Friday, July 26, 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1876 - July 26 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1876 with a release
date of July 26 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T.  Ham radio will share a ride to
space on a pair of joint mission satellites; a pico balloon
remains aloft for over 70 hours; Massachusetts looks to
enact an anti pirate radio law and Lithium battery safety is
once again a major concern.  Find out the details are on
Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1876
coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

RADIO NEAR SPACE:  HAM RADIO TRACKED PICO BALLOON ALOFT MORE
THAN 70 HOURS

A possible new record for the flight of a ham radio tracked
pico balloon.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the Newsroom
with more:

--

Flying pico balloons appears to be the latest interest by
ham radio operators and other near-space explorers.  A pico
balloon is essentially one of those silverized party
balloons fitted with an ultra-light-weight amateur radio
payload and designed for long distance medium altitude
flight.  And now comes word that a pico balloon launched in
the United Kingdon managed to stay aloft for some 70 hours
while it floated across the English Channel, made several
north to south round trips in France  before its signal was
lost about 80 miles North-East of Paris.

Dubbed simply B 6 the tiny craft was launched from
Silverstone in the UK at 18:40 UTC on Sunday, July 14th.  It
initially headed south approaching Paris before it changed
direction and headed north again.  On the evening of July
16th it was still aloft and transmitting over northern
France, at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. It then turned
south once again, before doing yet another loop and then
going East and passing just North of Paris before radio
contact was lost.

The B 6 payload weighed in at just 20.2 grams.  It contained
a GPS receiver along with the 10 milliwatt transmitter on
434.500 MHz running the amateur radio Domino EX 16 data
mode.  Power was supplied by a single AA size battery which
in itself may also prove to be an endurance record of sorts
for a single cell powering a long distance flight. But for
that we will have to see what those who keep the record
books have to say.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.

--

Leo Bondar who launched the pico balloon tells Amateur Radio
Newsline that he is not himself a radio amateur but has long
been an avid shortwave listener.  He adds that ballooning
has rekindled his interest in ham radio and radio equipment
building so he just press ahead and get a license after all
those years spent just listening.  Also, a posting on the
balloon flight website indicates that he did work with some
four dozen hams from the U-K, France and several other
European nations who were involved in tracking the flight in
real time.  More information on its epic voyage including
any late updates is on the web at tinyurl.com/balloon-b6.
(Southgate, Leo Bondar)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: JOINT SCIENCE AND HAM RADIO TRANSPONDER
PAYLOADS TO LAUNCH 2014

A consortium headquartered in the United Kingdom plans to
launch a set of shared purpose ham radio and scientific
research cubesats early next year.  Amateur Radio Newsline's
Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reports:

--

It was announced during the QB 50 presentation at the recent
AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium that two CubeSats,
carrying SSB, CW and FM voice transponders could be launched
into a 600 km or 370 mile orbit in the first half of 2014.

The QB 50 project team says that on July 19th, it had signed
a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-
Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable two amateur radio
payloads to fly on a pair of CubeSats.  These are mission
precursor mini-satellites which whose  purpose is to permit
the testing of key satellite and payload components ahead of
the full QB 50 mission.

The primary objective of the QB 50 mission is the study the
temporal and spatial variations of a number of key
parameters in the Earth's lower thermosphere doing so with a
network of about 40 double CubeSats.  These mini-birds will
be launched into a 320 kilometer or 210 mile high circular
orbit.  They will be separated by a few hundred feet and
carry identical science sensors.  These will monitor
parameters that will greatly increase our knowledge and
understanding of this little explored region of the E and F
layers of the Ionosphere.

QB 50 will also study the re-entry process by measuring a
number of key parameters during re-entry and by comparing
predicted and actual CubeSat trajectories and orbital
lifetimes.

At the beginning of the mission, the various payloads
onboard the spacecraft will be operated in an alternating
fashion.  Later on the amateur radio transponders will be
operated as the primary mission once all QB 50 related
experimentation has been concluded.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
watching the nighttime sky from Scottsdale, Arizona.

--

By combining the ham radio and scientific missions together
it means that both will reach orbit at a cost affordable.
More information about the QB 50 project can be found at
www.qb50.eu
(AMSAT UK, Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  UKUBE ONE GIVEN TENTATIVE OCTOBER
LAUNCH DATE

In a related story the Amsat News Service reports that the
UKube-1 CubeSat carrying an amateur radio transponder as a
part of its payload could launch in late October.  As
previously reported, UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK
designed FUNcube-2 boards.  These will provide the ham radio
community with a 70 centimeter up and 2 meter downlink
linear transponder for SSB/CW operation along with a 1200
bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz.  The actual
satellite is being constructed in Scotland by Clyde Space
with its launch to take place from Kazikstan on-board a
Russian Soyuz 2 orbital booster.  (ANS)

**

RADIO POLITICS:  BI-PARTISAN REQUEST TO NTIA TO ASSURE THE
FREEING UP SPECTRUM

In a rare bi-partisan move, Senators Mario Rubio of Florida
and Mark Warner from Virginia have asked National
Telecommunications and Information Agency chief Larry
Strickling for answers on what the agency is doing to free
up government spectrum.  This in light of President Obama's
June 14th memo on motivating wireless innovation and in
light of a Government Accounting Office study from April
2011 that concluded NTIA cannot ensure that spectrum is
being used efficiently by federal agencies and has limited
ability to monitor federal spectrum use.

In a letter to Strickling dated July 19th, a copy of which
was supplied to the press by Warner's office, the two wanted
that question and severa others answered.  The letter also
notes that - and we quote: "without effective NTIA
management and oversight, we have serious reservations about
the agency's ability to maximize spectrum efficiency and
relinquish portions of federal spectrum."

The FCC is preparing to auction as much as 120 MHz of
commercial spectrum reclaimed from broadcasters but this is
likely to be reduced to 80 MHZ or less given Canadian and
Mexican border issues.  This matter is also of importance to
the ham radio community because much of the spectrum it has
at 420 MHz and above is on a secondary basis and is shared
with government and military users.  (Published news
reports)

**

RADIO LAW FOLLOW-UP:  DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AT STANDOFF
ON FCC REFORM

A follow-up to last weeks report on another congressional
attempt to streamline the FCC The House Communications
Subcommittee wrapped up its FCC reform hearing Thursday,
July 11th, but continuing partisan politics seem still be
standing in the way of any meaningful change.  Amateur Radio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:

--

The subject of the hearing was Republican backed draft
measures similar to legislation that passed in the House
last year only to fail to get Senate attention.

On one side of the bills were Republican legislators who
argued that they were necessary to speed FCC decision
making, tie it to a cost-benefit analysis of any new
regulations, improve transparency and limit the FCC's
ability to impose merger conditions that they suggest are a
vehicle for backdoor regulations.

On the other side are Democrats who in effect said the
committee was wasting its time debating bills similar, and
even more burdensome, than ones that had failed to get a
legal toehold in the past.

Committee ranking Democrat Henry Waxman was quoted as saying
that the legislation was a way to undermine the FCC's
ability to adopt new rules and protect consumers.  He said
that the only thing it would efficiently speed up would be
endless legal challenges.  Waxman also noted that the dozen
new mandates in the proposed law would, among other things,
would remove the public interest standard and slow the FCC
process to a crawl.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berewick, Pennsylvania.

--

Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, W7EQI, is the one who
called the hearings.  He said that the communications sector
is one of the few that is firing on all cylinders, but that
the current FCC process threatens the health of this segment
of the economy.  That said, in this congressional session
there is little sign that Republicans and Democrats can come
together to reach an accord.  (Connect2.com and other
published news reports)

**

BREAK 1

We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world including the W0EF repeater
serving Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(5 sec pause here)


**

HAM TECHNOLOGY:  BROADBAND-HAMNETT SOFTWARE WINS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

An interesting ham radio communications concept developed
mainly by hams in Texas interested in automated emergency
communications has been awarded a pair of important prizes.
Jim Davis, W2JKD, has the story:

--

Broadband-Hamnet, formerly HSMM-MESH firmware, developed by
amateur radio operators to provide hams with a high-speed
digital wireless communication mesh network, has won both US
and global awards from the International Association of
Emergency Managers.

The USA Council of the designated Broadband Hamnet as a
Division 2 Technology and Innovation Award winner. It then
went on to win the International Association of Emergency
Managers Global Technology and Innovation Award in the same
division.

Broadband-Hamnet as "a high-speed, self-discovering, self-
configuring, fault-tolerant, wireless computer network.  It
has very low power consumption and a focus on emergency
communication. The firmware itself is available at no charge
via the project website hsmm-mesh.org

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD.

--

The awards will be presented to Broadband-Hamnet in October
at the International Association of Emergency Managers
annual conference in Reno, Nevada.  A demonstration of how
it works can be seen in the ARRL video The DIY Magic of
Amateur Radio.  It's on the web at tinyurl.com/ham-radio-diy-
magic  (ARRL)

**

RADIO LAW:  MASSACHUSETTS LOOKS TO ENACT ANTI PIRATE RADIO
LAW

Massachusetts is the latest state to follow the lead of
Florida, New York and New Jersey to enact laws that would
permit the prosecution of unlicensed broadcast radio station
operators.  This with word that State Representative Steven
Walsh has introduced H.R. 1679, which would give the state
attorney general the power to seek action against radio
pirates, including seizing equipment and seeking heavy money
damages.

Specifically, the measure would prohibit any unauthorized
radio telecommunication or emission to, or interference
with, a public or commercial radio station licensed by the
Federal Communications Commission.  The key to excluding
other services such as police, fire and even amateur radio
from inclusion under the proposal seems to be the words
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

As previously reported, last January the U.S. Attorney's
Office for Massachusetts seized transmission equipment from
an unlicensed station operating in the city of Roslindale.
The FCC then escalated the case into a forfeiture action and
that's when the office of the U.S. Attorney for
Massachusetts became involved.  (RW, Broadcast Daily,
others)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  BROADCAST TRANSMITTER CREATES SPURS IN
AVIATION BAND IN NEW ZEALAND

A recent investigation of interference to communications
between pilots and the control tower for aircraft
approaching Auckland airport in New Zealand, highlights the
risk of unintended signals being generated as an unwanted
side effect of radio broadcasting.  Amateur Radio Newsline's
Jim Meachen reports from down-under:

--

The investigation took several weeks to complete because of
the low signal level and intermittent observations of the
interference.  Locating it involved considerable staff
resources from the New Zealand Radio Spectrum Management
agency as well as their renting an aircraft and pilot to
locate the source from the air.

When found the problem proved to be an unwanted spurious
emission from an FM broadcast transmitter in a community to
the north of Auckland.  The problem was quickly repaired by
the broadcaster.

In this case the interference was not considered to be an
immediate safety risk because of the availability of
alternative aircraft radio communications channels.  It did
however present a significant annoyance and distraction to
pilots flying into and out of the city.

A recent study by the New Zealands's neighbor across the
Tasman Sea confirms the same problem exists in VK land.
According to the Australian Communications and Media
Authority about 28% of the transmitters it checked showed
the production of unwanted emissions with many radiated in
the aeronautical radio-communication band.  As such these
spurs do hold a potential risk to the safe operation of
aircraft.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.

--

Auckland Airport is a major airline hub in New Zealand.  It
serves domestic airline flights as well as a transfer point
for passengers going on to other locations.  (Southgate,
ARNewslineT)

**

RESCUE RADIO: GOV.DELIVERY TO DISCONTINUE DISSEMINATING NWS
WEATHER ALERTS

If you are involved in emergency communications activities
and use the GovDelivery e-mail service service listen up.
GovDelivery has announced that it will discontinue
disseminating National Weather Service weather alerts
effective July 31, 2013.

GovDelivery is a self-subscription service used to deliver e-
mail and SMS/text notifications to the general public and
has contracts with many government agencies. The National
Weather Service began using GovDelivery in 2008 but
terminated its contract with GovDelivery in November of
2012, due to budget constraints.

At the time of the National Weather Service contract
termination GovDelivery continued distribute weather alert
information using a similar e-subscription service.  NWS
subscribers were notified about the change and offered the
opportunity to subscribe to GovDelivery's free service as
well as to other third party weather alert services.
However, due to the substantial costs of providing a high
reliability messaging service at this scale GovDelivery
cannot continue the free service.

More information on the discontinuance of GovDelivery NWS
alerts and several free alternatives to it are on the web at
tinyurl.com/gov-delivery-ends.  (NOAA)

**

RADIO BUSINESS:  ALINCO NOW REPRESENTED BY REMTRONIX

George Howard, NW4G, who is the Amateur Radio Division
Manager at GigaParts says that he has received word that
Alinco is back up and running and its products began
shipping on July 17th.

In a posting to QRZ.com, Howard says that distribution is
now being handled by a company called Remtronix Incorporated
with a website at www.remtronix.com.  A web search shows
Remtronix to be located in Hayward California not that far
from San Francisco.

Howard also says that he has received word of several price
reductions as well as announcement of the launch of the new
Software Defined Radio based DX-SR9T high frequency
transceiver.  (NW4G via QRZ)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  VE3CWP NAMED RAC CORPORATE SECRETARY

Radio Amateurs of Canada has named Alvin Masse, VE3CWP, as
its new Corporate Secretary.  In making the announcement,
Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW, who is the national society's
President and Chairman said that Masse brings with him a
wealth of organizational skills, history and wisdom and will
be a great benefit to the organization.  VE3CWP replaces
Linda Friars, VE9GLF, who served as Acting Corporate
Secretary until Masse's appointment.  (RAC)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  SARL TO EXHIBIT AT ESKOM EXPO FOR YOUNG
SCIENTISTS

The South African Radio League will be an exhibitor at the
2013 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.  The event takes place
from September 25th to 28th and will include both an
operational High Frequency as well as a VHF station.   The
South African Radio League will also be sponsoring a special
award at the Expo for best final entry in the field of RF
and electronics.

The Eskom Expo was founded by the late Dr. Derek Gray in
1980.  Since then it has provided an opportunity for school
students from primary to grade 12, who have an interest in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to exhibit
their projects and to be judged on their skills and
enthusiasm for science.  (SARL)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS: MICROWAVE UPDATE 2013 SEEKS PRESENTERS

Microwave Update or MUD 2013 which takes place October 18th
and 19th at Morehead State Space Science Center in
Moorehead, Kentucky.  The planners have put out a call
seeking papers to be presented at the event.  Papers can be
up to 10 pages in length.  If you wish to be a presenter
please send your proposal to mud (at) downeastmicrowave
(dot) come before August 30th.  (WA3ZKR)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  NEW FACEBOOK PAGE TO SCHEDULE SKEDS

A new group has been formed on Facebook for hams wishing to
schedule contacts with other amateurs world-wide.  If you
need a particular contact for an award, or just a chat, then
go to facebook.com/groups/hamsked and have a look.  (GB2RS)

**

BREAK 2

With you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, we are the
Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only
official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by
the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  LITHIUM BATTERY SAFETY

Much of today's latest portable electronics including ham
radio gear is powered by Lithium or Lithium Ion batteries.
But these same batteries have also become a safety concern
as we hear from Graham Kemp, VK4BB:

--

Lithium batteries are undoubtedly popular going by their
wide use in consumer products, and even higher powered
models in electric vehicles.  However they have been linked
to fires, illicit drug makers and medical problems.

The recent death of a toddler in Queensland, Australia and
others injured after swallowing them, has again focused
attention on the common power source.

From January 2013 stricter regulations for the carriage of
Lithium batteries by air travelers were introduced best
check with your airline for the rules.

A battery can also be a convenient source of lithium metal
used in illegal methamphetamine laboratories. Sales of
larger quantities are restricted for this reason in some
areas.

International industry standards for button batteries are
soon to be introduced as an urgent safety measure.  These
are likely to include strengthened consumer education about
the dangers and child-restraint packaging for the cell
batteries.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. Of
the WIA News, in Australia.

--

The bottom line is that when using these Lithium batteries
as a source of power for anything electronic that it is
important to think safety first.  (VK3PC, WIA News)

**

WORLDBEAT:  2ND INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MEETING FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

IARU Region 1 reports that the 2nd International Youth
Meeting was held on Saturday, June 29th.  The event featured
several lectures including one by Tommy Degrande, ON2TD.  He
is the Belgian Youth Coordinator of that nations national
Amateur Radio Society the UBA.  He spoke about youth
activities in Belgium

Other presenters included Remko Welling, PE1MEW,  who
servers as the Scouting Jamboree on the Air Coordinator in
the Netherlands and Mari Nikkila, OH2FPK, who is the Finnish
Amateur Radio Youth Coordinator.

The International Youth Meeting was timed to coincide with
the 2013 Ham Radio Convention held on the shores of Lake
Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany.  More can be found on
the web at www.iaru-r1.org  (IARU Region 1)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ISS CONTACT PLANNING SOFTWARE GETS
UPDATE BY NASA INTERN

The Amsat News Service reports that the ARISS software has
been upgraded by a student named Nolan Replogle who interned
with the Education Projects Office at NASA's Johnson Space
Center in Houston from January to April of this year.

During his stay his assignment was to update the planning
software for the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station which is used to help schedule contacts and events.
The original software's lack of a user interface meant that
people needed to input data directly into text files, and
then run the program to see if it worked.  Replogle, a
computer engineering major at Oklahoma State University used
his programming skills to create a more user-friendly
interface for the software.

Replogle named the upgraded software ARISS Assistant or
ARRISA for short.  With his updates, there is now a graphic
user interface that allows users to click on buttons to
enter information into text boxes.  This automated feature
is more intuitive and requires a lot less data entry.

Replogle has not yet had the chance to speak with an
astronaut on-orbit, but he says that he would like to.  Now
thanks in part to the work he did as a NASA intern, other
students around the world will have a better chance to have
live contacts with International Space Station and its ham
radio astronauts.  (ANS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  INDIA HOLDS SMALL SATELLITE WORKSHOP

India's National Institute of Amateur Radio was co sponsor
of a Small Satellite Developer Workshop event organized by
Dhruva Space held July 8th to the 13th.  Satellite experts
had engineering models on display to help participants
understand the challenges found in designing and developing
the subsystems of small satellites.  A full report on this
gathering can be found on the web at
tinyurl.com/SmallSatelliteWorkshop2013.  (NAIR)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  SCOTLAND PORTABLE SATELLITE OPERATION
IN AUGUST

Paul Robinson, 2E1EUB, will once again be on the air from
Scotland as 2M1EUB for 14 days beginning August 5th.  He
will be driving around that nation while listening out for
anyone looking for grid squares that they have not worked
yet, especially on the satellites.  His operation will be
several ham radio birds including AO-7 running modes B to A
as well as on 160, 80 and 2 meter SSB.   Robinson says that
he will arrange skeds to work him.  To arrange one e-mail
him at 2e1eub (at) amsat.org.  Check out QRZ.com under
2M1EUB for more information and the latest updates.  (ANS)

**

DX

In DX, word that the ARRL has announced several Colvin Award
grants to help support three upcoming DXpeditions.  The
recipients are the K9W Wake Atoll operation scheduled for
September through October and the T33A Banaba Island for
November.  Also named is the FT5ZM Amsterdam Island
DXpedition planned for January through February of 2014.

PH2M will be active as PJ4M from the island of Bonaire
between September 13th to the 26th.  Operations will be on
the High Frequency bands. QSL via his home callsign direct
or via the bureau\

N0TG, AA4VK and N1SNB will be active stroke FS from St.
Martin between October 24th to the 31st.  This operation
will likely mirror probably their PJ7 DXpedition which was
described as a suitcase operation on 40 through 10 meters
using CW and SSB, with wire antennas and 100 watts. QSL all
operators via AA4VK.

IZ1DPS will be operational stroke HC from Ecuador through
January 12th, 2014.  Activity will be on the HF bands. QSL
via IK2DUW, direct, by the Bureau or Logbook of the World
only.

A team composed of six French DXers will be operating
as TM2NOI from Noirmoutier Island from August 9th to the
11th.  The team will try to be active from 160 through 10
meters using CW, SSB and several digital modes.  Particular
interest will be paid to the Islands on the Air calling
frequencies.  QSL direct or via the bureau to F4FVI.

Lastly, Members from the F6KOP Radio Club team will be
active as TO7CC from Reunion Island between February 5th to
the 17th, 2014.  Their operation  will be on all bands and
modes, with an emphasis on the lower bands and RTTY. The
group says that more details will be forthcoming.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO THE MOON

And finally this week, have you ever thought of sending your
own spacecraft to the Moon?  Well until now such a trip was
out of the reach of almost everyone here on planet Earth.
But that's all changing thanks to a new citizen oriented
space project as we hear in this report from the Wireless
Institute of Australia:

--

A new project to give thousands of people the opportunity to
design, build and launch personalised spacecraft and send
them to the moon has begun.

Now anyone can become a citizen space explorer at a cost of
USD159,
explorers who back the project will be able to personalise
their own
spacecraft by adding a picture or message direct from their
favourite
social media or game profile or create their own unique
design.

Pocket Spacecraft are disks with flexible electronics,
smaller than a CD and as thin as a piece of paper, that will
be loaded into an Interplanetary CubeSat mothership to hitch
a ride into space on a commercial rocket. The mothership
will then set off to the moon and when it arrives many
months later, the fleet of Pocket Spacecraft will be
photographed as they are released to land on the moon to
complete their mission.

Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding
site
PocketSpacecraft.com

The campaign ends on August 26, 2013.

--

Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding
web site PocketSpacecraft.com.  And who knows?  If this idea
works as planned you could be the first ham radio operator
on your block or in your community to vicariously make a
trip to the Moon.  Well at least, kind of.  (WIA News)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate
News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline
(at) arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us
at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, near Houston, Texas, saying 73 and
we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights
reserved.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1875 - July 19 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1875 with a release
date of July 19 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  Researchers say that this solar
cycle will likely remain poor and Cycle 25 could be worse;
The 2013 National Scouting Jamboree takes to the air and the
web from Mount Hope West Virginia; ARRL CEO K1ZZ writes
about Spectrum Pressure in the August QST magazine; a new
beacon in Perth Australia trying to prove a path to Africa
exists on 2 meters; yet another move by Congress to try to
streamline the FCC may fail due to partisan politics and a
look at radio in Nepal where FM reigns supreme.  All this
and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1875
coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

RADIO RESEARCH:  HERE COMES THE SUN - THERE GOES THE SUN

While the sun is currently at the projected peak of its 11
year solar cycle, our home star has been relatively quiet in
the area of sunspots and their affect on radio propagation
here on planet Earth.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley,
KI7UP, takes a look at what scientists believe is happening:

--

Researchers say that this year's solar maximum is shaping up
to be the weakest in some 100 years and the next one could
be even quieter.  This according to scientists who study the
solar cycle as it affects our home planet.

One of these is David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  In an early July
teleconference Hathaway told reporters that we are
witnessing the smallest solar maximum we have seen in the
Space Age.  Also that the next one, cycle 25 could be even
quieter.

About every 11 years, the sun goes through a cycle defined
by an increasing and then decreasing number of sunspots.
The current cycle known as Solar Cycle 24 has been underway
since 2011.  Its peak was expected in 2013 but there have
been fewer sunspots observed this year compared with the
maximums of the last several cycles.

Sunspots are the dark temporary regions on the surface of
our home star that are thought to be caused by interaction
between the sun's plasma and its magnetic field.  They are
also the source of the solar flares and Coronal Mass
Ejections that in turn send charged particles into space.
Those that hit Earth hold the potential of causing damage to
satellites and producing surges in power grids.  But they
also affect radio propagation by causing short-term High
Frequency blackouts while at the same time producing some
dazzling auroras above the planet's poles that radio
amateurs and others have long used for propagation
experimentation.  Ham radio operators on 6 meters and above
have been known to make some amazing DX contacts by bouncing
signals off auroral trails.

Giuliana de Toma, a scientist at the High Altitude
Observatory in Colorado says that the sunspots occurring
during a calm maximum have the same brightness and area as
the ones observed during a more turbulent peak.  The only
difference is that there are fewer of them and that's why
this is why low cycles like this one are considered as being
weak.

Scientists seem to agree that a small Cycle 24 also fits in
with a 100 year pattern of building and waning solar cycles.
They say that they don't know yet the exact cause of this
trend, but they note that there were weak solar cycles in
the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as now
in the 21st.  For ham radio this means that while the
various bands are far from dead, that their full potential
may not come about during this solar cycle.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
where the sun is keeping us rather warm in Scottsdale,
Arizona.

--

You can find out more about the Solar Cycle at
tinyurl.com/weak-cycle-24 and tinyurl.com/not-many-sunspots
to mention only two.  (Space.com, others)

**

RADIO SCOUTING:  THE 2013 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE GOES LIVE

Weak sunspots or not, one group having a lot of fun with ham
radio this week is the Boy Scouts of America who are holding
their 2013 National Scout Jamboree from July 15th to the
25th.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has
the details:

--

Approximately 40,000 Scouts have converged on Mount Hope
West Virginia for this years National Scout Jamboree being
held at the nearby at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.

While there are a lot of high impact events for scouts to
participate in at this years Jamboree, the K2BSA ham radio
station enjoys a high profile location nestled in between
the AT&T Summit Stadium, Summit Center, and the landing pad
for one of the many Zip Line adventures.

The purpose of K2BSA is to introduce the science,
technology, and fun of amateur radio to Scouts and Scout
leaders.  It's also there to help scouts to earn their Radio
Merit Badges and to serve as the amateur radio voice of the
Jamboree via two-way radio contacts worldwide.

--
K2BSA off air audio: ".We have some updates on K2BSA
operations.  Today we have completed 25 Radio Merit Badges,
We've had 41 Scouts go through the Amateur Radio Direction
Finding program; we have given 418 Scout demos and completed
over 460 QSO's."

--

With equipment furnished by Icom America, this year's K2BSA
station is providing scouts with a very wide ranging
exposure to amateur radio.  Mentors are on hand to explain
what it is, how it is relevant to them, and providing them
an opportunity to try as many aspects of the hobby as
possible.  It will also be providing demonstrations to at
least 4,000 Jamboree participants.  This includes stations
operating High Frequency SSB and PSK-31 as well as VHF and
UHF FM.  Hidden transmitter hunting classes will be
available and on-site Amateur license testing will available
as needed.  APRS will be active and K2BSA will be on the air
with CW as time permits.

Even if you are not able to attend the 2013 Scouting
Jamboree you can still help support the event with a contact
or two.  K2BSA will be on the air throughout the event
operating SSB and PSK-31 on 75 through 10 meters.  They also
have an Echolink demonstration station on Node 4566 signing
K2BSA-R and D-Star contacts are available via the WV8BSA
repeater and Reflector 033A.  This means that hams anywhere
with or without the best of propagation can tune in.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.

--

Other activities include high altitude ham radio carrying
balloon launches on July 18, 20, and the 23rd.  Also an
International Space Station contact has also been scheduled.
All in all a full ten days of fun for scouts at the jamboree
and for the ham radio community that's supporting it with
contacts world-wide.  (KC5FM, N9JA, others)

**

RADIO LAW: WEST VA GRANTS HAM RADIO EXEMPTION TO NEW
DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW

Amateur radio has been granted an exemption from a new West
Virginia law that bans most distractions while operating a
motor vehicle in hat state.

The new distracted driving law took effect on Monday, July
1st.  Under its terms it is no longer legal to text and
drive nor use a cellular telephone that is not operated
hands free.

But amateur radio operators are still allowed to operate
their two-way radio gear while behind the wheel as long as
they are properly licensed by the FCC.  Also, for ham radio
operators, portable radio devices such as hand-helds are not
considered distracted driving implements under the new law.

Emergency officials like police, fire and Emergency
Management Services are also exempt and will continue to be
allowed to use radios while driving.  (Published news
reports)

**

BREAK 1

With you 52 weeks a year, every year, we are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W0EF repeater serving Minneapolis Minnesota.

(5 sec pause here)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  ARRL CEO DAVE SUMNER K1ZZ ON SPECTRUM
PRESSURE

Spectrum Pressure is the title of an editorial appearing in
the August issue of QST magazine. One that details the
reasons that ham radio must remain vigilant as pressure
grows to make more spectrum available to other services.

The article was penned by ARRL Chief Executive Officer Dave
Sumner, K1ZZ.  In it, Dave talks about last June's
Presidential Memorandum representing the next stage in
making more spectrum available for commercial wireless
broadband.  It also covers the implications this has for
current users of the bands from 400 MHz through 6 Gigahertz
including radio amateurs.

Unlike other articles and news stories we have seen on this
topic, this is not a piece meant to convince the reader that
the sky is falling.  Rather it is an honest and very easy to
understand kook at the needs of wireless communications in
the years that lie ahead.  This in itself makes it a must
for every ham regardless of personal interest to read and
share through discussions at club meetings and elsewhere.

Dave Sumner's article is on page 9 of the August issue of
QST.  If you have the magazine but have not yet taken the
time to read it, we suggest that you make doing so a
priority.  As many scholars say, knowledge and understanding
are always the first line of defense.

(ARNewslineT)

**

RADIO LAW:  W7EQU AGAIN LEADING MOVE TO STREAMLINE THE FCC

Another attempt in Congress to modernize the operation of
the FCC is taking place on Capitol Hill.  Jeff Clark, K8JAC,
has the details:

--

Oregon Representative Greg Walden, W7EQI, is once again
looking at ways to streamline the operation of the FCC.
Slated for last Thursday, July 11th, the chairman of the
House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
was to have members review drafts similar to bills those
passed the House of Representatives last Congress to
streamline the FCC's reporting obligations and hasten the
agency's decision making process while reducing regulatory
burdens on the companies it regulates.

In 2012, the Republican controlled House approved the FCC
Process Reform Act and the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act.
Taken together, the bills would consolidate the number of
reports the agency needs to submit to lawmakers each year on
the industries it regulates, as well as establish more shot
clocks for proceedings and publishing the full text of a
rule for public comment before a commission vote.  The
effort went nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

For the amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC

--

Reports coming out of the hearings say that Democrats and
Republicans remain at odds over numerous points and as of
this moment there appears to be very little room for
compromise.  (RW, others)

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC EXTENDS INDECENCY REPLY COMMENT PERIOD
DEADLINE

The FCC has granted a request from College Broadcasters,
Inc. asking that the reply comment deadline on General
Docket No. 13-86 the FCC be pushed back by 15 days.  This
rule making procedure is the latest inquiry in the subject
of broadcast indecency.

It turned out that by the commentary cutoff date over
100,000 comments had been filed and the petitioner claimed
more time was needed to evaluate the material.  As such the
deadline for reply comments has been pushed back from July
18 to August 2nd.  (Inside Radio)

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC SAYS NO TO CAP DELAY WAIVER REQUESTS

The FCC has denied several petitions asking that its rules
regarding the installation of Common Alerting Protocol or C-
A-P gear be installed by a number of broadcasters and cable
delivery services.  The petitioners had sought the delay on
the basis that they could not meet the original June 30,
2012 deadline due to vendor delay.

Section 11.56 requires that Emergency Alert System
Participants to have installed operational equipment that
can receive and process E-A-S alerts in the Common Alerting
Protocol by June 30, 2012.  In its report and order the FCC
simply stated that it found that the petitioners failed to
show special circumstances to justify departure from this
requirement of the Commissions' rules, and that it is not in
the public interest to grant such a waiver.

The Common Alerting Protocol is an XML-based data format for
exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting
technologies.  It allows a warning message to be
consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning
systems to many applications.  As such, it is said to
increase warning effectiveness and simplify the task of
activating a warning for those with authority to do so.
(FCC)

**

ELECTRONICS BUSINESS:  WESTERN ELECTRIC AND THE 300B TRIODE
RETURN

The Western Electric name has been resurrected for a new
vacuum tube manufacturing venture here in the United States.
With its headquarters are in Rossville, Georgia operation
will make vacuum tubes mainly for use in high-end audio
components.

While tubes or valves as they are known in Europe were once
the mainstay of the world's electronics, they were
eventually supplanted by transistors and integrated
circuits.  Soon afterward most United States based
manufacturers deserted the manufacture of tubes to follow
the solid state trend.  In recent years vacuum tube
manufacturing has become the domain of specialty companies
mainly in Russia and China, but even they only manufacture
the most popular tubes like the venerable 12AX7 and 6L6.
These are used in high end specialty audiophile gear and
portable amplifiers preferred by some musicians.

The new incarnation of Western Electric is headed by Charles
G. Whitener Jr..  Initially it will sell only a handful of
different tube types that are exact reproductions of Western
Electric "classics," such as the 300B. The latter was a
power triode audio output tube that was originally designed
to be used in movie theaters sound installations.

You can read the entire story of the return of Western
Electric tube manufacturing on the web at
tinyurl.com/western-electric-lives.  (Times Free Press)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  HAM RADIO OPERATOR DEVELOPS AIRPORT
SAFETY DEVICE

Maine's Kennebec Journal reports Ron Cote, N1SVC, and John
Guimond have developed a unit that could eventually help
prevent aircraft accidents  at small and regional airports

The newspaper says that G.A.R.D, which stands for the
General Audio Recording Device, was created and developed by
Guimond's business partner, Ron Cote, of West Gardiner,
through their new commercial venture, Invisible Intelligence
LLC.

The device's purpose is to assist in the investigation of
crashes by providing a recording of all radio traffic at
smaller general aviation airports, without control towers.
Those are airfields where currently no mechanism for
recording exists.  More about this device and how it was
developed is on the web at tinyurl.com/small-airport-safety.
(Kenebec Journal, Southgate)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  2013 CENTRAL STATES VHF SOCIETY CONFERENCE
26-28 JULY

On the ham radio social colander, the 2013 Central States
VHF Society Conference takes place the weekend of July 26th
through the July 28th.  The venue is the Elk Grove Village
Holiday Inn located in Elk Grove Village. Illinois.
Activities begin Friday morning the 26th at 9AM with antenna
range gain measurements and pre-amp noise figure measurement
contests.  Technical Programs will be held Friday afternoon
and all day Saturday.  Full information including a detailed
agenda can be found at tinyurl.com/central-states-vhf.
(CSVHFS)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  W9DXCC BANQUET TO FEATURE JOE TAYLOR K1JT

Nobel laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will be the featured
banquet speaker at the 61st annual W9DXCC Convention and
Banquet.  This event is slated for Saturday, September 21st,
at the Holiday Inn, Elk Grove Village, Illinois and will
also host presentations by such prominent names as Eric
Hall, K9GY, on his Afghanistan operations; Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, who will discuss solar Cycle 24
propagation and many more.

The W9DXCC is an annual event sponsored by the Northern
Illinois DX Association and has become a mainstay for DX
operators throughout the mid-West.  More is on-line at
www.w9dxcc.com.  (W9DXCC)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  JARL HAMFAIR - AUGUST 24 - 25 IN TOKYO

Japan's Amateur Radio Festival, also known as JARL Hamfair,
will be held at the Tokyo Bigsight Exposition Center on
August 24th and 25th.  Billed as one of the world's largest
and most impressive amateur radio gatherings, the event
features displays by industry and radio clubs;
internationally known guest speakers and many other
activities to satisfy the needs of the Pacific Rim amateur
radio community.

In addition, the Region 3 Directors of the International
Amateur Radio Union will be meeting on the Monday and
Tuesday following the Hamfair.  They plan to discuss and act
on items relevant to the Region 3 as it is now and in the
future.  More is on the web at www.jarl.or.jp. (JARL
Hamfair)

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur this is the
Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only
official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by
the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

RADIO RESEARCH: HAARP RESEARCH FACILITY IN ALASKA SHUTTERED

The ARRL and the Southgate News report that the High
Frequency Active Auroral or HAARP Research Program facility
has been shuttered due to a lack of funding.  Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:

--

According to the ARRL, its information is from HAARP program
manager, Dr. James Keeney at Kirtland Air Force Base in New
Mexico.  He says that the thirty-five acre ionospheric
research facility in Gakona, Alaska, has been shuttered
since early May.  He said that no one is on site, access
roads are blocked, buildings are chained and the power
turned off.  Also that HAARP's website through the
University of Alaska no longer is available.

According to Dr. Keeney, HAARP had put out a notice two
years ago that it would be shutting down.  It also did not
submit a budget request for the 2015 Fiscal Year.

But says Dr. Keeney but no one paid any attention until the
shutdown occurred.  Since it did, people are complaining
noting that he's already had inquiries from Congress and
from universities that depended upon HAARP research grants.

The in-depth ARRL story says that the Air Force has taken
possession of the HAARP facility for now, but if no other
agency steps forward to take over its operation that this
unique facility will be dismantled.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.

--

You can read the ARRL story at tinyurl.com/haarp-shuttered.
Other than it and the Southgate story, we cannot find any
other mention of the closure of this research facility in
the mainstream media.  (ARRL, Southgate)

**

RADIO EXPERIMENTATION:  NEW BEACON WILL ATTEMPT TO PROVE THE
PERTH TO SOUTH AFRICA PATH

A new 2 meter special service beacon on 144.950 MHz is being
established in Perth, Western Australia.  This by the
Northern Corridor Radio Group in an attempt to prove that a
Perth to South Africa path actually exists.

The beacon call will be VK6RIO.  The beacon will run 100
watts into four 8 element yagis directed towards South
Africa.  It will use digital Chirp modulation which can be
detected some 50dB below the noise floor in a 2 kHz
bandwidth.  With the processing gain from using Chirp
modulation the Effective Radiated Power is close to 100
Megawatts.

The VK6RIO beacon will be GPS locked both in frequency, time
and Chirp synchronization.  Tests across Australia have
already proven the effectiveness of Chirp modulation for
detecting very weak signals.

Anyone interested in more details regarding the new beacon
should contact Keith Bainbridge to vk6rk (at) wia (dot) org
(dot) au. (WIA)

**

RADIO DEVELOPMENTS:  FORTY DOLLAR SDR RECEIVER

A Software-Defined Radio costing only $40 is the subject of
an IEEE article that describes how, with some cheap hardware
and free software, you can listen-in on digital and analog
signals across a wide range of  radio spectrum.  The author
is Stephen Cass KB1WNR, who used a Freeview P250 dongle, an
indoor TV antenna and a Model B Raspberry Pi microcontroller
to make it all happen.  You can read the entire article and
watch a video of the device on line at
tinyurl.com/inexpensive-sdr
(WIA, GB2RS, Southgate)

**

RADIO FROM SPACE:  NEW RADIO TELESCOPE DOWN-UNDER TO EXPLORE
THE UNKNOWN

Prepare for a wave of astronomical revelations with the $51
million Murchison Widefield Array or MWA radio telescope in
Western Australia now in full operation.  WIA Newsman Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, has the details:

--

The MWA is part of the growing Murchison Radio-astronomy
Observatory in a remote part of the Western Australia where
radio frequency interference is virtually non-existent.

It is also a precursor to the $2 billion international
Square Kilometer Array project and comprises 2048 antennas
that capture low frequency radio waves.

It will step up observations of the sun to detect and
monitor massive solar storms and will also investigate a
unique concept - seeing if stray FM radio signals can be
used to track dangerous space debris.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of
the WIA News reporting from Brisbane, Australia.

--

Once both of these new radio astronomy tolls are in day to
day use, mans knowledge of the final frontier of space will
be greatly enhanced.
(WIA)

**

ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT STATION PA1813A CELEBRATES THE
LIBERATION OF ARNHEM

On the air PA0FA will be operating special event
station PA1813A through August 13th celebrating the twice
liberated city Arnhem, Holland.  Arnhem is a city and
municipality located in the eastern section of that nation.
It is well known that Arnhem was freed back at the end of
World War 2 in 1945 but it was liberated once before in 1813
from the French.  Hence the PA1813A call for this operation
which will be mostly using CW with some SSB and digital
modes.  The latter two modes will depend on the available
time and other possibilities.  QSL to PA0FAW either direct
or bureau or electronically using or eQSL.
(ICPO)

**

DX

In DX, CT2HPM will be on the air from Angola as D2CT from
until July
26th.  Activity will be 20 through 10 meters using mostly
PSK31 and RTTY. QSL via his home callsign.

ON4LO will be active stroke DL stroke p from Fehmarn Island
until July 25th.  His operation is reported to be holiday
style on the HF bands. QSL via his home callsign, direct or
by the Bureau.

PY2DY will be active as SY8APQ from Lesvos Island until July
31st. His operations are on 20 and 15 meters but no modes or
times on the air are specified. QSL via PY2DY, either direct
or electronically using Logbook of the World.  Sorry, but
this station will not accept cards via the bureau or eQSL.

Lastly, DL5KUD will be active from Ruegen Island during the
RSGB Islands on the Air Contest that takes place July 27th
and 28th.  He will be on as a Single-Operator, CW only low
power entry. QSL via DL5KUD.

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: NEPAL - A KINGDOM OF FM RADIO

And finally this week Nepal which years ago modernized its
broadcast radio in a way that the isolated nation is now a
place where FM radio is king is facing new challenges from
the Internet.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK,
tells us why:

--

A recent Radio World story quotes Santosh Devkota who says
that when it comes to the penetration of FM radio stations,
Nepal is one of the most successful broadcasters in the
world.

Devkota is managing director of DigiMed.  This is an FM
radio consultancy and training firm located in Katmandu.  He
says that to date, over 300 FM stations are on air, with 435
licenses having been issued so far.

One of the most thriving stations is Radio Kantipur on 96.1
FM which received its license in October 1998.  The station
is part of the Kantipur Media Group, which also operates a
national TV network, newspapers and websites.  Radio
Kantipur has its central station located in Pulchowk,
Lalitpur with seven relay operations outside Katmandu valley
in major cities all over that nation.

Radio Kantipur is what Nepal calls a front rank radio
stations group, but there are hundreds of smaller stations
with far less in the way of resources.  These are operating
either as commercial or community broadcasters.  Devkota
says that the result is that the number of FM stations has
grown faster than the nations economy's ability to support
them.

And now there're are new challenges.  Television is starting
to cut into Nepal's radio listening audience. So is
streaming media via the Internet.  In this latter the
growing popularity of broadband Internet at home and via
smartphones is fueling the growth of homegrown online radio
stations similar to those in the West.

Devkota says that at the end of March 2012, there were
already about 250 Nepalese online radio stations.  That is
approximately 150 more than could be found back in 2009 and
2010.   An amazing growth rate to say the least.

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

--

Nepal's population is just under 30 million who live in an
area slightly larger than the state of Arkansas.  Despite
its reputation as a Himalayan refuge, only the northern part
of Nepal is mountainous.  As you move south, into the area
of rivers that feed the Ganges, the mountains give ways to
hills, and then a flat plain where its economy is based
mainly on agriculture.  Only about a fifth of its population
lives in urban areas.

You can read this very interesting article about radio in
this emerging nation's broadcasting prospects on-line at
tinyurl.com/nepal-radio-future.  (RW)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate
News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline
(at) arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us
at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD, on Florida's treasure coast saying 73
and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights
reserved.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1874 - July 12 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1874 with a release
date of July 12 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T.  Ham radio continues its relief
efforts in India during monsoon season; hams in Canada and
Portugal may soon have added operating spectrum; the ARRL
says "no" to encrypted communications on the ham radio
bands; the FITSAT One ham radio satellite deorbits and the
story of some strange radio signals from space.  Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1874 coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAM RADIO MONSOON RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE IN
INDIA

The crisis caused by the devastating monsoon rains and
flooding in northern India has so far claimed about 900
lives.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has
the latest on the role being played by that nations ham
radio community:

--

Actually the latest word comes from Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, who
is the National Coordinator for Disaster communication in
India.  He reports that amateur radio storm relief
operations have been using 7.073 and 14.160 MHz for inter-
region disaster relief communications.  The messages they
are handling are being relayed by radio to authorities in
the cities of Gwalior, Calcutta, New Delhi, Vadodra, Kerala
and Hyderabad.

VU2JAU says that a relief team of four hams will soon be
continuing this work with a further list of volunteer ham
radio operators being made ready to go to the region if they
are needed.   As this report is being prepared it appears
that the storm ravaged area will continue to receive monsoon
relief communications through amateur radio messaging for
some time to come.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heater Embee, KB3TZD,in
Berwick, Pennsylvania.

--

The unexpected heavy monsoon rains affected pilgrims and
tourists in the holy area in the foothills of the Himalayas
on the Indo-Tibet border. (VK3PC)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  INDIA TOWN HIT BY FLOODS EMBRACES HAM RADIO

The recent rain damage in the area of Valparai, India  has
led to a decision by civic leaders to install a permanent
ham radio station in the town in the coming months.   The
station will be used to link the local emergency
communications office to the amateur radio operators around
the world along with district office in Coimbatore and sub
office in Pollachi.

The Amateur Radio Club of Pollachihas promised to establish
the station free of cost and permission has been sought from
the government to proceed with the project.  Once
established, it would facilitate emergency communication
during the time of crisis and disasters.

Meantime, an experimental station was set up on Saturday,
July 6th and is functioning as a tool for storm relief and
forest officials.  Based on their positive feedback, a radio
club spokesperson says that permission is expected to be
granted shortly and the ham radio emergency communications
station should be a reality in about month.
(Times of India)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS READY FOR TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL

Meantime on this side of the world comes word that the
Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net was activated the night
of July 8th in preparation of the imminent arrival of
Tropical storm Chantal in the vicinity of Barbados and the
Windward Islands.  This net which operates on 3.815 MHz will
continue to function until the storm and its effects have
dissipated from that area.  Hams elsewhere are requested to
please keep this frequency clear until further notice.

Meantime on Tuesday, July 9th Professor Arnie Coro, CO2KK,
posted a report over the VHF Reflector.  It said that Cuba's
national weather service 5 days track forecast for tropical
storm Chantal showed a cone of probability that may involve
the Florida Keys.  At that time the storm was moving at the
very high speed of 26 miles per hour.  (CO2KK, VHF
Reflector, Facebook, other reports)

**

RADIO LAW:  ARRL SAYS NO TO ENCRYPTED HAM RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS

The ARRL is calling on the FCC to deny a Petition for Rule
Making in RM-11699.  This is a request that seeks to permit
the encryption of certain amateur communications during
emergency operations or related training exercises.  Amateur
Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is here with the
details:

--

As we previously reported, earlier this year the FCC
accepted for filing a Petition for Rulemaking from Don
Rolph, AB1PH, designated as RM-11699 and put it on public
notice. In it Rolph suggested that an additional exception
to Part 97.113 be made to permit encrypted communications
when hams are participating in emergency services operations
or related training exercises which may involve information
covered by medical privacy requirements or other sensitive
data.  This could include logistical information concerning
medical supplies, personnel movement or any other data
designated by Federal authorities managing relief or
training efforts.

But on July 8th the ARRL filed to oppose the AB1PH rules
change request.   The ARRL says that in its view there is no
factual or legal basis for the assumption that encryption of
transmissions is necessary in order to continue and enhance
the utility of amateur radio emergency and disaster relief
communication.  The ARRL also characterized as erroneous the
assumption that encryption of certain information may be
required under the provisions of the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability or HIPPA Act.

The ARRL is not alone in this view.  Several other
commenters on RM-11699 have also pointed out that the
restrictions imposed by HIPPA can be overlooked in time of a
dire emergency.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.

--

You can read an in-depth report on why the ARRL decided to
oppose RM-11699 at tinyurl.com/arrl-against-encryption.  So
far close to 280 comments have been filed on RM-11699 with
most of those in opposition to it.  You can read them on the
FCC's website beginning at tinyurl.com/encryption-
commentary.  (ARRL, FCC, Southgate)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE CANADIAN TABLE OF
FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS

What appears to be some good news for ham radio in Canada.
This with word from Radio Amateurs of Canada of some
proposed changes to frequency allocations in that nation
that will provide more spectrum to use.

First up in the proposed revisions is the inclusion of a new
allocation running between 472 and 479 KHz.  This 600 meter
band was long sought and won at the 2012 World
Radiocommunications conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Also some good news based on what's not seen in the
proposal.  Radio Amateurs of Canada officials noted that the
proposed revisions in the nations frequency allocation table
did not include the addition of an appropriate Canadian
Footnote for the range  5230 to 5240 KHz.  This for
authorization of the amateur service on 60 meter spot
frequency channels as petitioned in 2010 and the subject of
the Industry Canada Proposal issued in May of 2012.

Radio Amateurs of Canada calls this simply an omission and
should not mean an unfavorable decision on the 5 MHz
channels.  Instead, from all indications the national
society says that there is good reason to believe the 60
meter decision will be favorable to Canadian radio amateurs
and is imminent.

The Canada Gazette notice that proposes these changes also
invites public comments on the proposed revisions.
Following the review of comments by the nations
telecommunications regulator the allocation decisions will
be announced and a revised edition of the Canadian Table of
Frequency Allocations will be issued.

The public response period to the Gazette notice ends on
September 27th.  (RAC)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PORTUGUESE
NATIONAL TABLE OF FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS

The Portuguese National Communications Authority has
approved a draft decision to amend the nations National
Table of Frequency Allocations.  This to give that nations
radio amateur's additional operating spectrum at some future
date.

According to the regulatory authority, if approved the
revisions would provide hams in Portugal with access to the
472 to 479 kHz frequency band for the amateur service.  It
would also alter some of the conditions governing access to
the 50-52 MHz and 1270-1300 MHz bands for access by that
nation's ham radio community.

This draft decision is submitted to the general consultation
procedure as provided for under the Portuguese Electronic
Communications Law whereby interested parties are given a
period of 20 working days in which to comment.  This means a
July 26th commentary cutoff date.  (Portuguese National
Communications Authority)

**


BREAK 1

With you 52 weeks a year, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
Two Rivers Amateur Radio Club repeater, W3OC, serving
Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

(5 sec pause here)


**

SURVEY:  ARE THOSE BEEPS NEEDED

As you just heard in our break, there are five one second
tones that do two things.  For the listener they denote the
fact we are in a station identification break.  On a
technical level they keep the few tape machines left feeding
phone lines from resetting mid newscast.

But as we plan for the future we need to know if anyone else
is using these tones for any other purpose during the replay
of this newscast.  We have heard stories that some repeaters
or Echolink nodes use the beep tones for cueing purposes,
but we are far from certain if this is actually the case.

If you are among those who require the tones please drop us
a note to newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org and let us
know.  And please only those who require the tones respond.
To which we add our sincere thank you in advance.
(ARNewslineT)

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC MODIFIES CALIFORNIA HAMS LICENSE AFTER VEC
SAYS IT MADE CLERICAL ERROR

The FCC has gone ahead with the license class modification
of a California ham after it was notified by the supervising
V-E-C that it had made a clerical error.  One that had
awarded James H. Schofield, KI6JIM, a General Class ticket
even though he was only eligible for Technician class
privileges.

As previously reported, on November 29, 2012, the W5YI
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent a data file to the
Commission requesting that Schofield's operator license be
upgraded from Technician Class to General Class.  Based on
this application, the Commission granted Schofield a General
Class license on November 29, 2012.

But on May 30, 2013, the W5YI VEC notified the Commission
that it had made a typographical error in the original 2012
data file and that a licensee other than Schofield had
qualified for a General Class operator license.  As a result
the FCC proposed to modify the license for Station KI6JIM to
show Technician Class operator privileges.

The Order Proposing Modification was released this past June
4th.  Schofield did not protest the proposed modification of
his license within the requisite thirty-day time frame.   As
such Schofield is deemed to have consented to the proposed
modification.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  NYC POLICE TAKE DOWN UNLICENSED BROADCAST
STATION

Running an unlicensed broadcast radio station in the Metro
New York City area can put you behind bars.  Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:

--

Detectives in New York City have arrested two men for
allegedly operating an unlicensed radio station on 104.7
MHz.  The Kings County District Attorney's Office says Seon
Bruce and Solomon Malka are charged with making unauthorized
radio transmission which is a class-A misdemeanor.

To thwart the illegal operation, detectives bought
advertising on the station and an FCC engineer traced the
signal to a rooftop antenna on a 50-story building in
Manhattan.  The detectives then seized the transmission
equipment.

According to the Kings County District Attorney, Solomon
told them he installed the stations gear and knew the
station didn't have a license.  Investigators also found
equipment for another station, 91.7 MHz, which was on the
air in June.  Solomon is reported to have told detectives he
had a license for that station but the FCC disputes that
claim.

The defendants have been charged with a class-A misdemeanor
of making unauthorized radio transmissions.  If convicted
under New York law, they could serve up to a year in jail.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.

--

According to the FCC, New York has seen more
enforcement against unlicensed operations than any other
state, with 330 official actions including citations, fines
and shutdowns logged against pirate radio stations since
2003.  Previously it was Florida that held this rather
dubious distinction.  (FCC, NYPD, Daily News, others)

**


ENFORCEMENT:  FCC UPHOLDS $25,000 FINE AGAINST IDAHO
BROADCASTER

The FCC has upheld fines totaling $26,000 against Salmon
River Communications.  This, for not filing for renewal on
time and continuing to operate two stations after their
authorizations had expired.

Salmon River Communications owns radio stations KSRA AM and
FM in Salmon River, Idaho.  According to the commission
their renewals were due in June 2005, four months before
their licenses would expire.  The licensee did seek Special
Temporary Authority to remain in operation,  but those also
ran out.

The commission eventually renewed both licenses and in 2011
proposed the fines. The agency now says that it has not
received a response from Salmon River.  Saying no
circumstances warrant a reduction or cancellation, the
commission upheld the penalties and said Salmon River has 30
days to pay or file a further appeal.  (FCC, RW)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  DETROIT MI EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FAILS

Detroit, Michigan is the latest city to receive national
news media attention for the failure of its P25 digital
trunked radio system.  The system failed during the 4th of
July holiday weekend creating what was described as havoc
for first responders.

The radio system is for communication between 911
dispatchers and Detroit's police, fire and Emergency
Management Service crews.  It failed at around 5:30 a.m.
Friday morning, July 5th causing a backlog of hundreds of
calls.

Michigan State Police stepped in to allow Detroit's
emergency system to use the state's communication system.
This backup was used for several days while crews worked to
restore the Detroit system.

Detroit Police Spokeswoman Sergeant Eren Stephens said that
during the initial down time there had been some 60 priority
one and more than 170 non-emergency calls that had backed up
because of the issue.

Like most new digital systems, Detroit's is dependant on
centralized computer control.  This means failure of the
central processing system can bring the entire system to a
halt.  And while Detroit does have a mirrored back-up system
in place it apparently had ever been fully tested and it
also failed leading to state to step in.  More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/detroit-radio-down.  (WXYZ, other published
reports)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  HAM RADIO SAILOR MAKES IT AROUND THE
WORLD

Some names in the news:  A ham radio operator who is
believed to be the oldest female sailor to make a solo, non-
stop circumnavigation of the globe has finally reached her
goal.  This with word that seventy-year-old Jeanne Socrates,
KC2IOV, is back on land.

Socrates set out from Victoria's Inner Harbor in her 36 foot
cruiser Nereida in October of 2012.  A note on her website
says she returned to the harbor just before 3 a.m. Monday,
July 8th.  The pre-dawn arrival ended several days of
anticipation as light winds along the west coast of British
Columbia, Canada, stalled her return, which was expected on
July 5th.

This was not Socrates first attempt at such a voyage.  She
has made two previous attempts to sail solo, non-stop,
around the world.  The first ended in Cape Town, South
Africa in 2009 and the second journey concluded in January
2011 with damage to her  boat in a storm off Cape Horn.
During all three trips KV2IOV reportedly held regular
schedules with her support team and also made lots of other
QSO's while at sea.

Socrates, a grandmother and retired teacher is raising money
for Marie Curie Cancer Care.  This is a United Kingdom-based
program that provides free home nursing for terminally ill
cancer patients. (CFAX, The Canadian Press, QRZ.com)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  A WEBSIITE FOR HAM RADIO ROYALTY

A website has been created that lists those members of Royal
families that its creators believe may have held amateur
radio callsigns.  The page is at tinyurl.com/royal-ham-radio
and is sponsored by the Highfields Amateur Radio Club in the
U.K..  (M5AKA)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  BURT WEINER K6OQK TO SPEAK ON THE
HISTORY OF HAM RADIOS EARLIEST REPEATERS

If you have in interest in the early development of
repeaters and have some free time, then listen up.  The July
19th meeting of the Los Angeles California-based San
Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club will feature a one-time
presentation on the history of Southern California's K6MYK
and WA6TDD repeaters presented by Burt Weiner, K6OQK, who is
one of the people who made it all happen.

It was the late Arthur M. Gentry, W6MEP, who built the
nations first truly automatic repeater.  Its call sign was
K6MYK, and it operated from above the Hollywood sign on Mt.
Lee beginning back in the late 1950's.  Its history was
chronicled in the March, 2004, QST feature titled "Once Upon
a California Hilltop."

Burt Weiner, K6OQK, was a prot�g�e of Art Gentry.  He became
involved in Amateur Radio in the early 1950's while in Jr.
High School.  He went ob to build and maintain the nations
second truly successful automatic control repeater.  WA6TDD
later known as WR6ABE was sited atop Mt. Wilson and went on
the air in 1962.  Burt ran it through the era of conversion
from AM to FM operation that lasted into the 1970's.

Burt Weiner's professional background is in broadcast
engineering, antenna systems and measurement systems design.
His talk will be primarily the history of WA6TDD with parts
touching on Art and Millie
Gentry, the K6MYK repeater and the part they played in his
building WA6TDD.  He will be open to questions after and
maybe even during the presentation.

This very special presentation will take place on Friday
night June 19th beginning at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time.  The
venue is the 5th floor penthouse of Northridge Medical
Center Hospital, 18300 Roscoe Boulevard on Northridge
California.  The talk will also be video recorded for
general release at some later date.

For those interested in the history of this aspect of our
hobby it should prove to be a very interesting evening to
say the least.  (ARNewsline)

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur.  From the
United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
with links to the world from our only official website at
www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer
services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

RADIO IN SPACE:  GOOGLE PROJECT LOON INTERFERENCE CONCERNS

A broadband communications experiment that involves a series
of balloons circling the globe is bringing some anxiety to
other spectrum users.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the
newsroom with the details:

--

Concerns have been raised about possible interference from
the 2400 MHz and 5800 MHz transmitters on the Google Project
Loon High Altitude Balloon project.  Google launched 30
balloons from New Zealand which transmit wideband 2400 MHz
and 5800 MHz signals and concerns have been raised about the
interference they could cause to radio astronomy.

The United Kingdom's Register reports that when Google
engineer Brad Tucker was contacted about the problem.  He
said that Google had identified locations where Loon
balloons might interfere with radio astronomy.  He said that
these transmitters had been shut down until these balloons
had floated out of range.

But its not just radio astronomers that are worried about
interference generated by the Google Loon balloons. The
Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite Services are also
concerned about deterioration to their communications
especially in the area of weak signal operations.  This is
because both use some of the same frequencies that Project
Loon is transmitting on.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.

--

Google eventually plans to send some 300 balloons around the
world at the southern fortieth parallel that would provide
broadband coverage to New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and
Argentina.  The company hopes to eventually have thousands
of balloons flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20
km relaying broadband almost world-wide.  More about this
project is on the web at www.google.com/loon  (Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE:  PICO BALLOONS - A NEW HAM RADIO FAD

The latest fad in ham radio near space experimentation, at
least in the United Kingdom, appears to be the so-called
pico balloons.  The small foil party balloons can only carry
ultra light payloads typically weighing less than 100 grams.
This presents a challenge to the builders to produce a
transmitter, GPS, batteries and antenna that are small and
light enough to be taken aloft.

Balloons such as these do not go to extremes of altitude but
can float at between 10,000 to 20,000 feet for an extended
period.  Their 434 MHz transmitters can have a radio range
of up to 900 miles.

Several pico balloons carrying 434 MHz payloads weighing
less than 100 grams launch were to be launched last weekend
from locations in Great Britain.  James Coxon, M6JCX,  was
to launch one operating on  434.175 MHz USB transmitting
RTTY at 50 baud.  David Bowkis, M0MDB, also was to have
launched one transmitting on 434.250 MHz running ASCII at 50
baud.

The free balloon software dl-fldigi can be used to decode
many different amateur radio digital modes and is available
in Windows, Mac or Ubuntu Linux versions.   (UK Space,
Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  FITSAT-1 DEORBITS AND BURNS UP

The FITSAT-1 ham radio Cube-Sat is reported to have de-
orbited and burned  up in the Earth's atmosphere in the
early hours of Thursday, July 4th.  According to Takushi
Tanaka, JA6AVG, of the Fukuoka Institute of Technology
FITSAT's last signal was received byJA0CAW at 03:07 UTC.
FITSAT-1's low orbit meant its lifespan was limited to just
9 months but in that time it was able to achieve a number of
technology firsts.  (FITSAT)

**

WORLDBEAT:  UK RADIO CLUB LAUNCHES STREAMING ATV CHANNEL

The United Kingdom-based Sheffield Amateur Radio Club has
its own streaming TV channel thanks to the British Amateur
Television Club.  The channel will be used to stream live TV
from special events attended by the club's communication
trailer GX3RCM and viewable on-line at tinyurl.com/gx3rcm.
More information is at sheffieldarc.org.uk. (Southgate)

**

WORLDBEAT:  ILLW REGISTRATION REACHES 300

Registration number 300 for the International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend has been awarded to the Luehe Lower
Lighthouse in Germany.  Located in that country's Lower
Saxony region will be activated during the fun-event on
August the 17th and 18th by avid contester Rainer Arndt
DL9OE.

Now in the 16th year the annual event is always held on the
third full weekend of August to promote public awareness of
old marine navigation methods, amateur radio and foster
international goodwill.  Guidelines and online registration
information are at illw.net.  (VK3PC)

**

ON THE AIR:  GRID SQUARE EXPEDITION TO SCOTLAND

On the air, listen out for 2E1EUB will be on the air from
Scotland as 2M1EUB for 14 days beginning August 5th.  He
will actually be driving around that nation to provide other
hams with new grid squares that they have not yet worked.
Activity will be on 160, 80 and 2 meter SSB along with
several satellites.   He does accept E-mails and will
arrange schedules to work him at 2e1eub (at) amsat (dot)
org. (VHF Reflector)

**

ON THE AIR:  4X19MG CELEBRATES MACCABIAH GAMES

Members of the Israel Amateur Radio Club
will activate 4X19MG between July 18th to the 30th in honor
of the 19th Maccabiah Games.  The Maccabiah is an
international Jewish athletic event, held in Israel every
four years.  QSL via 4Z1TL.  (IARC)

**

DX

In DX, word that K4ZW, will be on the air from Addis Ababa
until July 19th.  He plans to operate from  the Ethiopian
Amateur Radio Society club station ET3AA and notes that most
of his time will be spent on CW, but is going to try some
RTTY as well.  QSL via N2OO

RK4FF will once again be active as 6V7S from Senegal through
July 16th and again from October 22nd to November 27th.  His
operations will probably be on 80 through 10 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY.  QSL via RK4FF.

JJ2NYT, will be active as 9H1N from Malta between August 2ns
to the 5th. Activity will be holiday style on 40 through 10
meters using CW and SSB.  QSL only via his home callsign.

CT2HPM is now active as D2CT from Luanda, Angola.  He will
be there until July 26th operating 20 through 10 meters
using mostly PSK31 and RTTY.  QSL via his home callsign.

Lastly, VU2UR will be operational as AT20RRC from Bangalore,
India through the end of July. His activity is to celebrate
20th anniversary of the Russian Robinson Club with stations
on the High Frequency  bands. QSL electronically to AT20RCC
via eQSL.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  THE CASE OF THE STRANGE RADIO SIGNALS FROM
SPACE

And finally this week, if you are a ham with an interest in
radio astronomy, then this is for you.  Bruce Tennant,
K6PZW, reports:

--

If you've been waiting to hear mysterious radio signals from
space, then now may be the right time to tune in.  This as
an international team of astronomers has detected four
powerful bursts that appear to come from billions of light-
years away.  At that distance, the radio pulses would each
have put out in a few thousandths of a second the same
amount of energy that our Sun would take 10,000 years to
produce.

The bizarre signals came to light as part of the High Time
Resolution Universe survey.  This is a project using the 64-
meter Parkes radio telescope in Australia to search the sky
for radio signals from pulsars.  These are the stellar
signal generators that are believed to be caused by super-
novas.

Because the pulsars we detect lie in our own galaxy,
astronomers mostly look near the Milky Way when hunting for
these dead stars.  But when Dan Thornton of the University
of Manchester in the United Kingdom and Australia
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization started digging through the data he stumbled
across the four signal bursts.  After scientists
extrapolated the data across the entire sky, they concluded
that perhaps 10,000 of these blasts are happening every day.
Its only a matter of finding them.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.

--

According to researcher Thornton, it's still unknown as to
what these signals are, but at least it's no longer a
mystery that they actually exist.  More about these
interesting radio signal from space is on line at
tinyurl.com/powerful-signals-from-space  (Various Sources)

**


NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate
News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline
(at) arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us
at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC, in Charleston, West Virginia, saying
73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights
reserved.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1873 - July 5 2013

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1873 with a release
date of July 5 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  Ham radio responds to disasters in
India and the Philippines; an emergency communications drill
in Los Angeles assumes that the wired infrastructure has
broken down; spectrum changes coming in the USA, the UK and
Australia; a new sun watching satellite will aid in
propagation forecasting and a Canadian teen creates the
worlds first human heat powered flashlight.  Find out how
she did it on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1873
coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS IN INDIA RESPOND TO FLOODING

Hams in India have again responded as flooding hits that
nation.  Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, reports:

--

The recent severe flooding in northern India has resulted in
communication links being affected when they are most
needed.

Members of the Indian National Institute of Amateur Radio,
Hyderabad, have been providing emergency communication
facilities in the worst-affected areas of Uttarakhand state,
North India. Reported operating frequencies include 7.073
and 14.160 kHz and callsigns in use include VU2JOS, VU2MCW,
VU3NUG.

As usual, all amateurs are urged to give priority to
emergency communications regardless of any other activities
on the bands.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in
Nottingham in the U.K..

--

More on this situation as information becomes available.
(GB2RS)


**

RESCUE RADIO:  PHILIPPINE HAMS RESPOND TO TYPHOON GORIO

Hams in the Philippines were ready when yet another tropical
storm came their way.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
newsroom with what we know so far:

--

The Philippine Amateur Radio Association activated its
Emergency Net last week in anticipation of tropical
storm Gorio.  At the time the typhoon was crossing the
Eastern Visayas Region in the general direction of the Bicol
area located at the southernmost tip of Luzon Island.

The Philippine Amateur Radio Association spokesman is Ramon
Anquilan DU1UGZ.  He was quoted as saying that members of
the Ham Emergency Radio Operations or HERO group are using
7.095 MHZ as an emergency calling frequency.  As such the
national society was requesting neighboring ham radio
operators assist by staying clear of the frequency until the
emergency net is was closed down.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.

--

The latest information on this severe weather event is on-
line at the Philippine Amateur Radio Association website.
Its in cyberspace at www.para.org.ph  (PARA)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  LOS ANGELES DRILL INCLUDES HAM RADIO

An interesting emergency communications drill on the United
States West coast.  This as members of California's Los
Angeles County Disaster Communications Service met at its
Temple Station on June 24th to practice sending data but
doing so without the use of the internet and without the use
of any infrastructure.

Deputy Hector Figueroa, KE6VRL, is the Temple Station
Systems Administrator for Communications.  He says that
communications was accomplished via the use of the Amateur
Radio Service and the Narrow Band Emergency Messaging
Software.  This software is capable of running on various
computing platforms and operating systems making it easy to
implement especially in a disaster.   Figueroa says that
most of the Disaster Communications Service volunteers were
able to install and use the system in less than an hour's
time.

Most used battery power for their computers and battery
powered radios to send messages during the training.  These
consisted of message types used in the national Incident
Command System to request support, report damage, and
provide health and welfare traffic.

Members of the City of Rosemead staff also participated in
the demonstration and training while volunteers from San
Dimas, Temple City and Pasadena were on hand to  practice
and gain valuable experience.  More information is on line
at temple.lasd.org.  (Los Angeles County Disaster
Communications Service)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  FCC APPROVES OPENING 10 MHZ OF UHF SPECTRUM
TO COMMERCIAL USE

The FCC has adopted a Report and Order that will increase
the Nation's supply of spectrum for flexible use services,
including mobile broadband.  This by opening 10 megahertz of
spectrum in the bands 1915 to 1920 MHz and 1995 to 2000 MHz
also known as the H Block for commercial licensing.

According to its June 27th Report and order on WT Docket 12-
357 the FCC says that by enabling 10 megahertz of spectrum
to be used for mobile broadband the Commission's efforts to
ensure that the Nation's wireless networks have the
capacity, speed and ubiquity to keep pace with consumers'
expectations and ever rising demand for mobile services.
The FCC also calls it a step towards meeting its obligation
under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of
2012 to license 65 megahertz, including the 10 megahertz in
the H Block.  This, by February of 2015.  (FCC)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  915-921 MHZ TO BE LICENSE EXEMPT IN UK

British telecommunications regulator Ofcom has published a
statement setting out its decision to release the 870 to 876
and 915 to 921 MHz spectrum bands on a license exempt basis.
The released spectrum will be used by Short Range Devices
and Radio Frequency Identification.  A further rule making
procedure on the technical details of the license exemption
will follow this fall.

Meantime, the adoption of 915 of 921 MHz by the pan-European
CEPT agreement is said to be possible.  If it were to happen
it would create the only license exempt spectrum between 41
and 2400 MHz that is available world-wide.  Other license
exempt frequency bands for Short Range Devices and Radio
Frequency Identification are only available on a regional or
nation wide basis only.  (Southgate, Ofcom)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  IMMINENT SPECTRUM SALE BRINGS TENSIONS TO A
HEAD DOWN-UNDER

The second attempt by Australian authorities to sell some
prime spectrum in the 700 MHz band for use in expanding
broadband is meeting with opposition from those who say its
needed for public safety communications.  Graham Kemp,
VK4BB, of the WIA News has the details:

--

The (Australian) federal government is resisting calls to
reserve highly sought-after  mobile phone spectrum for use
by police and emergency services, in fact they  have
released a proposal suggesting it hopes to pull in more than
 $900 million from the sale of spectrum it could not sell
earlier this year.

The office of Victoria's Premier Denis Napthine accused
federal Labor of  "effectively selling community safety" to
fix an ailing budget, while the  Police Federation of
Australia renewed calls for the government to earmark  the
spectrum in case it is needed by law enforcement during
terrorist strikes  and natural disasters.

Previous Communications Minister Stephen Conroy issued draft
directions for the Australian Communications and Media
Authority to decide by September 1 on the "appropriate
procedures" for allocating the unsold spectrum and said
access charges would have to be at the same reserve price
that failed to attract bidders during the first auction.

A 30 megahertz block of the most sought-after 700MHz band of
the spectrum the "waterfront property" of the cell phone
industry was unsold and the government last month said the
intention was that it would "be returned to the market for
sale at a later date".

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of
the WIA News in Australia.

--

The Australian government feels confident that it can
attract bidders but based on the last attempt to divest
itself of this spectrum, it could turn out to be a hard
sell.  (WIA News)

**

WORLDBEAT:  ICASA CLARIFIES SOUTH AFRICAN LICENSING PAYMENTS

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has
informed the South African Radio League that it has now
analyzed all payments for that nations amateur service
licenses.  It says that in 2012 some 209 radio amateurs paid
the proper fee for a five year license but failed to notify
the regulatory service of that fact when payment was made.
This year there were an additional 34.

To rectify the situation the regulatory agency says that it
plans on mailing five year licenses to these hams which will
be valid until 2017 and 2018 respectively.

On a more negative note, ICASA says that the same inquiry
revealed that 823 South African radio amateurs did not renew
their licenses.  As such, these licenses will be cancelled
and the regulatory agency says that it will make
arrangements for the urgent sealing or confiscation of the
equipment if payment is not made immediately.

The South African Radio League in urging hams in that nation
to check their payment records to make certain that they
have renewed their licenses.  If not that they should do so
without any further delay.   (ICASA, SARL)

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the K9OQO repeater serving Appleton, Wisconsin.

(5 sec pause here)


**

ENFORCEMENT:  UNLICENSED USE OF HT'S BRINGS $30,000 NAL

The FCC has issued a $30,000 Notice of Apparent liability to
Remel, Inc. and its corporate parent, Thermo Fisher
Scientific, Inc.  This for allegedly unlawful operation of
radio frequency devices on a General Mobile Radio Service
frequency for more than nine years without Commission
authority.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Clark, K8JAC,
reports:

--

On June 21, 2012, Thermo Fisher filed an application for a
new Public Land Mobile Radio Service license with the
Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. A few weeks
later July 2, 2012, Thermo Fisher filed a request for
Special Temporary Authority to permit the operation of
certain handheld radio transmitting equipment pending the
grant of its Public Land Mobile Radio Service.  In its S-T-A
Request, Thermo Fisher indicated that its handheld radios
were used in connection with manufacturing certain products
used by the Center for Disease Control and other health care
facilities.  It also stated that the radios were "an
essential communications link" for its factory operations
and for the safety and security of its personnel.  At the
time, Thermo Fisher further indicated that it had operated
the handheld radio transmitters for a number of years and
that it discontinued their operation on June 14th, 2012, as
soon as it became aware that the radios were not properly
licensed.

The STA was granted on July 9, 2012 under call sign WQPN622.
Thermo Fisher's application for a new Public Land Mobile
Radio Service license was granted on August 30, 2012 under
call sign WQPW523.

Because it appeared that Thermo Fisher had operated its
handheld radio transmitting equipment without authorization,
the Wireless Bureau referred this matter to the Enforcement
Bureau for investigation and possible enforcement action.
On January 30, 2013, the Enforcement Bureau's Spectrum
Enforcement Division issued a letter of inquiry to Thermo
Fisher, directing the company to submit a response to a
series of questions relating to the unauthorized operation
of the radio transmitting equipment.  Thermo Fisher
responded on February 27, 2013 and indicated that Remel
began operating the radio transmitting equipment in
approximately October 2002.

Now, in issuing the $30,000 NAL, the FCC notes that the
companies admit that they operated their radio transmitting
equipment without Commission authorization since
approximately October 2002 and continued for more than nine
years, until June 14, 2012.  As such the Commission finds
that the companies apparently violated Section 301 of the
Communications Act and Sections 1.903(a) and 95.3 of the
agency's Rules by failing to obtain Commission authority to
operate their radio transmitting equipment.  Therefore based
on the information before it the agency says that a $30,000
fine is warranted in this case.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC.

--

Remel, Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific were given the
customary thirty days to pay the proposed fine or to file an
appeal.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FLORIDA UNLICENSED STATION OPERATORS ARRESTED

The owner of an unlicensed radio station in Marion County
Florida and an employee were taken into custody Tuesday,
June 25th by federal authorities and Ocala, Florida
sheriff's deputies.  This following a tip about the illegal
operation filed by a radio engineer from a local broadcast
station.

In early April, the Federal Communication Commission
received information that a radio station on 97.7 FM, was
operating without a license.  FCC agents came to the area
and T-hunted the station to a location in the city of
Summerfield.  They went to the property, where they saw a
double-wide mobile home and a single-wide mobile home with a
radio tower behind it.  The station was playing Mexican
music and advertising Hispanic businesses in the area.  No
one was home, so the agents left a warning notice and
departed.

However, the Property Crimes Unit of the Marion County
Sheriff's Office began listening to the radio station.  They
also observed people entering and leaving the property.

Authorities requested a search warrant, which was granted
Tuesday, June 25th leading to a raid on the unlicensed
broadcast facility.  At that time Luis Alfredo Galindo and
Juan Ramon Nieves were arrested and taken to a Sheriff's
Office substation for an interview.

Nieves said he was the owner of the station, for which he
did not have a license but which he admitted had been in
existence for about a year.  He was charged under a Florida
statute with operating an unlicensed radio station and was
taken to the Marion County Jail.  He has since been released
on $5,000 bond.

Galindo claimed to be employed by Nieves.  He was charged
with making unauthorized radio transmissions and interfering
with a radio station.  He was remanded to jail in lieu of
$5000 bail and at airtime it's not known if he is still in
custody.   (RW, Other news reports)

**
RESTRUCTURING:  POST BROADBAND AUCTION BANDPLANNING NOT
GOING WELL

While it may seem hard to believe, two of the nations top
communications industries are acting like hams did some
forty years ago.  This in relation to the use of spectrum
when rules get changed to permit broadband more access to
the airwaves.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH,
takes a look as history seems ready to repeat itself, but
this time with billions of dollars at stake:

--

Shades of two meter frequency coordination in-fighting some
four decades ago.  This as the National Association of
Broadcasters has told the FCC that it cannot reasonably
employ a variable band plan for the post-incentive auction
600 MHz band.  This, if it includes broadcasters and
wireless carriers on co-channels and adjacent channels in
neighboring markets.

Soon after the FCC released its post auction plan which
intermixes broadcast and wireless operators, broadcasters
and some major wireless carriers teamed up to oppose it.
Both said that it would cause mutual interference or reduce
the amount of usable spectrum the FCC could recover.

But the FCC counters by stating that this concept is the
only one that will allow it flexibility to recover varying
amounts of bandspace in different markets.

And in another shade of ham radios bandplan fighting of the
past, the National Association of Broadcasters has countered
with its own so-called "Down From 51 Reversed" plan.  This
is kind of like the 2 meter inverted tertiary splits adopted
decades ago by Southern California and a few other places
that reverses the inter system uplink and downlink, but on a
much broader basis.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH

--

The FCC is seeking comments on its original plan and others
including the National Association of Broadcasters "Down
From 51 Reversed" plan, but nobody is really happy with any
form of sharing.  In its recently comments the NAB said that
none of the other plans adequately address the interference
issue, but that the lesser of the evils would be the "Down
from 51 Reversed" plan.  Kind of reminds you of the past,
doesn't it.  (Published news reports)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS: EMCOMMWEST 2013 CANCELLED

There will be no EMCOMMWEST ham radio convention in 2013.
So says the Board of Directors in a front page posting to
the events website.

According to the post, the board has been discussing the
options for and fate of EMCOMMWEST 2013.  It says that there
have been many changes in the volunteer workforce during the
past 12 months.  This coupled with the small period of time
between now and the traditional date of the event has led
the Board to decide to forgo 2013.

The Board goes on to say that circumstances leading to this
decision include the loss of several key volunteers; the
continued inability to draw the major vendors and
manufacturers to the show and the fact that little has been
accomplished to make measurable progress toward event
production for this year.  It goes on to say that if there
is to be an EMCOMMWEST in 2014 it may require a local club
to take the helm and provide the much-needed volunteer base
for the event.

EMCOMMWEST began in 1999 when a group of Northern Nevada
amateur radio operators interested in improving emergency
communications hosted the very first symposium that lead to
the convention as it is today.  More is on-line at
emcommwest.org.  (EMCOMMWEST.ORG website)

**

WORLDBEAT:  HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN VIDEO NOW ON LINE

Ron Moorefield, W8ILC, who just returned from this years
European Ham Radio Convention in Friedrichshafen, Germany
estimates that around 14,000 or so hams attended this years
offering.

Moorefield was there with a contingent representing the
Dayton Amateur Radio Association which of coarse sponsors
the annual Dayton Hamvention.  While at Ham Radio, the
Dayton group live streamed the three day event back to the
United States and also recorded it for anyone to watch at a
later date.  The files have now been posted and you can see
this years European amateur radio highlight at
www.ustream.tv/recorded/35112685.

But one suggestion.  If you plan to watch all the video at
once that the folks from Dayton sent back, you might want to
make a big bowl of popcorn and have some cold drinks handy.
That's because there is a lot there to see.

Ham Radio 2013 was held June 28th to the 30th at the
convention facility not far from the picturesque shores on
Lake Constance in southern Germany not far from the borders
with Switzerland and Austria.  (W8ILC)

**

VIDEO HAPPENINGS:  HAM RADIO NOW PRESENTS HAM RADIO - THE
CONVENTION

And speaking about Europe's Ham Radio exposition, you can
find out more about its inner workings in a new video
produced by Gary Pearce, KN4AQ.

In a one on two interview with show planner Petra
Rothgerber who runs Ham Radio and Kelly Hall, K1LLY, the
Dayton Hamvention's Co-chair of International Relations you
can find out the two conventions differ in their planning
and execution.

It should be noted that Petra Rothgerber is not a radio
amateur.  By profession she runs trade shows.  As such she
explains the way in which Ham Radio is a professionally
managed event.  By contrast, the Dayton Hamvention is an
event that's run by a dedicated corps of volunteers.  So
listening to the two talk and compare notes is an
interesting experience to say the least.

KN4AQ has titled this show Europe's Biggest Hamfest.  It's
Episode 84 of his Ham Radio Now series that can be viewed on-
line at arvideonews.com/hrn.  (ARVIDEONEWS)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  YHOTY 2013 ON RAIN

And less we forget, this weeks RAIN Report will feature an
interview with 2013 Amateur Radio Newsline Young ham of the
year Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, conducted by reporter Mark
Abramovich NT3V.  Its all on-line right now at
www.therainreport.com.  We hope that you will listen in.
(RAIN)

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur.  From the
United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
with links to the world from our only official website at
www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer
services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

WORLDBEAT:  THE BOGONG HIGH PLAINS ADVENTURE

If you are interested in adventure then this is for toy.
The 2013 Australian Bogong High Plains Winter Trip will take
place from August 5th to 9th.  Amateur Radio Newsline's
Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the cool details:

--

Yes that's right.  We said winter because in the Southern
Hemisphere it is the their winter season as a team of radio
amateurs and their friends will be heading out across the
snowy wilderness to ski through some of Australia's most
stunning alpine landscapes.

The group will be led by VK3GT, VK3FMAW and VK3SN and will
venture up onto mountain plateaus which sit well over 1800
meters above sea level.

Using ultra light solar powered gear, these back country
skiers will be active on 40 meters each afternoon and 80
meters every evening their local time.  Other High Frequency
bands will be activated according to conditions.  And if you
happen to live in Australia, contacts will also be available
over the north-eastern Victoria state 2 meter and 70
centimeter repeaters each day as well.

So if you want to hear and possibly contact this down-under
trekking adventure, keep an ear on 40 and 80 meters for a
signal that will likely be just above the noise.  Who knows:
Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones to make contact.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in rather warm Wadsworth, Ohio.

--

More about this Australian winter ham radio adventure is on-
line at www.vk3sn.net  (VK3SN, WIA)

**

RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  WWVB CELEBRATES ITS 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

Friday, June 5th marked the 50th anniversary of a radio
station whose sole purpose is to keep the nation on time.
Of coarse we are talking about WWVB, the sister station of
WWV that sends out a time-precise signal every night that
many clocks and wristwatches across the U.S. use to make
sure they have the correct time.

WWVB went on the air on July 5, 1963.  It broadcast with
7 kilowatts of Effective Reradiated Power signal on a
frequency of precisely 60 kHz.  Since then it has become the
standard relied upon for accuracy in automated time keeping.

Now, an interesting article on the stations half century of
service along with a possible projection of its future has
been written by author Joe Hanson for the on-line
publication Wired at tinyurl.com/wwvb-history.  (RW, WIRED)

**

RADIO IN SPACE:  NEW SUN-WATCHING SATELLITE LAUNCHED

Turning to space related news, word that NASA has launched a
satellite on a two year mission to explore a little-studied
region of the sun.  The new bird will help to better
understand and forecast space weather that can disrupt
communications systems on Earth.  Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:

--

Unlike a traditional liftoff, the Iris sun-observing
satellite rode into Earth orbit late Thursday, June 27th on
board an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus rocket.  This
is a booster that is released from a modified Lockheed L-
1011 jet aircraft that carries it to a launch altitude.  In
this case the launch carrier took off around sunset from the
Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's central coast.  At
an altitude of 39,000 feet it released the Pegasus booster
which ignited its engine for the 13-minute climb to space.

Shortly thereafter NASA confirmed that Iris had successfully
reached its intended orbit and that it had received
confirmation that the satellite deployed its solar panels
and was generating power.

The 7-foot-long Iris, weighing 400 pounds, carries an
ultraviolet telescope that can take high-resolution images
every few seconds.  Unlike NASA's Solar Dynamics
Observatory, which observes the entire sun, Iris will focus
on a little-explored region that lies between the surface
and the corona.  That's the glowing white ring that's
visible during eclipses.

Iris is being managed by the space agency's Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.  Its ultimate goal is
to learn more about how this region of the sun drives solar
wind and to better predict how space weather can cause
disruptions to communications here on Earth.  The latter is
something very near and dear to ham radio operators, world-
wide.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.

--

As a historical note the first successful Pegasus launch
occurred on April 5, 1990 with NASA test pilot and former
astronaut Gordon Fullerton in command of the carrier
aircraft. Video coverage of the June 27th Iris launch is on-
line at tinyurl.com/iris-watches-sun.
(NASA, others)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  2013 AMSAT-UK INTERNATIONAL SPACE
COLLOQUIUM

The 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be
held late Friday, July 19th through Sunday, July 21st at the
Holiday Inn, Guildford, England.

It is anticipated that both the FUNcube-1 and FUNcube-2
missions will be launched later this year.  As such the
FUNcube team will be on hand to talk about the missions and
its planned educational outreach. A demonstration of the
Engineering Model, which has been performing flawlessly for
almost a year, will also be provided.

The Space Colloquium will be preceded by a "Hands-On"
CubeSat Workshop. This free workshop will take place at the
nearby University of Surrey earlier in the day, also on
Friday, July 19.

Further details on both events and hotel booking information
is on the web at tinyurl.com/amsat-uk-2013.  (AMSAT-UK)

**

RADIOSPORTS:  RULE CHANGES FOR 2013 CQ WORLD WIDE VHF
CONTEST

In radiosports news, some new rules are coming to the CQ
World Wide VHF Contest.  In order to be considered for an
award, your log must be received by the robot or postmarked
no later than 23:59 UTC on August 4th.  Logs received after
that date will still be listed in the results but will not
be eligible for award status.

The 2013 CQ World-Wide VHF Contest starts at 1800 UTC on
Saturday July 20th and concludes at 2100 UTC on Sunday July
21st.  Extensions may be granted by the director for a valid
reason if you contact that person before the deadline.  A
detailed set of rules can be found beginning on page 56 of
the June 2013 issue of CQ Magazine.  (CQ)

**

DX

In DX, EA5RM will be active from Bolivia until July 19th as
CP1XRM.  What makes this operation unique is that he will be
on the High Frequency bands using a 100 watt solar powered
station to a vertical antenna. QSL via his home call.

WU2D will be on the air from San Felix Island July 8th to
the 13th signing CE0X stroke WU2D.  He will be active on 20,
17 and 15 m mainly using SSB.  CE0X is the call issued to
the Southern Cross DX Group but no other information is
available as we go to air.

G3SWH will be active stroke 6Y5 from Jamaica through July
9th.  Listen out for him on all of the High Frequency bands.
If you make contact QSL via his home call.

RK4FF will be operational as 6V7S from Senegal through July
16th.  His activity will be on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters
using CW, SSB and RTTY.  QSL via his  call.

F5SWB as TU5DF will be on the air from the Ivory Coast until
October.  His operations are 40 through 6 meters using
mainly CW with some SSB and PSK31. QSL to his home call.

LZ1GC and 3D2DD will be operational from Rotuma Island from
September 27th through October 11thas 3D2GC/P and 3D2DD/P
respectively.  3D2GC/P will be active on 160 through 6
meters using CW , SSB while 3D2DD/P will operate SSB only.
QSL each operator via his home call.

PG5M will be active from Yap Island September 8th to 15th as
V6G.  He will be operational on 40 through 10 meters using
CW only.  QSL via PG5M.

Lastly, while it may be the start of summer in the northern
latitudes, its always a good time for Christmas.  In this
case we are referring to Christmas Island where VK3DAC is
active as VK9DAC.  His operation is reported to be holiday
style on 80 to 10 meters using SSB only. QSL as directed on
the air.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  CANADIAN TEEN DEVELOPS BODY POWERED
FLASHLIGHT

And finally this week, the story of a fifteen year old
Canadian student used her knowledge of electronics
to develop an innovative flashlight.  One that could
eventually revolutionize portable lighting because all it
needs for power is its owner's body heat.  Amateur Radio
Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, has the rest of the story:

--

The UK Daily Mail newspaper says Ann Makosinski is a high
school junior in Victoria, British Columbia.  In deciding on
a science project she realized that Peltier tiles, which
produce electricity when one side is heated and the other is
cooled could use body-heat to create energy for a
flashlight.  So she set off to do just that.

Te result is a LED flashlight that lights simply by holding
it on the outside.  That causes the tiles to heat up on one
side while the ambient air cool down the tile on the inside.
The power created by the tiles was enough so she created a
four component voltage multiplying circuit that would
provide the level she required.

As a result of her efforts, this September Ann will be one
of fifteen finalists presenting their projects at the Google
Science Fair in Mountain View, California.  The winner gets
a prize of $50,000 and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

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

--

You can read the full story and watch the video of Ann
Makosinski explaining and demonstrating her invention on the
web at tinyurl.com/heat-powered-light.  An interview with
Ann Makosinski conducted by writer Alexander Baron on how
she actually developed her amazing human powered flashlight
can be read at www.digitaljournal.com/article/353536.
(Southgate, Daily Mail)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate
News, TWiT-TV and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from
the Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline
(at) arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us
at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi, saying 73
and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights
reserved.