam said, adding that he particularly wants to talk to radio operators in Europe.

Also on his wish list is a new call sign. Amateur-extra operators usually have a shorter call sign than the six-digit identifier he currently uses.

"Right now my call is KE7UZK, but when I passed my extra, I told them to change it," Adam said. "So I'm still waiting for the new call and my new license to come in the mail."

The oldest of five kids, Adam excels at school — especially in math. The young ham radio operator participates in Alpine School District's accelerated learning lab with classmates who learn at a faster pace than others.

School, Scouting and other activities prevent Adam from spending as much time radioing as he'd like — "probably once a week or maybe a little bit more," he said.

Police Detonate Ham Radio Equipment Mistaken for Bomb

2009-03-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Police evacuated a midtown neighborhood briefly Thursday morning for what was originally thought to be a bomb, but in the end, it turned out to be ham radio equipment.

The house, located near 48th and Mayberry, caught fire last week. A cleaning company found the equipment and called police, thinking it was a pipe bomb.

Police were called, and officers detonated the equipment. The neighborhood was evacuated during the investigation.

Indianapolis Officers Must Stop Profane Talk on Illegal Radios

2009-03-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

INDIANAPOLIS --

Dozens of illicit radios were ordered removed from Indianapolis police cars after ham radio operators complained about the language officers used on radio frequencies they aren't supposed to be utilizing.

Hundreds of police officers used what they called a second radio to talk to other officers, but those radios don't have federal authorization, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.

Officers sometimes used the extra radios for officials business, but they were also used for personal communication and biting, sometimes profane commentary about their workday.

"I've heard, basically, obscenities," said a ham radio operator who didn't want to be identified. "I've heard comments about private citizens, in general."

"I'm locking that guy up. I'll write a report, and that way, she'll want to report his a** anyway," an officer said in a conversation that the ham operator had recorded.

"F*** it, ha ha ha," exclaimed another officer.

Ham operators who found the language offensive reported it to the Federal Communications Commission, prompting the department to do a three-day inspection of cruisers and ordering everyone with an unlicensed radio to remove it.

"Apparently, there has been a problem with some language, which is a violation of the FCC regulations," said Indianapolis police Lt. Jeff Duhamell. "The chief has decided that the officers should pull them out of their vehicles."

The FCC is letting Indianapolis police handle the issue internally. Officer use of unauthorized frequencies goes back many years, Rinehart reported.

Amateur Radio Club Helps Red Cross Communicate

2009-02-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

The So. Md. Red Cross Hambulance is a donated ambulance that has been retrofitted to provide emergency radio communications. (Submitted photo)

Most of us expect that each time we pick up a phone we will hear that familiar dial tone. But, what would happen if the majority of the people in one area tried to make calls at the same time? Perhaps silence…

That is often what happens when there is a disaster that affects many people. The crisis on 9/11 was a good example of how cell phone and land line phones can be overloaded with a surge of calls. All of us would want to find out if our loved ones are safe and out of harm's way, but that could take away the link we have to our volunteers in the disaster area.

The solution the Southern Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross has developed to counter that scenario is to use radio communications. A few years ago our chapter partnered with a local amateur radio club and began a project to have an independent communications network of operators and radio systems to meet just about any requirement we could imagine that would impact our chapter's operating areas.

The Southern Maryland Chapter covers three counties and over 1,000 square miles of land. We are bordered by two major rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. So, how do we cover such a large area? Radios and lots of them.

We first turned to our friends in the Southern Maryland Amateur Radio Club. They provided us with radios and the personnel to run them. Some of our volunteers were already Hams -- a slang term used for amateur shortwave radio operators. The hams did a great job of manning the shelters and helping out at different events; the more we worked with them the more we realized how much we all had in common. Public service is a big part of what the hams do.

As time went along many of the radio club members joined the Red Cross as volunteers and things really got going. An old ambulance was acquired by the chapter and it was offered to the radio operators as a mobile communications van that could be sent out to a disaster as a command post and communications link.

That is all the encouragement they needed to take charge and move out! The Charles County government was changing over to a different radio band and their old radios were going to be discarded. Timing is everything! It just so happened that these radios were absolutely perfect for the newly named Hambulance. Yes, it is corny, but the name stuck. The radios were in very good shape and the radio club bought the software to re-program the radios to make them usable on the "Ham" frequencies. The Sheriff's department asked that we program in three of their mutual aid frequencies so that we could communicate with them if they needed us. Since radios only work if you have someone to talk to, Mike Zabco, the CEO of the chapter, offered the radio operators a room in the La Plata office as a communications room.

Now there was a mobile unit and a base station to talk to. More and more projects were undertaken by the Hams/Red Cross volunteers as even more radios and vehicles were made available to them.

The So. Md. Red Cross Hambulance has been refitted inside, with the help of the So. Md. Amateur Radio Club, to provide local area, statewide, and world-wide communications via radio. (Submitted photo)

Through countless hours of hard work and donations, the radio group has given the chapter a three tier approach to making sure that we can communicate with any of our volunteers and many other public service organizations. The tiers include local area, statewide, and worldwide communications.

The first tier is local area communications. We use hand held radios to talk to others in proximities of a few feet up to several miles. This is what we would use to communicate around a shelter or on the ground at a disaster. These radios use Ham, Family Radio Service (FRS), and some commercial frequencies.

The second tier is the statewide area. This is where the real fun starts. The Hambulance is one of several vehicles statewide that have mobile radios in them. There are five positions in the vehicle that can access over 13 high powered radios -- high power meaning 50 to 110 watts. There is one operating station that can use High Frequency or short wave to communicate to just about any place on earth depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions. The Hambulance has over 30 hand held radios that can be deployed to provide the local area communications I first described. It can send digital messages not too much different from what most of us know as text messages on our cell phone.

There are also CB radios on board the Hambulance. When the folks at Wal-mart donate a tractor trailer full of water, it is beneficial to be able to talk to the truck driver to give him directions on where to park. There are also radios that can be re-programmed to work with just about any other agency that uses the frequencies our radios cover. The Hambulance also has generators to make its own power. It has additional AC units to keep us cool in the heat of summer and a really great heating system to keep us warm in the winter.

There are many other vehicles that have both Ham and Red Cross radios in them. Some are Red Cross and even more are privately owned. Using a Red Cross radio allows any volunteer to use the Red Cross frequencies to talk with other mobile units and base stations, since you need an FCC license to use a Ham Radio.

There are several radio operators that have installed radios in their own homes and erected antennas to provide us with a fairly extensive network of base stations. They monitor the mobile stations and at times can relay messages from a shelter that may be in a less than ideal place for a radio to work. We have been very fortunate to have partnerships with local leaders in both business and the Ham communities. As a result of one of these partnerships, we have a network of radio repeaters that allow us to use hand held radios and communicate from Upper Marlboro to almost Point Lookout using the Ham Radio frequencies.

During one hurricane event we had over 20 volunteers and radio operators helping us with shelters and Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) in the field. We never lost contact with any of them!

We have developed what we call a Go-Kit. These are suitcase like radio stations. A person can pick up a kit, go to a shelter or any other location we need to operate from, and set up a complete communications station. There are radios, both fixed and hand held, power supply, antennas and cables needed to get on the air. I have seen these set up on a card table with a trash can as an antenna support and a car battery to run it.

The last Tier is the World Wide Area. All of our base stations are capable of using High Frequency radio to communicate anywhere in the world. They all have the Red Cross and Ham radios. This is a vital link in case of a major disaster when you need help from outside of your local area. Imagine being in a situation like Hurricane Katrina and the guy who can help you is over 300 miles away.

This is an overview of what the local Red Cross chapter is doing to be better prepared to communicate when disaster strikes. Through the dedication of our volunteers and partnerships with many other organizations, our goal is to provide reliable and effective communications when and where we need it.

Telecommunications lawyer to replace Riley Hollingsworth

2009-02-03T21:37:00.001-08:00

Laura L. Smith of Pennsylvania has been named by the FCC to fill the vacancy created when Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, retired in 2008 as Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. Hollingsworth served in that position for more than 10 years as the FCC's enforcement watchdog over the Amateur Radio Service. Like Hollingsworth, Laura Smith will work out of the FCC’s Gettysburg, Pennsylvania office,

A 1990 graduate of the Pepperdine University School of Law, Smith began her legal career with the FCC, working in the Mass Media Bureau and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. She also served as Deputy Division Chief of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. Smith is currently licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In 1998, Smith left the FCC to become Executive Director of Governmental Affairs for the Industrial Telecommunications Association (ITA), now Enterprise Wireless Alliance. In that role, she monitored FCC and legislative proceedings and participated in all regulatory proceedings relevant to the private wireless industry. In 2001, Smith became ITA's President and Chief Executive Officer. While in that position, she was instrumental in the formation of the Consensus Group, a group of public safety and private wireless entities responsible for drafting the "Consensus Plan," a proposed resolution for interference in the 800 MHz band; this was adopted by the FCC in 2004.

Smith returns to the FCC after serving as Counsel with the Maryland law firm of Shulman Rogers. While there, she dealt with telecommunications matters and provided counsel to numerous entities in the private radio and public safety communities. Smith has served as an industry consultant and written columns for a variety of trade publications including Mobile Radio Technology Magazine and The Private Wireless Magazine.

In an October 2008 letter to then-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, urged Martin to name a successor to Hollingsworth: "The appointment of a replacement Special Counsel in this position is of critical importance to the Amateur Radio Service, as the delay in finalizing the appointment stands to undermine in very short order an exceptionally successful and low-cost program of enforcement in the Amateur Service."

Calling the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program "spectacularly successful," Harrison reminded Martin of the "long period in the late 1980s and 1990s during which the Commission was essentially uninvolved in enforcement in the Amateur Service. The Amateur Service, consisting of some 680,000 licensees of the Commission, is in essence a self-regulating service; however, due to the shared frequency allocations in the Service and the long distance propagation of amateur communications, a very few rule violators can cause severe disruption in the Service. On the other hand, even a minimal Commission presence has a very strong deterrent value."

When Hollingsworth was appointed as Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement, Harrison said that Hollingsworth "established a visible presence in the Service and very quickly, and with very little investment of Commission resources, using little more than the awareness of an enforcement presence, created strong deterrence against rule violations."

Upon learning of Smith's move to the Amateur Radio enforcement role, Harrison remarked that he was "very pleased to see the Commission move forward with the hiring of a new Special Counsel responsible for enforcement of the Amateur Radio Service rules," said Harrison. "Ever since Riley Hollingsworth announced his retirement, we have met with the Enforcement Chief numerous times and corresponded with FCC Chairman Martin to ensure this position remains intact at FCC. The Commission acknowledges the self-regulating environment we maintain, but also understands that we need their assistance occasionally to resolve a few situations. They have continually reassured us that this is an important matter for them, and Ms Smith's hiring confirms that." (Source: ARRL, FCC, Jan. 26.)

Amateur Radio Operations to Begin Again on Midway Atoll

2009-02-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced on Monday, January 26 that they would once again allow Amateur Radio operators the opportunity to operate from Midway Atoll. This the first time that USFWS has allowed amateurs to operate from the wildlife refuge since 2002. The USFWS started a program earlier this month to encourage visitors to experience Midway's wildlife, history and culture, as well as non-wildlife-dependent activities -- including Amateur Radio.

To ensure the safety of the wildlife on the Refuge, the USFWS said that Amateur Radio operations will be permitted for two weeks only, from October 5-19, 2009. "Radio operation will be allowed only within a designated area on the north side of Sand Island and the use of portable generators will not be permitted," said Midway Atoll Refuge Manager Matt D. Brown. "There is 120 V power available at the operation site. Any modifications to the island power grid/infrastructure must be approved in advance and be paid for entirely by the radio operators." All participants will be required to attend a refuge orientation shortly after arrival that is designed to enhance visitor safety, wildlife protection and overall enjoyment of the wildlife refuge.

"Although determined to be a wildlife-compatible activity," Brown said, "this [Amateur Radio] opportunity is being conducted on a trial basis." Brown has the authority to discontinue the activity at any time, based on wildlife protection and conservation goals. For more information, please contact Brown via e-mail or by phone at 808-954-4818.

Travel arrangements to and from Midway are the responsibility of the individual or group. Since there are minimal facilities on the atoll, Brown said that lodging availability is very limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. "All Amateur Radio operators on Midway must secure lodging reservations, as camping is not permitted," Brown said. To make reservations, please contact Chugach Industries' Site Administrator Darlene Holst via e-mail or by phone at 808-954-4801.

Midway is located in the North Pacific Ocean (near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago) -- approximately 1250 miles northwest of Honolulu -- about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo. At less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline, Midway Atoll is truly "midway" around the world from the Greenwich meridian. The atoll is an unincorporated territory of the United States and is the only atoll/island in the Hawaiian archipelago not part of the State of Hawaii. Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is owned and administered by the USFWS on behalf of the American people and has international significance for both its historic and natural resources.

In 1988, Midway became a National Wildlife Refuge, at the time subject to the primary jurisdiction of the Navy. In 1993, the Navy decided to close the Naval Air Facility after more than 50 years of continuous operation. On May 20, 1996, custody and accountability for Midway Atoll transferred from the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Interior. President Clinton signed Executive Order 13022 on October 31, 1996, effectively superseding earlier orders assignment responsibility for Midway to the Navy. A new code of regulations governing activities at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was published in the Federal Register on March 10, 1998.

When Midway became a national wildlife refuge, it joined a network of more than 500 separate units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, encompassing nearly 93 million acres, throughout all 50 states and several territories and possessions. Refuges represent the only Federal lands set aside and managed principally for the conservation of fish and wildlife.

NSC wants total ban on mobile cellphone use

2009-01-26T04:38:00.000-08:00

Itasca, Ill. – The National Safety Council today is calling on motorists to stop using cell phones and messaging devices while driving, and is urging businesses to enact policies prohibiting it and governors and legislators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to pass laws banning the behavior.

“Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four times greater risk of a crash,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the NSC. “Driving drunk is also dangerous and against the law. When our friends have been drinking, we take the car keys away. It’s time to take the cell phone away.”

A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. The study also put the annual financial toll of cell phone-related crashes at $43 billion.

Talking on a cell phone may be less distracting than some other activities people may engage in while driving, but the use of cell phones and texting devices is much more pervasive, making it more dangerous overall, Froetscher said. The NSC also points to studies from researchers at the University of Utah that show that hands-free devices do not make cell phone calls while driving safe. Another study demonstrates that talking to passengers, as opposed to talking on a cell phone, actually makes adult drivers safer, because passengers help alert drivers to potential driving risks.

“When you’re on a call, even if both hands are on the wheel, your head is in the call, and not on your driving,” Froetscher said. “Unlike the passenger sitting next to you, the person on the other end of the call is oblivious to your driving conditions. The passenger provides another pair of eyes on the road.”

A significant amount of vehicular cell phone use is done on the job. Many businesses have already acknowledged the injuries and costs associated with this behavior by adopting policies that ban cell phone use by employees on the roads. Among NSC member businesses that responded to a survey, 45 percent said they have company policies prohibiting on-road cell phone use. Of those, 85 percent said the policies make no difference in business productivity.

“Anyone with a busy job knows the temptation to multi-task and stay in touch with the office while driving,” Froetscher said. “Believe me, I’ve been there. I didn’t realize how much risk I was taking. Most people don’t. Employers understand how dangerous the behavior is and their potential liability. We are asking all businesses to join us by adopting policies banning calling and texting while driving on the job.”

Froetscher is sending letters this week to all governors and state legislative leaders, encouraging them to adopt statewide bans. She acknowledged that achieving and enforcing bans in all states will be a challenge, but she said the NSC has successfully faced similar challenges in the past, such as seatbelt enforcement.

“It may be hard for some people to imagine how certain laws, such as those concerning drunk driving, teen driving, seatbelt use and booster seats, can be enforced by observation alone,” Froetscher said. “Smart people in law enforcement get together to address such issues. They develop creative and successful measures to identify violators, such as high-visibility enforcement strategies.”

The NSC will take a three-fold approach to leading change: advocating legislation; educating the public and businesses about the risk of cell phone use while driving; and supplementing distracted driving content in its training of 1.5 million people annually in defensive driving.

“The change we are looking for, to stop cell phone use while driving, won’t happen overnight. There will be a day, however, when we look back and wonder how we could have been so reckless with our cell phones and texting devices,” Froetscher said.

A fact sheet, data resources and other information concerning cell phone use while driving are available on the NSC website, at distracteddriving.nsc.org

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes, communities and on the road, through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

Amateur radio recruits youths

2009-01-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

SCHENECTADY — Dylan Jacobson, 7, of Clifton Park, spoke with someone from Pittsburgh, Pa., over the radio Sunday afternoon from the basement of the Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium.

“Hello my name is Dylan. I’m 7 years old and I can’t decide my favorite color between blue and yellow,” he said into the microphone.

Jim from Pittsburgh responded and Dylan learned about Jim’s radio equipment and the weather in Pennsylvania. And he was reminded to be nice to his mother.

“It was cool,” Jacobson said after the experience.

Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association, a club of mostly middle-aged men, opened their doors to children Sunday afternoon for National Amateur Radio Kids Day.

The Boring Amateur Radio Association from Oregon has been putting on the event for over a dozen years in an effort to attract more children to amateur radio.

Most amateur radio fanatics are older. The men involved with Schenectady Museum’s Amateur Radio station range in age from mid 30s to 60.

“All of us are older … We want to fix that,” Dan Miller of Glenville said.

The children were able to chat with other children from all over the country. However, not many children took advantage of the opportunity this year. In years past, club member Gerald Murray said, the basement room was packed with families. This year only a handful of children visited.

Murray said it’s interesting to see how the children react to being on the radio.

“Some are shy, but others find a whole new personality,” he said.

Jonathan Johnson, 4, of Schenectady, told Dave from University City, Mo., his age and his favorite color, but didn’t want to say much else.

On the other end the radio operator told Johnson that it was cold in the Midwest, but probably not as cold as it was here and they were expecting snow later in the week.

While little tidbits and mostly mundane details were exchanged over the airways during Kids Day, amateur radio operators, often called “hams,” still play a useful role in communications and often are essential during an emergency.

Most of the men involved with the radio club are also involved with some sort of emergency management organization, including the Red Cross of Northeastern New York and the Urban Search and Rescue Team.

Tony Pazzola, 60, of Loudonville, operated one of the only amateur radios from the rubble of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attacks. The event demolished police and fire radio signals, and amateur radio was the main source of communication between emergency responders.

Murray operated an amateur radio from Canajoharie High School to provide communication with emergency responders during the flooding that devastated the western Mohawk Valley in the spring of 2006.

Miller, a member of the Cost Guard Auxiliary who served in the Navy, said he continues to participate in amateur radio clubs because of the public service it provides.

The radio club members also broadcast news about local events such as parades and sporting events like the Freihofer’s Run and the Empire State Games.

The Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association is organizing a kids’ club, which will teach children more about amateur radio. An information session is scheduled for noon on Jan. 24 at the museum.

Source Schenectady Gazette

KIDS DAY at the SCHENECTADY MUSEUM

2008-12-30T20:25:00.001-08:00

The next opportunity to encourage a youngster (or a group of 'em), licensed or not, to get on the air to chat with others is Sunday, January 4. Kids Day, sponsored by the Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association (SMARA) www.smara.com is the perfect way to introduce a young person to the magic of Amateur Radio.

Date: Sunday, January 4, 1800Z-2400Z. Operate as much or as little as you like.

Suggested exchange: Name, age, location and favorite color. Be sure to work the same station again if an operator has changed. To draw attention, call "CQ Kids Day."

Suggested frequencies: 28.350 to 28400 MHz, 24.960 to 24.980 MHz, 21.360 to 21.400 MHz, 18.140 to 18.145 MHz, 14.270 to 14.300 MHz, 7.270 to 7.290 MHz, 3.740 to 3.940 MHz, as well as your favorite 2 meter repeater (with permission of the repeater's sponsor). Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs.

Kids have a blast on their special don-the-air day, and adults tend to enjoy it just as much!

Retired couple pitches in

2008-12-21T21:54:00.001-08:00

LEWISTON - Ivan Lazure spent four years in the U.S. Navy and nearly three decades working for Bath Iron Works before he retired with aching muscles and a lifetime of accomplishments.

His wife, Lucille, was a nurse for years before multiple sclerosis forced her to leave the profession.

You'd think a couple with a long work history would relax for a little bit. Maybe take a long vacation. Perhaps just sit around and do nothing at all.

"We did a little bit of that," Ivan said. "We went out and did some kayaking. We kind of took it easy."

But the period of leisure did not last long. When you have spent a lifetime working your tail off for others and helping those in need, it's hard to quit.

The Lazures went back to work almost immediately. With no paychecks or expectations of reward.

"I think part of it is our Christian upbringing," Ivan said. "We want to help our neighbors. We want to help any way we can."

He ditched the lazy life of retirement almost as soon as it began. An amateur radio operator, he and his circle of ham friends began working with hospitals around the state, helping them prepare for emergencies through the magic of radio.

Meanwhile, Lucille emerged from a period of down time as she recovered from MS. She started to feel better. The nurturing nature, instilled during her career in nursing, had not left her.

"I got treatment and it gave me more energy," Lucille said. "I wanted to do something. I was all rested up and getting bored."

The Lazure couple went to work for St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, volunteering to help in any way they could.

Ivan works two days a week keeping track of equipment that is borrowed and returned to the hospital. He uses his experience with the computer program Excel to keep a careful inventory of the crutches and canes, wheelchairs and walkers that come and go.

"We have quite a bit of equipment that's been donated," he said. "We have 180 pieces of equipment and right now; 60 of them have been signed out."

The equipment needs to be cleaned once it has been returned. Ivan is there to do it, working a job that doesn't cost the hospital or its patients a dime. Giving the gift of time and know-how because he wants to. It is nothing more complicated than that.

He also spends part of his days delivering mail to the hospital staff and patients. This is where Ivan gets to employ his charm, instead of the mechanical skills he has developed over his years.

"While I'm delivering the mail, I'm walking through the halls of the hospital. I say hello to people. I run into friends," he said. "I just keep a big smile on my face. I try to make other people smile. It doesn't take that much, sometimes."

Lucille does the same. She works at the front desk and greets people who come into the hospital. Nearby is a sign that says: "Director of First Impressions."

Lucille takes it to heart.

"I want people to feel as good as they can," she said.

The difference between the Lazures and the working men and women of the hospital environment is this: The Lazures don't collect paychecks at the end of the week. They don't expect thanks or promotions. They do it because they want to.

The Lazures, says Rose Gamache, office secretary of Volunteer Services at St. Mary's, "have been absolutely wonderful and flexible in providing their services so graciously."

FCC Calls on Amateur Radio Service for Assistance with Digital TV Conversion

2008-12-16T23:31:00.001-08:00

Earlier this week, the ARRL received a request from the FCC asking that ARRL members to provide technical educational assistance to their communities concerning the FCC-mandated digital television (DTV) conversion scheduled for February 17, 2009.

According to ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, Amateur Radio clubs across the country are being asked to develop and implement plans to provide information throughout January and February about the DTV conversion in their areas. The FCC is leaving it up to the clubs to decide how to do this, as local groups understand the communities in ways that the FCC does not. Each community is a little different, Pitts said, so plans carried out by the clubs will vary from community to community. Interested groups should contact their ARRL Section Manager.

Pitts stressed that hams should not make "house calls," sell any equipment or do actual installations; the request is only to distribute technical information and FCC materials. He commented: "As we all know, some folks just never get the message until too late. Materials for presentations, education and many other activities are available online. Beginning early January, FCC staff will contact Section Managers and leaders of interested clubs and, where possible, arrange to meet to share even more information, audio, visual and printed materials, as well as and training aids, with the clubs involved this effort. We know the time is short, but your aid in this now will be appreciated."

In early January, Pitts said that the FCC will ask Section Managers for the names and contact information of the volunteering groups. The FCC staff will then make contact with the groups, learn their plans and provide them with the media, brochures or other materials groups may need in this effort. Materials also can be downloaded from the DTV Conversion Web site. FCC regional staff members may even come and visit with larger groups to aid in implementation of the group's plans.

"I really appreciate the willingness of the ARRL to actively participate in helping Americans with the transition to DTV and your helpful suggestions," said George Dillon, FCC Deputy Bureau Chief for Field Operations. "The DTV transition will be an historic moment in the evolution of TV. Broadcast television stations can offer viewers improved picture and sound quality and new programming choices. All-digital broadcasting also will allow us to significantly improve public safety communications and will usher in a new era of advanced wireless services such as the widespread deployment of wireless broadband. Our goal is to engage the amateur community on a cooperative basis to help with the DTV outreach and to educate consumers."

Dillon continued that local Amateur Radio clubs might consider offering technical advice to consumers via telephone to those consumers who may encounter difficulty with the installation and setting up of their converter box. "Any assistance...will greatly help in the efforts of the FCC to ensure a smooth transition to DTV on February 17, 2009."

Pitts advises interested groups to keep in mind that they are to provide technical educational help only: "At no time should the hams enter someone else's home or install equipment. They should not broker or sell conversion boxes in any way. Clubs can provide such things as a call-in telephone number for technical help, make presentations at meetings, do demonstrations at malls or give talks to other groups -- whatever works in their community."

Youth@HamRadio.Fun: 'Tis the Season, Ham Style!

2008-12-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas break is only a few weeks away and is a prime time for our favorite hobby of Amateur Radio. Spending days and nights tuning the bands, listening to conversations, starting our own and adding another country to our list, we have time for all of our favorite operating activities during our Christmas season. But what about dedicating time to others? Mickey Hicks, WO6T, sure does! Mickey operates as W6S (Whisker 6 Santa) from Santa’s Workshop in California every December 13-24, talking to youngsters and operators of all ages. He enchants the young ears with his jolly voice, jovial laughter and his knack for sounding like Santa.

W6S -- A Look Inside Santa's Workshop

Mickey has been operating as W6S every Christmas season for 37 years. "I do 60 rewarding hours as W6S, and enjoy every minute," he said. Mickey began using the W6S call sign in 1997, and since its debut, has become part of the ham radio Christmas cheer! But Mickey didn't always operate an elaborate event covering all bands -- he started out talking to local kids on 2 meters. The second year he operated, he deployed several of his elves (close friends) to a few hospitals and pre-schools so he could make sure everyone got a healthy dose of Christmas cheer. The third year, Mickey operated from Santa's Workshop and the tradition really took off: "My third year I used the lower bands 95 percent of the time."
The Amateur Radio community has been quick to embrace the operation. Mickey says that the first year operating as "Whiskers-6-Santa was a hit with the operators of all ages and their children." Mickey noted that most children are a bit apprehensive of talking over the radio, let alone to Santa! He said one of the most challenging parts of operating is when he hears "This one is shy and won't talk." That's not a problem for Mickey -- he says after a few warm-up questions (such as "Can you say hello to Rudolph?"), he can strike up a conversation that lasts a few minutes. He has even heard back that the parents weren't able to get the microphone away from the kids afterward!
Mickey said that one of his most enjoyable moments talking to a youngster on the air happened when he found out that he was speaking with "a child that was third generation of children I had talked to in the family in a 35 year time frame."
After spending more than 60 hours on the air each year, Mickey says that W6S has definitely become an important part of how he celebrates Christmas, and hopes it's the same for others: "It's a never ending story - it's like fishing, you never know what you will get! Amateur Radio has played a big part in the children's lives, and many of them have gone on to get their ham license."
Mickey has been in Amateur Radio long enough to have become a part of the bands. It is not uncommon to hear WO6T in pile-up or shooting the breeze with another ham. On Mickey's Web site, he says he has "an interest in many different parts of ham radio." He said he firmly believes that Amateur Radio is a community and that through goodwill and courteousness, we can become a stronger community and strengthen ties and personal relationships with others all over the world.
Teaching Amateur Radio is a passion for Mickey, he also enjoys studying (and using) antennas. His antenna farm for HF consists of a 75 meter rotating dipole, a 2-element 40 meter beam and a 13-element log periodic for 20-10 meters. Santa's Workshop is a very modern shack utilizing computers for all his satellite tracking, azimuth and elevation rotator control and logging -- and of course, the W6S webcam!
CQ WW SSB from YACHT -- The Young Amateur Contest Ham Team
CQWW SSB, possibly one of the most energetic and popular contests in Amateur Radio, and a group of young and old hams alike dove right in. The 2008 operation in October was sponsored by the DAR Boys and Girls Club of Menominee, Michigan. By the end of the contest, they had netted around 6000 points -- and a whole lot of fun! Members Hunter, K8MBI, and Neil, KC9MLD, took the lead with assistance from a few soon-to-be licensed members. But, contesting isn't easy, they soon found out -- it takes a lot of focus and effort; however, Jim Pearson, KS8O, has found the formula for success: "Pizza and pop were the primary energy intake for the contest." If you're interested in joining YACHT, you can visit their Web site for more information.
Group of California Homebrewers Request Youth Presence
The Foothills Amateur Radio Society (FARS) has put out a request for any youth experimenters or builders to attend their booth at the 2009 Maker Faire. Maker Faire is a big gathering for anybody who likes to build or tinker. The goal of the FARS booth is to show off Amateur Radio to a group of big Do-It-Yourselfers and hopefully recruit some into this wonderful hobby. What better way to represent ham radio than with faces of all ages? FARS is looking for everything from antennas to a code oscillator, so if you've built something yourself and would like to show it off, they would love to have you at their booth! For any questions or if you're interested in going, please contact Michael Pechner, KI6QNZ, via e-mail.
Upcoming Events
ARRL 160 Meter ContestDecember 5-7This is a great opportunity to operate the top band -- you don't need a big wire or vertical to get on the air for this contest; however, if you know someone that does, don't hesitate to ask! Most hams will jump at the opportunity to get younger hams on the air. This contest runs from 2200 UTC Friday-1600 UTC Sunday. The exchange is a signal report and your ARRL section. To find out what section you're in, please jump here.
ARRL 10 Meter ContestDecember 13-14You don't need a General class license to operate this contest! Technicians are licensed to operate from 28.300-28.500 MHz for phone, so if your parents or neighbor have 10 meter capability, make sure to get on the air and rack up some contacts using your own call sign! This contest runs from 0000 UTC Saturday-2359 UTC Sunday. The exchange for this contest is a signal report and your state.

Scanner junkies' listen in

2008-11-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

Public safety is a 24-hour job, and for fans of police scanners, eavesdropping on emergency calls is an around-the-clock passion.
Self-described scanner junkies Dick and Carol Southern, of Tuolumne, are tuned in 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
John Laveroni stays tuned in even when packaging a roast in the meat department at Treat's Market in San Andreas.
It's hard to determine how widespread a hobby scanner use has become, but it's a deep-seated avocation for many, who use the special scanning radios to listen in on coded fire and police communication.
"I started as a 9-year-old fooling around with my father's Zenith console radio, mistuning it to receive police calls," said Phil Fish, of Twain Harte. "My father would come home, and I could hear him halfway down the block yelling at me to come home and fix the radio."
Since then, he has added amateur radio to his repertoire. He's now active in the Tuolumne County Amateur Radio Emergency Service, which helps officials with emergency communications for such things as fires, missing hikers and airplane or automobile crashes.
In addition to helping others, he likes to know for his own protection where a fire is or, if he is on the road, an area he needs to avoid because of an accident.
Ken Sanders, of Arnold, said he considers himself more of an information junkie than a scanner junkie.
He is president of the Calaveras Amateur Radio Society and a member of TCARES.
"I got started in the early ‘90s when I was maintenance manager of a school district in Redwood City," he said. "We were encouraged to set up a ham radio station for emergency services."
Dick Southern said his main reason for listening to the scanner is curiosity.
"I'll admit it's just plain entertaining sometimes," he said, "especially in a small town where you know everybody."
His wife has a different motive. She is a volunteer member of the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Community Service Unit and considers listening to the scanner her civic duty.
"If I hear something and can help, I do," she said. "The CSU is the eyes and ears of the Sheriff's Office."
Laveroni has similar motives. He's a volunteer firefighter and listens to the scanner in case he needs to head out for a fire. His customers are accustomed to hearing the scanner.
"It's surprising how many calls I get from people wanting to know where smoke is coming from or where a fire is, especially during the summertime," he said.
Being a scanner aficionado is legal unless the information is used for an illegal purpose.
"People who use scanners are, for the most part, into amateur radio or just like listening to the scanner," Tuolumne County Sheriff's spokesman Paul Tualla said. "Then there are those who use it to prevent themselves from getting caught committing a crime. That's against the law, and when they are arrested, a misdemeanor charge of intercepting a scanner to avoid arrest is added their other charges."
For some people, having a scanner puts them at ease, said Del Chase, communications coordinator for Tuolumne County.
"I have a scanner at home, and people in my neighborhood call me when they see or hear something alarming," he said.
Dave Osborn, manager of Radio Shack in Angels Camp, said fire season and Christmas are the two busiest seasons for scanner sales.
"They aren't the most popular item at Christmas, but we sell quite a few then," he said. "The biggest time is during fire season. We literally run out of them then."
First-time users are shown how to program their scanners and given a list of the most common local frequencies, he said. Other frequencies can easily be found on the Internet.
"The only real question they need to come to grips with is if they want a stationary scanner or one they can walk around with," he said. "Portable models are the most popular."

Local authorities kept emergency communication lines open during 911 outage

2008-11-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

The communications outage on Wednesday, Nov. 12, prevented people from calling outside the North Fork Valley. Local phone service within Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford and Somerset was still available, but most cellular service was down as were pagers, the Internet and most importantly, 911 dispatch. With the outage, local law enforcement, fire departments and town staff mobilized to handle the situation. Most people who failed to reach 911 did call their town hall or local police to report their emergency. It was then radioed to Delta County dispatch. The outage was caused by a fiber optic cable cut near Payne Siding. Service was down from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., when a temporary repair by TDS field service technicians was accomplished. Permanent repairs were completed between midnight and 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13.The potential of much greater danger to the public was averted by quick actions of local authorities and some luck. Staff at Paonia Town Hall contacted schools, nursing homes, banks and the coal mines of the problem and advised them to call Paonia Town Hall directly in case of an emergency. Jim Kiger of Oxbow Mine said they were in touch with Paonia Police as was Bowie Resources dispatch. They were told a radio would be taken to each mine from local law enforcement so the mines could have their own contact with Delta dispatch. Service was restored before that was done.Rob Fiedler, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, said ham radio operators with Amateur Radio Emergency Service were established in each town of the county to assist in emergency communications and were also available to go up to the mines.Hotchkiss Fire Chief Doug Fritz communicated with the Paonia fire chief and North Fork Ambulance. North Fork Ambulance established a radio link with Delta County Memorial Hospital.The only broadcast outlet in the North Fork Valley is KVNF Public Radio. Jeff Reynolds, KVNF Operations Manager, contacted Delta County authorities when the outage occurred, and coordinated the message to their listeners to call local police departments if they had an emergency since 911 was not working. “[The Emergency Preparedness Department] was in the process of doing what was called a non-weather related emergency over the National Weather Alert System which would have gone to everybody who had a weather radio and then it would have gone to all the broadcast stations in the area and then they would have broadcast it,” Rob Fiedler said. “Which is fine if people have a weather radio or had their radios on. I think the glaring thing is that there is no one cure all when this happens.” The message would also have been broadcast on cable television.Doug Fritz had to work on ways to contact his firemen. He couldn’t call all of them or page them to turn on their radios. “We were trying to get the ham radio operators to contact our paging system and that guy was not available because his phone was dead.”Hotchkiss Marshal Dan Miller reported, “People knew enough to call here [if they had a land line phone].” Of course that still left those who use cell phones exclusively isolated and without service. Hotchkiss only had to relay a couple of calls to Delta dispatch during the outage. Colorado State Patrol could have also been reached by radio.A post event review was conducted on Tuesday, Nov. 18 with TDS, the Emergency Preparedness Department, and local authorities to discuss what went right and what went wrong on Nov. 12. Everyone is in agreement that some kind of a back up system has to be in place. Marshal Miller said the focus of Homeland Security is to make sure there are redundant systems functioning and capable of handling any emergency. “Sometimes it takes something like this to show us what our weak points are,” he added. “One possibility that will be looked at is having one police vehicle in the town that people can go to and report an emergency,” Fiedler suggested. How information can reach those who live out of town will have to be discussed. “This brought up some very glaring deficiencies and the problem is this was a fiber optic cable and that was the only means for land line communication to the North Fork. There is no back up system. No one recalls this ever happening before. There were a few cell towers working, but it represents a very real problem, and quite frankly I don’t know how you address that unless you have the phone companies agree to have some kind of a back up system or a bridge system to switch it over to another routing and I don’t know if that is in place or not.”Fiedler reported one of the VHF radio towers was also down on Nov. 12. The Jumbo Mountain tower is being repaired. The Bureau of Land Management will be putting a temporary repeater above Paonia. The 800 frequencies were all working which allowed for the radio communications from the North Fork Valley to Delta. “We have back up. That worked exactly as it was supposed to,” Fiedler said.Fire Chief Fritz concluded, “The biggest issue is how do you get the word to people that they are supposed to call a different number than 911. That is the more difficult thing to figure out. I just don’t know how you communicate with the population when the phones don’t work.”Fritz wondered if there would be a way to intercept all the 911 calls coming out of the North Fork to the fire station and have a dispatch there. “But I don’t know, number one, if that is possible and number two, I don’t know if that is fool-proof. There are a lot of calls coming in. What happens when people start getting busy signals. And number three, there are so many details to it I think you set up a whole bunch of unintended consequences.I don’t know what the smart thing is to do in this particular circumstance. But there has been a lot of work done at the station to operate without the use of telephones. The ham folks have come in and set up repeaters, and they can link to the phone system. They are familiar with operating out of the station.“I think there is an advantage that everyone has and that is the phone offices are fairly independent. Even though we were cut off from the rest of the world we had good communication in the North Fork between the communities. That’s something we should try to build on.“We got through this one, but this let’s us know we have to do a little work to get us through the next one. Because we have that local phone office in Hotchkiss we were able to keep all the local phones up in the North Fork that was a benefit. We just need to figure out how to utilize that for any future outages.”

ZOOM DAY! ZOOM INTO TECHONOLOGY!

2008-11-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

ZOOM INTO TECHNOLOGY! is the theme of this week's Random Access Thought, heard exclusively over This week in Amateur Radio. ZOOM INTO TECHNOLOGY! is a special event for children sponsored by the Schenectady Museum and supported by the Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association.
MNOAOS Zach and I, with my trusty C49DRSACTR, made the pilgrimage to the museum to capture and document the extemporaneous thoughts and comments of the children who came to visit the museum and specifically to the SMARA Club Radio Station.
Club President Mike KB2VQS had the primary HF station set up to emphasize digital PSK31 communications while James N2UZQ had a straight key rigged to a computer to not only hear the Morse letters tapped out but also to see them on a monitor. Tony W2BEJ was the official greeter, host and refreshments guy who steered the kids into a state of high caloric wonder.
While the kids were mesmerized by the ham gear (Remember, they've never seen this stuff before so it's new and absolutely amazing to them!), I slipped my cheap RadioShack microphone in close to preserve any gasps of wonderment!
Zach is the host of this week's ZOOM DAY Random Access Thought which can be heard via podcast, shortwave radio and maybe even over your local repeater on This Week in Amateur Radio and This Week in Amateur Radio International. .
.So download this week's This Week in Amateur Radio Ham Service and the TWIARi Broadcast version, or even better connect to http://www.twiar.org/n2fnh/RATParts Look for file number RAT081112_ZOOM_BCQ.cab or RAT081112_ZOOM_HAM.cab, right click and "Save Target As" to your hardddrive. Use your WinZIP or IZArc to extract the select RAF audio WAV file inside!

Source is N2FNH Random Access Thought. http://randomaccessthought.blogspot.com/

French Special Event Station

2008-11-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

Members of the Fagnes ARC (F5KDB) of northern France, will use the special event callsign TM9OAA between now and November 21st. Operations are to commemorate the end of the WWI.
Their main activity on the weekends will be from the Leveau Fortress in the city of Feignies.http://fortdeleveau.site.voila.fr/
Activity will be on VHF and HF using CW and SSB.Operators mentioned are: Philippe F0FWC, Frederic F4CGQ, Bruno F4FIU, Daniel F5SPW and Philippe F5UGX.
QSL per operator's instructions.

Sussex Tech students participate in emergency simulation exercise

2008-11-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

Students of the Sussex Technical High School electronics technology program participated in an emergency simulation exercise Oct. 20, in order to help evaluate the communications abilities of emergency services throughout Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Acting as a simulated emergency shelter and communications center, Sussex Tech students joined Indian River fire station and Nanticoke Memorial Hospital as locations in the region to establish amateur radio communication and pass critical information to local and regional emergency operations centers also participating in the drill.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency designed the regional exercise to simulate a long-term electric power blackout in 90 degree plus temperatures. Participating essential government, commercial and medical facilities simulated operating on backup power. A major focus during the simulated Mid-Atlantic blackout was the special-needs population who were most likely to suffer in the heat, and the capabilities of the critical facilities that support them.
During the day, students of Dennis Smith and Anthony Carmen’s electronics classes monitored amateur radio transmissions for the simulated blackout. Students also sent simulated messages to the area emergency directors through a network of amateur radio operators in the region. Sussex Tech’s own amateur radio station, call sign K3STR, employs numerous radios, electronic equipment and a 65-foot tower that supports four different antennas, allowing for local communications as well as providing the students the ability to communicate around the world.
More than 30 current Sussex Tech students have earned their Federal Communications Commission amateur radio licenses.Participation in the simulation allowed Sussex Tech students to hone their skills and knowledge of radio frequencies and band plans, communications interoperability and emergency communications in a realistic, hands-on exercise.

Amateur radio boy on top of the world!

2008-11-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

A CAITHNESS boy has become one of the youngest people in the UK to gain an amateur radio licence. Danny Morrison, who is eight-and-a-half, has just passed the Amateur Radio (Foundation) Licence which will entitle him to transmit to other enthusiasts anywhere in the world.
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To pass the exam the youngster, who lives at West Murkle, had to get to grips with a host of technical information and learn about VHF and UHF signals, Ohm's law which deals with voltage, amps and current for electrical circuits as well as the ionosphere – the upper part of the atmosphere – and Morse code.
His dad, Denny Morrison, who has been an amateur radio enthusiast for 25 years, was delighted with the lad's success and pointed out that Danny began to show an interest when he was about six.
The event that attracted him to the hobby happened over two years ago when Denny and Donald Mackay, from Sarclet, made radio contact with and talked to American astronaut Bill McArthur aboard the International Space Station which was orbiting above the Earth at a speed of around 17,000 miles an hour. Denny recorded the conversation so that Danny could let his teacher and classmates hear it.
Shortly afterwards Danny began to take an active interest, as his father explained: "Just after that he started coming in and listening when I was using the equipment, and then this summer he decided he would like to do the exam. It was something he wanted to do.
"Jim Moar from Castletown took him under his wing in July, and last Thursday night he sat and passed the exam in the Nethercliffe Hotel in Wick.
"I am very proud of him – it is quite an achievement. I would think he is the youngest ever in the Highlands to get the licence and must be one of the youngest in Scotland and, indeed, the UK, although I know there have been kids aged seven and eight who have passed the exam in England."
Danny was also delighted to have got his licence so young. "I never thought I would get it but I did. It was pretty difficult but I worked hard for it," he said.
Danny, who now has his own logbook to record his calls, hopes his hobby will come in useful not only at the moment but also in his working life. "I would like to be a sea captain and the radio licence would be good for that," he added.
Denny, who works with Scottish Water, is the voluntary North of Scotland regional manager for the Radio Society of Great Britain.
Jim Moar, who took an interest in amateur radio as a boy and got his licence in his early twenties, has been providing his expertise to enthusiasts on a voluntary basis for about six years. He says Danny is the youngest person he has taught – most are in their forties, although his oldest was in his seventies.
"It's nice to see an eight-year-old taking an interest in the hobby and it is refreshing from my point of view," said Jim, of Stanergill Crescent, Castletown. "It's a daunting prospect for a youngster of that age as there is a lot of technical stuff to learn but Danny took it all in, no problem at all.
"Passing the exam is an achievement he can be very proud of and could prove useful later in his life."
The youngster's success has inspired his mum, Rona, to take up the challenge and she now plans to be the next in the Morrison household to sit the exam.
Danny's achievement may also influence his five-year-old brother, Andrew, to follow in his footsteps when he is a bit older – but Denny is making no predictions about that at the moment. "It is too early to say yet," he said. "We will just have to wait and see what happens."

Ham radio a hit among Scouts and Guides

2008-10-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

COMMUNICATION over amateur radio (ham radio) frequencies is still a hit among Scouts and Guides at Wisma Pengakap at Penang’s 51th Jamboree-On-The-Air (JOTA) despite the Internet.
Organising committee secretary Tan Thean Wooi said many participants found it exciting using the traditional way to communicate as they could hear the voice of their counterparts.
“It is fun talking to them over the radio instead of using the Internet where we only see written words.
“It is also an opportunity for us to build friendships with our counterparts from all over the world,” he said.
Tan was among some 350 Scouts, Girl Guides and cub Scouts from various schools on the island who gathered at the site for the JOTA and Jamboree-On-The-Internet (JOTI).
They were so determined to have fun that even the scorching heat failed to dampen their spirits.
All they had in mind during the one-day event was to complete the various activities and take home the Challenge Badge.
State Scouts Commissioner Zulkafli Kamaruddin, who launched the event, said participants should take advantage of the event to exchange ideas and experiences with their counterparts from all over the world.
“Participation in JOTI, especially will enhance their knowledge in information technology which is growing at a fast pace,” he said in his speech.

JOTI is an international scout meeting on the Internet and is an official event of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement.
It is held in October when thousands of Scouts from all over the world would meet and communicate with each other over the Internet.
JOTI is combined with the JOTA, an event where Scouts can communicate with each other over amateur radio (ham radio) frequencies

Ham radio group to provide backup communications for Backus

2008-10-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Norwich, Conn. —
In an effort to keep the lines of communication open, The William W. Backus Hospital is going old-school.The Radio Amateur Society of Norwich, or RASON, recently completed plans to provide backup emergency communications to the hospital, giving emergency personnel another way to stay up to date and on the air.The amateur radio system, better known as ham radio, is scheduled to be operational by the beginning of the year, said Nicholas Senuta, hospital director of emergency preparedness. He said the upgrade would cost approximately $2,000 and include a ham radio set and computer.Since it does not rely on cellular towers, telephone lines, commercial power or the Internet, the ham radio system is able to function during hurricanes and other natural disasters, he said.“We know from history that the only communications that are reliable during a disaster is ham radio,” Senuta said. “We’re always looking for ways to supplement existing communications here.”Dr. Wayne Rosenfield, information officer for RASON and a psychologist at the hospital, said the system will provide a voice and digital link to other Eastern Connecticut hospitals.“The system will be capable of reaching amateur radio systems that can connect to the Internet, if necessary,” Rosenfield said in an e-mail.RASON members will maintain the hospital link and come to the hospital monthly for training, Senuta said.

Cape resident loves being a HAM

2008-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

With today’s technology it isn’t very difficult to use a computer to contact strangers in foreign lands.
But part-time Cape Coral resident Jerry Hindman still likes to do it the old fashioned way. He uses a HAM radio.Hindman, 68, has been a HAM radio operator for over 50 years. He said during times of the year when frequency is strong he’s been known to sit at his radio for hours multiple times a week.“I’ve talked to people in over 160 countries,” he said.Hindman said contacting operators in other countries is known as “DX (distance unknown) chasing” and its what he likes best about his hobby.“When you turn on the radio, you never know where you’re going to contact,” he said. Hindman said he talks to other operators about pretty much anything barring politics and religion.The retired certified public accountant lives in a condo off Cape Coral Parkway with his wife. When they’re not in Cape Coral they stay in their home in Kentucky.In addition to HAM radio, Hindman said he enjoys fishing, taking boat rides, playing bridge and going to art shows.

Stranded Sailor Rescued By Coast Guard

2008-10-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

A stranded sailor on a solo cruise from Hawaii to the mainland is safe on dry land Wednesday after the Coast Guard rescued him 100 miles off the Southern California coast.
The boater was sailing his 44-foot ketch Sisuito when it ran out of fuel and sustained damage to its sails, according to Coast Guard spokesman Anthony Turner.
The boater was able to use a HAM radio to contact another HAM radio operator in Florida, who then contacted the Coast Guard in California.
The Coast Guard Cutter Halibut departed from Marina Del Ray shortly after 12 a.m. Tuesday. The crew of CGC Halibut towed the vessel closer to shore where it was then transferred to a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Channel Islands who towed the vessel safely to port.

Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, Set to Launch on Soyuz Spacecraft

2008-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

The next private citizen to be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) by the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), is Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, from Austin, TX. He will be taking ham radio into space just as his dad, Dr. Owen Garriott, W5LFL -- the very first ham to make QSOs from space -- did twenty-five years ago.
Richard is the sixth private citizen to be flown by the Russian space agency to the ISS; all other private citizens who have ventured to the ISS before him have also made ARISS QSOs. The 10-day trip is reportedly costing Garriott some $30 million; he made his fortune as a computer programmer of video games.
Garriott will launch October 12 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station on a Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft with Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Lonchakov. Docking with ISS is planned for October 14 and undocking: October 22. He will land with the two Russian members of the Expedition 17 crew on October 24. Fincke and Lonchakov will join NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, who has been on board the orbiting complex since June.
Early during the flight, Garriott expects to setup the Kenwood VC-H1 SSTV communicator system and autonomously transmit a new Earth image every 3 minutes. He hopes to have this system on a great deal of his flight. AMSAT is encouraging the ham community to bring SSTV equipment into schools and download these images in real-time.
Garriott will be speaking with hundreds of students while thousands more listen in during a series of ten-minute ham radio contacts. The locations for the worldwide student contacts include eight Challenger Learning Centers in the U.S., the Austin Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy in Austin, Texas, the Pinehurst School in Ashland, Oregon, the Budbrooke School in the U.K., and the National Space Challenge in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, the commander of Expedition 18, could assist with the QSOs. Garriott also plans to have random chats with scouts world-wide as part of the amateur radio "Jamboree on the Air" which is planned for October 18-19.
"Through his school and scout voice contacts, his SSTV image downlinks and his communications with the world-wide amateur radio community, we see his mission as being ‘action packed’ from an amateur radio perspective,” said Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chairman and AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs.

Amateur Radio hearing before Administrative Law Judge cancelled

2008-10-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

William F. Crowell, W6WBJ, (Advanced Class, age 61) of Diamond Springs, California, filed an application to renew his Amateur Radio license on February 28, 2007. On March 2, 2007, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau "offlined" Crowell's renewal and designated the application for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). (“Offlining” is where the FCC flags an Amateur Radio license record so that no action can take place without the Commission’s approval.) An ALJ is a representative of a government agency vested with power to administer oaths, examine witnesses, take testimony, and conduct hearings.
Crowell's call sign was formerly N6AYJ and carried a license expiration date of March 12, 2007. In early 2006, Crowell applied for and was granted vanity call sign W6WBJ to replace N6AYJ.
Crowell's problems with the Commission go back more than eight years. According to the FCC, in 2000, Crowell was monitored deliberately jamming amateur radio communications in progress on the 75-meter band which had been going on for several months. Crowell denies that it was him who was doing the jamming.
W. Riley Hollingsworth, the FCC's Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement said Crowell’s response to the allegations were "irrelevant and frivolous." And Crowell was issued a Warning Notice cautioning him that "imaginary, make-believe or fictitious conversation with communications in process constitutes interference...."
The complaints did not stop. The FCC continued to receive intentional interference complaints alleging that Crowell was interrupting radio communications, transmitting music and one-way communications, and using indecent language on the ham bands.
On May 15, 2006, the Enforcement Bureau directed Crowell to again respond to the complaints. He again denied that he had violated any FCC rules and disputed the Commission's constitutional authority to regulate the content of amateur radio communications.
Based on its review of Crowell's response, the Enforcement Bureau concluded that the issue of whether Crowell's license should be renewed for a full term should be designated for hearing before an ALJ (Administrative Law Judge.) On April 3, 2007, the FCC informed Crowell that the issue of whether his renewal application should be granted had been "referred to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau for review based upon continuing complaints of deliberate interference, including repeated interruptions of ongoing communications and other complaints regarding character qualifications...."
The FCC added "We find that Crowell's apparent past and continuing course of conduct raises questions as to whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to remain a Commission licensee." On February 12, 2008, the FCC began a hearing proceeding before an administrative law judge to provide Crowell with an opportunity to demonstrate whether his Amateur Radio license renewal should be granted. Crowell was given until March 3, 2008, to respond to the HDO (Hearing Designation Order.)
On February 15, 2008, the America Radio Relay League ran a detailed story in its weekly ARRLetter about Crowell entitled "California Ham to Face Administrative Law Judge". It was reprinted by QRZ.com. Two days later, Crowell responded to QRZ.com with the following: "I welcome both the challenge my case presents, as well as the opportunity to protect the free-speech rights of all amateurs.
"The only thing the Commission has done so far is try to bluff me, and setting my case for a hearing is just a continuation of that bluffing attempt. They have no credible or admissible evidence. I believe I may be able to have their case dismissed on a motion for summary adjudication, in which case a hearing would never take place.
"I believe it would be a mistake to think that this case will be resolved in the near future. Whichever party is dissatisfied with the ALJ's decision (as one side or the other is likely to be) can appeal to the FCC Review Board; the party dissatisfied with the Review Board's decision can appeal to the full Commission; and the party dissatisfied with the full Commission's decision can appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco (note that, at this point, the venue of the case changes from Washington, D.C. to California, and FCC personnel have to come to California to prosecute the case.)
"It would seem that process would take at least several years, and the courts have recently been notably in conflict with the FCC over free-speech issues (see the "Fox v. FCC" case), but the Commission is in total denial about it because they're pandering to the Commissioners rather than following the law. This is a recipe for disaster, as far as the Commission is concerned. But if they want to shoot themselves in the foot, and demonstrate their own unreasonableness, that is fine with me.
"I am entitled to stay on the air with my full operating privileges until the final court ruling, and I intend to do just that.
"Even assuming for the sake of argument that I were to lose my case before both the Commission and the courts, I intend to turn around and apply for a new license the next day. Would the Commission want to go through the entire process again?"
Apparently Crowell wants to appear at the hearing. Hearings are held in Washington, DC, before an administrative law judge, and he will have the burden of proof to show that he is still qualified to be an Amateur Radio licensee.
On February 26, 2008, he served a document on the FCC he called the "First Set Of Interrogatories To Enforcement Bureau" - a very lengthy list of 132 questions ("Interrogatories") he wants the FCC to answer prior to the hearing.
On October 1, 2008, Crowell dispatched a letter to the amateur news media asking that a news article be published advising that the FCC has now canceled the hearing. But there is some question as to whether the Hearing has been “canceled” or will be “continued” at later date. The Order (issued August 27, 2008) strangey mentions both cancellation and continuance.
Crowell - who is an attorney - maintains that normally when a court continues a case it sets a new hearing date. No new date has been set and he believes that neither he nor the FCC would want to set the case for hearing again until the “discovery” phase is completed. “Discovery” is where you get to ask questions and make the other side give you their documents and recordings.
Another somewhat similar Amateur Radio license renewal case that has been ongoing for years involves K1MAN, Glenn A. Baxter of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. His license expired on October 17, 2005. And he continues to operate on the Amateur Radio airwaves with an expired license until the FCC acts on his enforcement case ...which he says he welcomes. Baxter, K1MAN, denies any apparent liability for forfeiture or any other violations of FCC rules, ...or state or federal law. His unpaid fines now total some $21,000.

Hiker summons help with ham radio

2008-09-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

A series of dots and dashes bouncing off the ionosphere Sunday helped save a hiker stranded on Buck Creek Pass east of Glacier Peak.
The hiker, who broke his leg, used a low-voltage portable radio and Morse code to send out a call to help.
Six hundred miles away, in Bozeman, Mont., Robert Williams was testing his ham radio Sunday when he heard the call signal, "W-7-A-U."
Williams replied and quickly learned, in the dashes and dots, that he was talking with a 62-year-old Corvallis, Ore., man, who had slipped and hurt himself in the high Cascades of Western Washington.
"I just happened to be at the same frequency," Williams, 65, said Monday. "It's just a stroke of luck that turned out great."
Williams called 911 and was connected to Snohomish County search and rescue officials. He spent much of Sunday and Monday relaying information, including GPS coordinates, from the hiker to rescuers.
"It was quite an experience," Williams said. "I'm just glad that he was a ham radio operator and that I was able to talk to him. It made the difference for him."
On Sunday, rescue crews reached the man, who had set up camp on Buck Creek Pass, at about 6,000 feet just west of the Chelan County line.
He was taken to safety Monday on horseback.
The call set in motion one of two mountain rescues Sunday.
A second team of rescuers went up Three Fingers Mountain after a man there fell about 200 feet on a glacier near the summit.
Including the weekend rescues, search and rescue teams this year have now responded to 100 missions, Snohomish County Sheriff's Sgt. Danny Wikstrom said.
Both of the injured men in the weekend rescues were well prepared for the wilderness conditions, he said.
"To have that equipment will save your life," he said.
The man on Three Fingers was hiking with three other people when he fell. His climbing party summoned help, officials said.
On Monday afternoon, he was taken by helicopter off the mountain to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, sheriff's Lt. Rodney Rochon said.
He wasn't able to walk when he was loaded into the chopper, Rochon said. He apparently had sprained his ankle and knee in the fall.
Bad weather Sunday prevented helicopter rescues of both men. Teams spent a night in snow and frigid conditions in the mountains.
Rescuers on Three Fingers used a pulley system to hoist the man off the glacier and onto the trail, Wikstrom said.
Teams then carried the man to Goat Flats, where he was loaded onto the chopper.
Rescuers on horseback reached the man on Buck Creek Pass on Monday morning.
The trail from Darrington was washed out from recent storms and wasn't passable, so crews approached along the Trinity Trail near Lake Wenatchee, Wikstrom said.
It isn't the first time amateur radio operators have helped out with an emergency situation, said Allen Pitts, a spokesman for the American Radio Relay League in Newington, Conn.
The radios work well when other kinds of communication fail, he said.
Ham radio operators were of paramount importance after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and when a tsunami ravaged Southeast Asia in 2004.
Still, it's rare that Morse code is used to initiate a rescue, he said.
Amateur radio operators used to be required to know Morse code to get a license. That requirement was dropped a few years ago.
Since then, Morse code has actually gained popularity, Pitts said.
"Morse code will get through when no other type of communication will," Snohomish County Hams Club President Grant Hopper said.
Williams, the Montana man, said he was able to understand the injured man's code even when his signal became very weak. Voice communication over the airwaves likely would have become garbled or misunderstood.
The man had a low-voltage radio transmitter, which operates on about as much power as it takes to make a tiny Christmas tree light sparkle.
In the right conditions, radio signals can bounce off the Earth's atmosphere and ricochet thousands of miles.
"A signal like that can skip a long way around the world," Williams said. "You can talk to Europe or Asia given the right conditions."
This is the first time Williams has helped someone in danger using his radio.
The rescue likely wouldn't have been possible if the injured man weren't a competent radio operator, Williams said.
"My guess is that he was just waiting to hear from somebody," he said. "I happened to be the lucky one."

Challenger Center links students via Amateur Radio to the Space Station

2008-09-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, the next civilian to fly into space and son of NASA's Skylab Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, plans to talk to students through live amateur radio downlinks during his October flight to the International Space Station.The downlink events will be held during Garriott's flight and are currently scheduled for Thursday, October 16th and Friday, October 17th with middle school students from Challenger Learning Centers across the country. The event will be broadcast live on the national website: www.challenger.org.Students from Howard B. Owens Science Center's Challenger Center in Lanham, Maryland, Challenger Learning Center of Columbia in South Carolina, Verizon Challenger Learning Center at MOSI in Tampa, Florida and the Brownsburg Challenger Learning Center in Indiana plan to ask their questions about living and working in space of Mr. Garriott on October 16th. Students from the Indianapolis Challenger Learning Center in Indiana, Challenger Learning Center at Paducah in Kentucky and Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis in Missouri will talk to Mr. Garriott on Friday, October 17th. Garriott's efforts will continue educator astronaut Barbara Morgan, KD5VNP and Christa McAuliffe's legacy of teaching from space and will reach children around the world via a live broadcast of the events. Lessons in support of Garriott's on orbit activities, archived webcasts, podcasts, and student's predictions of what will happen in the weightless environment of space are available on Challenger Center's national website, www.challenger.org The primary purpose of ARISS is to allow students engaged in a science and technology curriculum to speak with an astronaut orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station. Using amateur radio, students ask questions about life in space or other space-related topics.Through this hands-on experience, students are engaged and educated in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and are inspired to pursue STEM-related careers. For more information about amateur radio on the ISS, please visit: http://www.ariss.org Challenger Center for Space Science Education was founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger 51-L mission and is dedicated to the educational spirit of that mission. Challenger Learning Center programs at 50 centers continue the crew's mission of engaging teachers and students in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Controversy at the Radio Club of America, W2RCA

2008-09-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Radio Club of America, Inc., is the oldest and most prestigious ham club in the world with membership by invitation only. Its first meeting was called to order in January 1909 and was founded as the Junior Wireless Club Limited in 1909 with roots dating back to 1907. The Club is nearly as old as the radio art itself.
An amateur station built and operated by The Radio Club of America was the first to send a message across the Atlantic on the short waves. It was sent from Old Greenwich, Connecticut, to Ardrossan, Scotland by amateur station 1BCG on December 11, 1921.
The Radio Club of America counts among its current and past membership the best in the radio communications industry, including such radio pioneers as Edwin H. Armstrong and David Sarnoff.
Armstrong, (1890-1954), an Electrical Engineer, is the inventor of the superheterodyne and superregenerative circuits ...and (in 1933) a new form of modulation, FM. Frequency Modulation eliminated the static that plagued AM.
Previously a maritime radio operator, Sarnoff, (1891-1971), worked his way up from office boy to become the president and CEO of RCA (the Radio Corporation of America.) He predicted the immense popularity of not only the household radio but also television. It was he who first proposed a "Radio Music Box" for the "amateur" market of radio enthusiasts. Sarnoff founded NBC in 1926, the first television network in the United States.
Radio Club of America to elect 2008 Officers
One of the candidates for Vice President is Don Bishop, W0WO, of Overland Park, KS. Don is a a lifetime Fellow of the Radio Club of America (RCA), an ARRL and QCWA life member and a member of IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Bishop was also a member of the RCA board of directors and editor of their magazine, “Proceedings,” for many years. Recently, he had been writing and distributing a RCA newsletter (he called "personal correspondence") which apparently was not the “official” club publication. Another newsletter claimed to be the “official” one. We were never able to figure out why there were two, but suspected there was some sort of problem.
It came to a head on September 12, 2008, when we received another official RCA newsletter that carried an item entitled:
Club Call Sign To Be Restored
The newsletter went on to say (...and this is a quote):
“Without the knowledge or the authority of the Radio Club Board, the Radio Club's amateur call sign, W2RCA, was secretly assigned to Don Bishop, who alleged on the application to the FCC that he was the new trustee of the station. ‘The original trustee, Eric Stoll [K2TO], was not informed of and did not participate in this activity,’ says, President Phil Casciano [who is not a licensed radioamateur] ‘The Radio Club's Board was shocked to find that this asset was improperly spirited into Bishop's control without warning or authority.’
“The Executive Committee voted to restore the license to the rightful trustee. Meanwhile, the matter has been referred to Radio Club legal counsel to determine what, if any, federal laws have been violated by Bishop's unauthorized actions. ‘We are providing Mr. Bishop an opportunity to explain his bizarre actions,’ comments Robert Schwaninger, co-counsel, ‘prior to making further recommendations to the Board.’”
Dr. Eric Stoll, trustee of W2RCA said he "...found this a curious situation considering that W2RCA has been active in all the recent Radio Club of America QSO Parties....”
Club Station Call Sign Administrator (CSCSA)
We decided to look into this since FCC rules, Section 97.5(b)(2) clearly require that club trustee changes must be authorized by an officer of the club and submitted through an FCC-appointed Club Station Call Sign Administrator. It takes two signatures on the trustee-change application: appointment by a club officer and the agreement of the new trustee.
The FCC privatized the Club Call Sign Assignment System several years ago. All club licenses must go through a CSCSA and there are three. Two are the ARRL-VEC and W5YI-VEC. (The ARRL CEO Dave Sumner/K1ZZ and the retired founder of the W5YI-VEC, Fred Maia/W5YI, are both long time members and Fellows in the Radio Club of America.) The RCA trustee change application was submitted through the ARRL-VEC.
W5YI contacted Don Bishop to get more details. In a September 13, e-mail, Bishop said he was asked to be the trustee, by Ray Minichiello, W1BC, of Bedford, NH. Minichiello is RCA Secretary and an officer of the club. He also believes Ray was authorized since “It was Ray's idea for RCA to apply for the license in the first place, ten years ago. He prepared the original application back then, and he asked Frank Gunther, W2ALS (SK) to be the first trustee for the license.” The W2RCA trustee change was made in May 2008.
Bishop said that he did not initiate the trustee change, but he “agreed to serve” adding “No one from RCA contacted me about this W2RCA matter before sending the RCA email newsletter, so that was my notice that there was a problem.” He said “I hear complaints from some Club leaders who are not radio amateurs that ‘Bishop is trying to turn RCA into a ham club.’”
“What I actually am doing is looking to restore a proportion of technical understanding and engineering background to the Club, and especially within its complement of elected officials. The Club leadership has shifted toward the non-technical during the past decade or two. Also, the Club is taking on more of the attributes of a trade association and losing its identity as a fraternal organization of individuals interested in the radio art.”
Bishop added “In 2007, of the 21 board members, only four were radio amateurs. Through a grassroots effort using email and telephone communication to identify potential candidates and then using petitions to nominate them, nine candidates with RF-oriented backgrounds and radio amateur licenses were placed on the ballot for director for the 2007 election to take office in 2008. ...This change in the makeup of the board of directors shocked an influential part of the incumbent leadership. They saw it as a step that was not in the best interest of the Club. Many others among the rank-and-file members saw it as a welcome step forward.
“This year, the same grassroots effort used email and telephone communication to identify some more potential candidates. Then, once again using petitions, seven candidates with technical backgrounds and radio amateur licenses -- and many with executive, managerial and entrepreneurial experience, I might add -- were placed on the ballot.
“The incumbent leadership has sometimes described this development as ‘hijacking the election’ or ‘taking over the club’ or worse. What it is, is good old-fashioned activism intended to improve the Club and move it forward.
“If these seven candidates are elected as directors, along with Ray Minichiello as secretary, and myself as vice president, then the Radio Club would have about 15 radio amateurs on its 21-member board of directors. The exact number depends on who is appointed to fill vacancies.
“But the candidate field is large. Ray and I both share the ballot for officer positions with candidates who are not radio amateurs, and the list of director candidates includes the names of eight nominees who are not radio amateurs. It therefore is possible that no one with a radio amateur license will be added to the board in this election, and next year's board would have six members with licenses. The actual number could be somewhere between six and 15.
“A focus on radio amateur licenses is not so important, but the candidates with licenses generally have technical or engineering backgrounds, and those without often do not. That's just the way it tends to work. People who are interested in radio for career purposes often obtain radio amateur licenses, and youngsters with radio amateur licenses may grow up to become adults with technical careers.
“Last year's election results were not lost upon the incumbent, influential leadership. This year, some of them are going to great lengths to obtain a different outcome that does not include radio amateurs. Whether what you have just seen in the newsletter and in a previous postal letter sent by the Club president is a reflection of that effort, I would leave to you to decide. Whether you also are seeing RCA officials with a desire to sway the election outcome using the Club's media and its postal permit, in effect spending Club money on electioneering, is also something I would leave for you to decide.
“I have never seen the Club give so much attention to its amateur radio club station license. You won't find the call sign printed on the ‘Proceedings’ masthead. You won't see it displayed in the ‘Aerogram’ printed newsletter. You won't see it identified in the email newsletter heading. You won't see it mentioned anywhere on the Club's website. I've urged the Club to do any one or all of those things, but the incumbent leaders won't do it because it would ‘make RCA look like a ham club.’ It's as though the club station license and the call sign W2RCA were an insignificant part of the Radio Club until that email newsletter from the Club came out on Sept. 12, yesterday.
Response by Radio Club of America
On September 16, W5YI sent an email to RCA President, Phil Casciano, pointing out that “It is not possible for a club trustee to assign himself as the new trustee and that the trustee change was authorized by the signature of Raymond Minichiello, a current RCA officer. The trustee rules do not require that the RCA Board nor the outgoing trustee be involved.”
Casciano forwarded our email to Robert Schwaninger, legal counsel for the Radio Club of America. He said in part “You are correct when you state that the trustee of a club license cannot be assigned without participation by an officer of the Club. The applicable FCC Form requires execution by both the new trustee and an officer. What the completion of the form does not reach, however, is whether the proposed trustee or the officer have the necessary corporate authority to take those actions to assign the trusteeship. In the subject case, neither Mr. Bishop nor Mr. Minichiello possessed such authority.
“Just because a person serves as an officer of a Club, that person is not imbued with the authority to transfer the control of Club assets without consent of the Board. Nothing in the RCA By-laws provides such authority to Mr. Minichiello by virtue of his status as Club Secretary. To the contrary, such authority resides solely in the Board. Similarly, nothing in the By-laws would allow Mr. Minichiello to unilaterally name Don Bishop trustee of the radio license.
“As for what the FCC rules require, the following statement is more accurate: The FCC rules require that an officer, who is also empowered by the licensee, approve such an assignment. When a club officer executes a Form 605 they are not just ‘approving’ the assignment, they are also warranting that they have been provided all corporate authority to take such actions. Mr. Minichiello made that warranty to the FCC, but that warranty was incorrect as he had never requested such authority from the Club, was never granted such authority from the Club, and never even informed the Club that he intended to so act. Therefore, your assertion that ‘The trustee rules do not require that the RCA Board nor the outgoing trustee be involved’ is inaccurate. FCC rules in combination with corporate law and, frankly, polite participation in a non-profit organization require that, at least, the RCA Board be involved.
“Both Mr. Bishop and Mr. Minichiello knew or should have known that their actions required Board approval. They did not seek such approval and, instead, acted outside of their respective authority. This situation raises legal issues which are being explored by legal counsel, pending a fuller explanation from Mr. Bishop and Mr. Minichiello.”
So the controversy continues. On the surface, it appears that the trustee change was properly handled by the American Radio Relay League. As of press time, Don Bishop is still listed as the trustee for the Radio Club of America ‘s ham station cal sign,W2RCA.

RADIO SCAM ALERT: WEBSITES PFISHING THE FCC

2008-09-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

It appears as if someone or a group of someone's is trying to scam the Federal Communications Commission out of some money. According to news reports attorney Harry Cole told Radio World that his firm advised the commission last week that if found two fake Internet sites that are attempting to misdirect those licensees trying to pay their regulatory fees online. The fees in question are due on September 25th. In a press release the FCC said that the phony websites are reportedly trying to collect financial information. The agency is urging regulatory fee payers to make any Internet payments directly through the commission’s authorized Internet site. It also says that its Inspector General is looking into the matter. (RW)
(Source QRZ / NEWSLINE)

“In case of emergency, turn to your ham”

2008-09-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Ham radio operator John Fay, K7FAY, awaits a response from over the airwaves in front of his custom-built radio repeater at his home in Boulder City, Nevada. “Before chat rooms, instant messengers, cell phones and pagers, there was ham radio. Amateur radio may have serious competition with newer technology, but one local enthusiast wants to assemble a system of ham operators for an emergency, when computers may not work.
John Fay wants to organize a Boulder City emergency response group. From his den jammed with radios, reactors and antennas, Fay is Boulder City's contact for Clark County's Amateur Radio Emergency Service. If all phone and Internet service were wiped out, Fay would help the police and fire chiefs coordinate reactions and rescues.
Boulder City has 100 FCC-licensed ham operators, Fay said, and he hopes he can get a group together to maintain communications locally. Fay and his wife, Cara, KD6OEF, moved to Boulder City from Los Angeles two years ago, where John Fay frequently used his radios to check on earthquakes and fires.
He said Boulder City is "kind of isolated," and it could benefit from the fail-safe communication system the wireless radios could provide if traditional methods go down. He would like to see the group work together in more than just dire situations, Fay said. He foresees a group of people sharing a common fascination with the federally mandated airwaves for hobbyists.

Amateur Radio gears-up for Hanna and Ike

2008-09-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tropical Storm Hanna, currently forecast to impact the North and South Carolina coastline early Saturday morning, has begun to activate ARES preparations from Florida northward. Hanna is responsible for at least 137 deaths in Haiti.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a hurricane watch is in effect from north of Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Okracoke Inlet. A tropical storm watch remains in effect from Edisto Beach southward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Central and Northwestern Bahamas. A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.
ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, has begun to put protocols in place to support any of the ARRL Sections that may be impacted by Hanna. "We are beginning the coordination efforts with the individual Sections that could be on the receiving end of what is becoming an active storm season for the United States mainland. While Hanna currently remains a tropical storm, we must ensure that all Amateur Radio preparations are in place in case the storm turns into a hurricane."
According to ARRL North Carolina Section Manager Tim Slay, N4IB, hams in his state are ready for Hanna. "The Amateur Radio Station at the State Emergency Operations Center is ready to go. We will begin operating from there on Friday at 8 PM and go until about mid-day on Saturday or for however long is needed." Slay also said the Tarheel Emergency Net, the North Carolina HF ARES Net that meets on 3.923 MHz, has been tested and is prepared for the incoming storms.
Slay said that hams in his state have verified that the equipment is all in working order at the State Emergency Operations Center. The South Carolina Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team (SCHEART) -- a system of strategically located repeaters linking 64 South Carolina hospitals by Amateur Radio, forming a statewide emergency communications network -- is also on alert.
ARRL South Carolina Section Manager Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, said South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has called for a voluntary evacuation for those who live along that state's coastal areas. "It's incredibly important that we be prepared [for Hanna] and for people in areas that could be the most affected to be prudent," Governor Sanford said. "More than anything, this storm may serve as a reminder to everyone along the coast to be prepared for what could still come your way in this season. That means having a full tank of gas, a storm kit and an evacuation plan as these storms head our way."
The Weather Channel's Tim Ballisty called Hanna an "ugly mess" since the storm is not acting like a typical storm: "Hanna has no markings of a classic-looking tropical cyclone. It is a highly disorganized tropical storm and will have a lot to do in a short period of time to organize and strengthen to a hurricane."
Ballisty warned that people should not be fooled by Hanna's appearance. "It is important to note that one should not focus solely on [Hanna's] center of circulation," he said. "In fact, the worst of Hanna may not actually be found close to the center of circulation but rather away from it. Impacts such as tropical storm-force gusts, tropical downpours and very choppy surf will be felt hundreds of miles away from the center. That being said, the center of Hanna is projected to make landfall near the coastal South Carolina/North Carolina border, or perhaps just east of there, very early on Saturday morning."
After landfall, Hanna is expected to spread rain and breezy conditions up the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast on Saturday, impacting several major cities. Due its rapid forward speed, the storm will not linger.
Hanna will be exiting off the New England coast by as early as mid-morning Sunday. Rainfall totals are not expected to come anywhere close to what was seen with Hurricanes Fay or Gustav. "If nothing else, [Hanna is] a good dress rehearsal for Ike if Ike were to come," said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Fast on Hanna's heels, Ike is the third major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season; it is not yet threatening any land. A Category 4 hurricane on Thursday, Ike was downgraded to Category 3 early Friday morning.
For now, Ike is of no threat to land, but could threaten the Bahamas by Sunday and into early next week. Residents of the Bahamas should monitor Ike carefully the next several days. Ballisty said that as of now, it is too early to tell if Ike would have any impact on the United States. "The entire Southeast coast should pay close attention to the progress and forecast track of Ike," he said.
Josephine, a tropical storm in the eastern Atlantic remains fairly weak. It continues to struggle with maximum sustained winds now near 50 MPH; this storm is currently no threat to land; however, the storm continues to feel the effects of wind shear and dry air, and this may keep any additional strengthening in check. Josephine will continue to move west-northwest over the next several days and will not be a threat to land in the near future.

Tropical Storm Gustav Soaking Haiti; Expected to Strengthen

2008-08-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

With maximum sustained winds of 90 mph/150 km per hour, Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the southwest peninsula of Haiti on the afternoon of August 26. Over the next few days, its path is projected to take it along Cuba's southern coast and then northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
As of August 27, Gustav has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, with maximum sustained winds around 60 mph, although restrengthening is forecast as the center approaches eastern Cuba. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning are in effect for Jamaica. A hurricane warning remains in effect for several provinces of Cuba, including Guantanamo. A hurricane watch remains in effect for the Cuban provinces of Las Tunas and Holguin and all of the Cayman Islands.
Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 12 inches over Hispaniola, eastern Cuba and Jamaica, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 25 inches possible. These rains will likely produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected in areas of onshore winds in the hurricane warning area.
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, activated its HF and EchoLink/IRLP station at 10 AM/1400Z August 26. We request all land based stations as well as ships at sea in the areas affected 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 or EchoLink/IRLP Net once per hour to receive the latest Hurricane Advisories and to report your local conditions.

Please do not venture outside during the hurricane to gather weather data. Your safety is the first priority. There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the storm's track and strength. Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official information.
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz. Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- interference, should we lose propagation on 20 meters.
EchoLink "WX-Talk" Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored. WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET automated weather stations in the affected area. Surface Reports using our online Hurricane Report form will be monitored. Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to WX4NHC online.
ON-NHC volunteers are both ham radio operators and non-ham weather observers who use their own weather instruments to submit "Surface Reports" directly to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC online report form. These "Surface Reports" are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a better idea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the storm.
The WX4NHC Group continues to expand its efforts to increase the quantity and quality of surface reports to include many different modes of reception and groups of people, including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP and EchoLink, VHF and HF APRS, CWOP NOAA Program and ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.

Bomb squad disposes of unexploded shells at ham’s QTH

2008-08-28T02:27:00.000-07:00

The Enid (Oklahoma) News reported on August 20 that Dave Von Dielingen, AD8B, of Garber, Oklahoma, found a little more than he bargained for when he was cleaning out a shed on his farm near Enid Tuesday morning.
What he found was some unexploded ordnance, possibly from World War II, his father-in-law brought home during his military service. “It looked to me it might be something military,” he said, “some type of explosive ordnance.” So, he “stopped moving stuff around” and called Garfield County Sheriff’s Department at about 9:15 a.m.
VonDielingen’s wife, Joyce, said her late father, Ira Simmering, served in the Army in the Aleutians Islands and the Philippines during World War II. He also served during the Korean War. “Mom said Dad brought it home in his luggage,” she said. “Mom thought it was from World War II.” The Von Dielingens live on the farm that belonged to her parents.
Deputy George Dillman investigated, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s bomb squad was notified. Members came from Oklahoma City to handle the situation, eventually blowing up the items around 1 p.m. in a field near the Von Dielingens’ home. He said it appeared the items were Japanese, based on some writing on one of them.
Joyce Von Dielingen said OHP bomb squad members dug up what was left of the items after they were destroyed, and she and her husband were allowed to keep the fragments. Dave AD8B, who is cleaning out the shed to make it a place for his amateur radio hobby, said he has been through the shed and did not think any more surprises would turn up.

Tom Kneitel, W4XAA SK

2008-08-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Tom Kneitel, W4XAA, better known to hams by his previous call sign K2AES, died August 22 at age 75. He lived in DeLand, Florida, where he and his wife Judy had moved in 2004.
At the time of his death, he was editor emeritus of Popular Communications. Aside from serving as editor of Popular Communications, he had written for CB Horizons, S9 and Popular Electronics, and was the author of a number of radio hobbyist books on such subjects as scanning, CB radio and building electronics projects.
Dick Ross, K2MGA, publisher of CQ Magazine, who had worked with Kneitel on a number of publishing projects since 1961, told the ARRL he was "one of the most creative people I've known in my life….He came up with the name S9 and created the whole editorial package." Ross added: "His contributions were enormous. He kind of defined the personal communications hobby -- he brought together the whole range of disparate subcultures if you will -- it's all hobby radio. He was the one who brought them together. He saw the fun in the whole thing. He had a way of giving you a chuckle -- he had an enormous sense of humor. He was a terrific, terrific person."
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933, Kneitel first started writing about the radio hobby in the 1950s, and continued writing until recently. He was a 2004 inductee into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He was the grandson of cartoon pioneer Max Fleischer, whose studio created the Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons.
Kneitel was predeceased by a son. Survivors include his wife, two sons, four daughters, a sister and 10 grandchildren. A private memorial service is planned. -- some information from OrlandoSentinel.com

Antenna Go-kits

2008-08-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ah Field Day 2007, the Cleveland (Tennessee) Amateur Radio Club set up in the beautiful and historic Red Clay State Park, the last meeting place of the Cherokee Nation before they were forced to go west on the Trail of Tears. This park is located in Tennessee just above the Georgia boundary. We were allowed to use the replica of the original meeting building, which is an open sided shed and an ideal Field Day location.
There was the usual Field Day commotion. One of our members, Jack, WA5CHJ, was using a black powder pistol with a wooden rod for a bullet to launch a monofilament fishing line across an upper limb of one of the trees. It was different! The club now has a sling shot to use that is a bit safer and much quieter. Another group was putting up a 10 meter Yagi.
The wire antennas had been thrown together into a cardboard box and were badly intertwined. I spent an hour and a half separating just some of them. Also, they were in a generally poor condition. One was made from unsuitable magnet wire while others had been spliced by just twisting the weathered wire together. Only one was marked for its band. We had to use an MFJ analyzer to determine the resonant frequency of another, only to discover it was not on a ham band. Clearly there must be a better way.
Antennas to Go
QST has published many articles on Go-kits, describing a fast way to take your personal items, self-contained rigs and batteries out to an emergency. Why not one for just an antenna?
At the next club meeting I suggested that the club assemble an antenna kit for each of the lower bands. Ignoring the advice my father gave me many years ago, I volunteered to do this for the club.
Each antenna kit should contain an antenna for a particular band with coax and support rope, all in a marked container. The antenna should be the tried, true and simple dipole. Although we have included a G5RV, which has some gain on 20 meters and above, it requires an antenna tuner.
Our dipoles were made using the formula: total length in feet = 468 divided by the frequency in megahertz. I cut the antennas longer than the design length so that they can be fine-tuned before use. The G5RV is 102 feet overall connected in the middle with 34 feet of 450 ohm open wire and then an SO-239 connector at the feed point.
Coax can be of any type: RG-58, RG-8, RG-8X or even 75 ohm RG-59 or RG-11. Any of these will work as long as it can handle the typical rig's 100 W. Use what you have or can get a member to donate. Put PL-259 connectors and the proper adapters on each end. Lengths should be either 50 or 75 feet long. Due to loses, the shorter the better.
If you decide to do this for your group, start by making an inventory of what antennas, coax and rope you have and request donations from your members. Two of our members donated extra antennas they had, while another gave us a length of coax. Record each antenna and its condition. Measure it with a yardstick to determine the band it is resonant on. In our collection we found we had two antennas for the same band.
Use an ohmmeter to check for continuity and any shorts in the center insulator or balun. If you have to buy any new wire, plastic coated, copper plated, stranded wire is probably the best choice, followed by 7-stranded copper wire and single strand Copperweld. Likewise, check the coax for opens and shorts and the use of proper reducers on the PL-259. We found a length of RG-8X that had not used adapters at all, making for a mechanically weak joint, which was also susceptible to moisture damage.
Each antenna should have a support hook on the center insulator, to allow it to be mounted as an inverted V and an SO-239 connector at the feed point. Each should have a tag with the band marked on it. Likewise, both ends of each length of coax should have a tag giving its length, type and band. This is important when someone other than the person who erected the antenna is connecting it to a rig. Might save a set of finals, too. Include a double female adapter with each length of coax so they can be joined together.
Kits Need a Case
Put out a request to your members for cases to house the kits. The ideal case is one made of plastic, such as the kind power tools come in. These are usually discarded when the tool is put in a shop. Most of your members will have one in a closet that his or her spouse will be glad to get rid of. If you can't get enough donations, visit thrift shops, yard sales and even hamfests for them. I found several for 50 cents to a dollar each. The best size for 75 and 40 meters is just a little larger and thicker than a brief case. The case that was used for older VCRs is a good choice too. For 20 meters and up, a brief case size is fine.
You will have to use a utility knife to remove some of the plastic that was used to hold the tools to allow the antenna components to fit. Do not remove more than necessary, for the doubling of the plastic in strategic areas gives the box more strength. This is the dangerous part of this project -- be careful! Mark the case with your club's name and the band it is for.
The case should have working latches and a handle. Remember -- no matter how heavy it is, if it has a handle, it is portable! Plastic is preferred as it will shed water better. Although it doesn't rain on every Field Day -- just most.
If space in the case is tight, roll the wire of the antenna, coax and rope in different diameters so that they will nest together. Also include a packing sheet telling what is in the kit. The insert sheet is a good place to record the finished frequency and SWR.
Include in each kit three 3-foot lengths of yellow plastic warning tape to put on the support ropes. You can get it at any paint or big box store. As Phil Silvers said in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "We don't want anyone tripping over it in the dark."
The G5RV was made from remnants of other antennas that had to be spliced together. There is nothing wrong with this as it ties in with an old superstition that any antenna will work well if it contains part of an older working antenna. I had to use the 7-strand bare copper that was very weathered.
To clean it up and make it solderable I used a kink that I saw in an old issue of Ham Radio. The two pieces of wire are tied in a knot; either a square or granny will work. Leave about an inch of wire on the free ends. Crimp the knot down flat. Heat the ends of the wire with a propane torch until it is red hot. Dip the heated ends into a cup of rubbing alcohol. The cleaned end will have a reddish look and will take solder very well. The knot is necessary as heating the wire weakens it. The knot will give it strength, while soldering the cleaned joint will insure good continuity. After you have soldered the ends, crimp the wire onto the knot and put electrical tape over it. This will minimize the snagging of the joint when the antenna is coiled or pulled.
We made up five kits for 80-10 meters, plus an extra one for the G5RV. Two others hold extra coax and rope. Each case should have two or three lengths of rope. Most rope now is made of plastic so use a flame to melt the ends to keep them from unraveling. To augment the rope I included twine of the type a carpenter uses. While it is cotton, it is strong enough for most antennas and will only be used out in the elements for a few days a year so it should last a long time. I used the yellow colored variety that will help warn people to avoid it.
When erecting antennas get one of the newcomers to help so he or she will better understand antenna theory. Answer any questions. So many new hams come into our ranks with a very limited, and sometimes distorted, knowledge of antennas. Be an Elmer.
Packing Up
When the contest is over, each antenna and coax set should be properly stored away in its case. Check that each item is in the antenna kit. If wet, it should be taken to a member's home to be hung out to dry in a garage or carport. Storage should be done carefully as it will make the next contest or outing easier. In our club this is the responsibility of the vice president.
If there is anything missing from one of the antenna kits, make a note of it and bring it to the attention of the group. Likewise if some item should be added, do so. Don't think of the kit as a finished item but rather as a project under construction.
Antenna-wise our club is now prepared for future Field Days, but even better we will be prepared for an emergency when it occurs. For some 70 plus years, the ARRL has been promoting Field Day as practice going out into the field, erecting antennas and operating under emergency conditions. These Go-kits will be very useful should a local or national disaster occur. By having the complete antennas ready to go in a Go-kit, we will be able to get on the air much more quickly for the next contest or emergency.

NASA astronaut ready to answer your questions from space

2008-08-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

Flying 220 miles above the Earth aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, will respond to your questions. Up until now, questions to be answered by astronauts were asked by students during ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) school contacts via ham radio. Chamitoff's schedule will not allow him to answer many questions, but he will attempt to answer a few each week.
To submit your question, post it in the comment box on NASA’s website. Include your name, age and location. Questions will be transmitted to Greg from Mission Control each week and his answers to a few of them will be available at the same website: http://www.nasa.gov/ask. All questions will be moderated during normal business hours (eastern U.S. time), and even then it may be several hours before they are posted.

Chinese Olympic Special Event Stations

2008-08-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

The opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are over but the Chinese Amateur Radio Special Event stations celebrating the Olympics are still on-the-air. They will continue for another month ...until Wednesday, September 17.
The five special calls representing the five rings of the Olympic flag, are BT1OB, BT1OJ, BT1OH, BT1OY and BT1ON. The last letter of the call sign corresponds to the color of each of the rings of the Olympic flag - Beibei (Blue), Jingjing (Black), Huanhuan (Red), Yingying (Yellow) and Nini (Green). The theme of the 2008 Olympics is "One world one dream".
The stations are operating on all HF bands: 10 through 160 meters, both CW and SSB. Pictured is Gary H Whitman, W2VQ, of Pine Brook, NJ operating BT1ON on August 6. Zheng Feng, BA4EG, 552-39-502 Zao Zhuang Lu, Shanghai 200136, China, will be the QSL manager for all stations. QSLs can be sent either direct or via the bureau and will begin to be answered in October.
Their website includes an on-line log search and an online QSL sent/received search which lists all QSOs/QSLs for each of the five stations along with the band worked.