The IARU Region 3 Newsletter
Issue 2/2001, June 2001
This Newsletter is now being disseminated within societies and is
therefore reaching many members in Region 3. If you are not already
circulating it, please consider placing this newsletter on your
society's web site or send it by e-mail to your members using whatever
resources and facilities are available. Meanwhile, societies are invited
to report special news on their activities such as successes and
accomplishments for inclusion in the newsletter. In this way, other
societies may benefit from that experience and the news will be conveyed
to members of your own society particularly if there is no other
communication vehicle. Also, non-member operators in the country will,
by accessing the web site, have a better understanding of the work being
done to protect and enhance the interests of all amateur operators and
thereby, hopefully become more inclined to join the local society.
K C Selvadurai 9V1UV Director IARU Region 3
>>> WRC 2003: Call Signs in Amateur Service <<<
>From time-to-time, radio amateurs ask their administrations for
distinctive short-term temporary call signs for special event stations.
The format for amateur call signs is provided in Article S19 of the
International Radio Regulations and is rather limiting.
Some administrations have been rigid and have sought ITU approval for
selected call signs that do not meet the Article S19 requirements. Other
administrations have viewed these short-term call signs as temporary
alternative identifiers and have given approvals even though the formats
do not meet the S19 requirements.
One European society had requested call signs similar to those used in
other countries to mark the Millennium Year. They were turned down by
their administration on the grounds that Article S19 did not provide for
such call signs in the Amateur Service. To tidy this matter up, this
same administration now seeks change to the provisions so that future
requests will not have to be denied. The matter will be discussed at
WRC-2003.
The proposal to modify Article S19 is an opportunity to 'tidy-up' a
problem that has affected the Amateur Service and administrations. As
reported in the last Newsletter, the subject has received unanimous IARU
Region 3 Conference support. .
This is another proposal where societies should liaise with their
respective administrations to canvass support for these IARU views on
the Amateur Service issues at this important conference, WRC 2003.
Societies are asked to ensure that the proposal will receive the support
of their administration at WRC-2003.
>>> Publicising Amateur Radio <<<
The 11th Region 3 Conference held in Darwin recommended to member
societies that when publicizing amateur radio, they use publicity
material focused more on the differences between the Internet and
amateur radio. These should include the community and emergency service,
field days, ARDF, self-training and the self-reliance aspects of amateur
communications rather than on the more traditional selling points.
These points need to be emphasized to regulators and governments to
reinforce why they should support a healthy and vibrant amateur service.
The amateur service needs to stress, to regulators and governments
alike, that the Internet is not a replacement for amateur radio and that
amateur radio continues to have major value to the community.
>>> Age restriction abolished in the UK <<<
The United Kingdom (UK) has recently abolished the age restriction for
an amateur radio license. Whilst those of us in countries with a high
age restriction may view the relaxation as a significant step, it is
viewed in the UK as the removal of an anomaly. The principle they uphold
is that anyone who is capable of passing the necessary qualifications to
hold a license should be also capable of operating a station in
accordance with those qualifications. In practice, they find that
invariably those much under the age of 14 who apply are sons / daughters
of Radio Amateurs and hence operate their stations.
What may be of much greater significance will be the introduction of a
Foundation License in the UK. Discussions are taking place with the
authorities for a low power entry-level license, which is based on the
'need to know' principle and can be delivered by an assessment structure
that could be completed in a weekend of study. The concept is that the
qualification will be based around practical instruction and on-air
training to give 'hands on' practical training of operating procedures,
plus essential license and emc knowledge and basic radio theory.
Making the entry-level requirements more appropriate & accessible will
augur well for amateur radio to compete for the attention of young
people who now have internet chat facilities with no exams, no
restrictions and at practically zero cost.
>>> Personal Communications Pioneer Al Gross. <<<
Al Gross W8PAL who brought the world such indispensable wireless
communications concepts and devices as the walkie-talkie, pager and
cordless telephone passed away on 21st December 2000 at the age of 82
years.
Gross obtained his Amateur Radio license at the age of 16 and his early
interest in Amateur Radio helped set his career choice while he was
still a teenager Gross pioneered the development of devices that
operated in the relatively unexplored VHF and UHF spectrum above 100
MHz. His first invention was a portable hand-held radio
transmitter-receiver. Developed in 1938 while he was still in high
school in Cleveland, he christened it the ''walkie-talkie.''
During the 1950s and 1960s, Gross secured several patents for various
portable and cordless telephone devices. ''If you have a cordless
telephone or a cellular telephone or a walkie talkie or beeper, you've
got one of my patents,'' Gross once said He added that if his patents on
those technologies hadn't run out in 1971, he'd have been a millionaire
several times over. (Source ARRL Letter)
The creative life of Al Gross as an amateur radio enthusiast is a good
role model at a time when young persons swarm towards Internet related
technologies in search of a 'pot of gold'.
>>> ARISS <<<
The team overseeing the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) met in May 2001 in the Netherlands to firm up plans to expand
ham radio operation from space.
Currently the Amateur Radio facility aboard the ISS comprises
essentially hand-held transceivers for 2 meters. A packet setup also is
aboard but it needs to be configured.
There have already been successful voice contacts with US and Canadian
schools. Plans are afoot to integrate European schools. . (Source ARRL
Letter)
Speaking with astronauts in space is a wonderful way of kindling the
interest of young children.
>>> Seanet Convention 2000 Pattaya Thailand <<<
RAST has very successfully hosted another Seanet Convention. 'Seanet'
which is the acronym for the South East Asia Network, meets every day at
1200 UTC on 14.320 MHz. The annual Convention, a social gathering of
amateurs from many nations, one of very few such social gatherings in
Region 3, was held from 17th to 19th November 2000. There were over 110
amateur radio operators from distant paces such as Japan, USA, Bosnia,
New Zealand, Taiwan and Europe. Including spouses and Thai operators,
there were 175 attendees.
The next Seanet Convention will be held in Sabah from 9th to 11th
November 2001.
A particular attribute of Seanet Conventions that becomes more apparent
with every annual Convention is the tendency for repeat attendance. Over
a third of the overseas delegates at the recent Convention were amateurs
who had attended at least one previous Convention. That itself speaks of
the popularity of the Convention.
>-< The Region 3 Web site >-<
Go to: http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/
Newsletter Editor: K C Selvadurai 9V1UV, Director IARU Region 3,
9v1uv@sarts.org.sg
Publisher: The International Amateur Radio Union Region 3, P.O. Box 73,
Toshima, Tokyo 170-8691, Japan. iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp
Tel: +81 3 3944 3322 Fax: +81 3943 8282
The statements or opinions in this Newsletter do not, unless otherwise
stated, necessarily reflect the view of IARU Region 3, the Directors or
the Secretariat.
Items from this Newsletter may be freely copied for publication by
member societies of IARU.
--
International Amateur Radio Union Region 3
Web: http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/