The Illuminator
The monthly newsletter of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club
December
Meeting
The next regular
meeting of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, December 20,
at 7:30 p.m. at the Boulevard Restaurant on Route 443 in Lehighton. See you there!
Universal
Licensing System
The FCC has announced
that its Universal Licensing System (ULS) now can be accessed using either
Internet Explorer 5.5-6.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.5, 4.51, 4.61, 4.7 and 4.75.
Until now, the ULS has supported only Netscape. The FCC says applicants may now
use Internet Explorer to file applications and for all other ULS purposes. For
more information, contact ULS <[email protected]>. For questions concerning
computer access to ULS, CORES registration and FCC Registration Number,
TIN/Call Sign issues, or submitting attachments in ULS, contact the Technical
Support Hotline, 202-414-1250, available weekdays 7 AM-10 PM, Saturdays, 8 AM-7
PM and Sundays from noon-6 PM Eastern Time. The Public Notice outlining this
change is available on the FCC's Web site
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-01-2729A1.doc>.
Propagation Forecast
Bulletin 51 ARLP051
From Tad Cook, K7VVV
Seattle, WA December 3, 2001
To all radio amateurs
This bulletin corrects a
piece of data that was in Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP050, released on
November 30, 2001.
Sometimes during a
period of high solar activity the device which reads the solar flux at the
Penticton observatory gets overwhelmed by a solar flare, and the reported value
is adjusted downward. Readers who use Scott Craig's Solar Data Plotting Utility
(download it free from http://www.craigcentral.com/sol.htm ) probably noticed a
spike in the solar flux number from November 22, when the value jumped nearly
100 points to 282.5 from 184.2 the day before and then back to 177.3 on Friday.
That value was adjusted
by NOAA, and should read 190. It is corrected in the list of numbers at the
bottom of this bulletin. This means that the average solar flux for the week
was 182, not 195.2.
Solar flux has been
rising, and for the next few days look for flux values around 245 for Monday
through Wednesday. The planetary A index may rise to around 15 on Tuesday and
Wednesday, indicating unsettled conditions.
Sunspot
numbers for November 22 through 28 were 143, 144, 124, 102, 122, 139 and 180
with a mean of 136.3. 10.7 cm flux was 190, 177.3, 173, 170, 174.8, 190.4 and
198.5, with a mean of 182, and estimated planetary A indices were 8, 12, 108,
8, 5, 2 and 3 with a mean of 20.9.
"Band Threat" Proceeding
Comments are due
February 12, 2002, in an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order, ET
Docket 01-278, that ARRL has targeted as a potential band threat. Reply comments
are due on March 12, 2002. The proceeding deals in part with a potential threat
to the popular 70-cm band from Part 15 RF identification devices proposed for
deployment between 425 and 435 MHz.
SAVI Technology, which
markets radiolocation and wireless inventory control products, told the FCC it
needs the rules changes to satisfy customer demand for increased RFID system
capabilities. The FCC has proposed to allow operation of RFIDs as unlicensed
Part 15 devices in the 425-435 MHz band with transmissions of up to two minutes
at field strengths now only permitted for extremely short duration,
intermittent control signals.
The ARRL has argued that
under the Communications Act of 1934 the FCC lacks authority to permit
unlicensed devices with substantial interference potential and that such
devices must be licensed. The League also is looking into the interference
potential posed to 20 meters by a proposal to increase the maximum emission
levels permitted by Part 15 devices operating at 13.56 MHz, as well as the
maximum level of out-of-band emissions.
Commenters are advised
to read paragraphs 20-27 of the NPRM&O, available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/10/19/1/290a11.html>.
Interested parties may file comments using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing
System,
<http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html>
(search using "01-278"). Commenters should include full name, US
Postal Service mailing address, and applicable docket or rule making number–in
this case ET 01 278.
It's also possible to
e-mail comments via the ECFS. To obtain e-mail filing instructions, commenters
should send an e-mail to [email protected] and include the words "get form
<your e-mail address>" in the body of the message. A sample form and
directions will be sent by reply e-mail.
DX Bulletin 52 ARLD052
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT December 6, 2001
To all radio amateurs
This week's bulletin was
made possible with information provided by Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin,
WA7BNM, QRZ DX, The Daily DX, DXNL and 425DXnews. Thanks to all.
BURUNDI, 9U. Gus, 9U5D has been QRV on
17 meters around 1800z. He is also
usually QRV on 20, 15 and 10 meters.
QSL via SM5BFJ.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES,
A6. Robert, S53R is a quest operator at A61AJ
and has been QRV on 40 meters using CW around 1400z. QSL via N4QB.
ANGOLA, D2. D2/CT1FSC is QRV from
Luanda until December 14. QSL to home
call.
TAJIKISTAN, EY. Alex, EY8CQ is QRV on 20
meters using SSB most days around 0230 to 0400z.
AUSTRAL ISLANDS,
FO. Jon, WB8YJF and Leo, K8PYD are QRV as FO0SEV and FO0FRY,
respectively, until December 14.
Activity is on all bands, using CW and SSB, with a heavy emphasis on
RTTY. QSL to home calls.
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
ISLANDS, FW. FW0DX is usually QRV on 80 meters using CW
around 1000 to 1200z daily. QSL via
JE3RZT.
THAILAND, HS. Members of the Royal
Amateur Radio Society of Thailand will be QRV as E29AL from Tarutao Island,
IOTA AS-126, from December 8 to 15.
Activity will be on 20, 15 and 10 meters on the usual IOTA frequencies
using, in addition to using RTTY, SSTV and PSK31. QSL via HS0GBI.
ITALY, I. Special Event station
IR7GM is QRV during the weekends of December to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of Guglielmo Marconi's first Transatlantic wireless transmission. Activity is on all HF bands, including the
newer ones, using CW and SSB. QSL via
IK7JWX.
SEYCHELLES, S7. Juergen,
DL8LE is QRV as S79LE until December 13. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using
digital modes. QSL to home call.
MARSHALL ISLANDS, V7. Steve, 3D2SJ is active as
V73ED until December 13. QSL to home
call.
SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS,
VP8. Miroslaw, SP7JKW is QRV as HF0POL from King
George Island, IOTA AN-010, until the end of 2002. Activity is on all HF bands, including the newer ones, using CW,
SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL via SQ5TA.
NIUE ISLAND, ZK2. Mike,
KM9D and Jan, KF4TUG are QRV as ZK2MO and ZK2TO, respectively, from Uluvehi,
IOTA OC-048. Their length of stay is
unknown. QSL both calls via OM2SA.
Afghanistan Operation Approved for DXCC
The ARRL DXCC Desk
reports it has received acceptable documentation for YA5T in Afghanistan and
has approved it for DXCC credit. Afghanistan is among the top 10 "most
wanted" countries. The license, which authorizes operation on all
bands–including 6 meters–was issued by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
government that's still recognized by the United Nations. YA5T will be operated
by Peter Casier, ON6TT, as well as by Mats Persson, SM7PKK, Robert Kasca, S53R,
and
Mark Demeuleneere,
ON4WW. All work for the UN World Food Program. YA5T will be on the air as their
schedules permit. The DXCC documentation is for contacts made on or after
November 20, 2001. No other call signs or operations have been approved. For
more information, visit the YA5T Web site managed by Bruce Richards, WD4NGB
<http://www.qsl.net/ya5t/>.
Check
out http://incolor.inetnebr.com/n0ujr for other cartoons and to purchase
N0UJR’s book, “N0UJR and His Friends.”
Carbon Amateur Radio Club – 2001-2002 Officers
President: Anthony
“Goody” Good, K3NG, [email protected]
Vice
President: Rob Roomberg, KB3BYT, [email protected]
Secretary:
Larry Lilly, N3CR, [email protected]
Treasurer:
John Schreibmaier, W3MF, [email protected]
W3HA Callsign
Trustee: Bill Dale, WY3K
W3HA Repeater
Trustee: John Bednar, K3CT
Public Information
Officer: Bill Kelley, KA3UKL
Directors
Bob Schreibmaier, K3PH, John Bednar, K3CT,
Bert Rex, W3OWP
Illuminator Staff
Editor: Bob, K3PH
[email protected]
DX: Bob, K3PH
Foxhunting: open
Propagation and
Commentary: Larry, N3CR [email protected]
Newsletter Printing,
Folding, and Mailing: Bob, K3PH
Services
W3HA Repeater:
147.255 Mhz + PL 131.8
CARC Website: http://www.cpals.com/~elitehom/carc/
Webmaster: Rob,
KB3BYT [email protected]
CARC Email Reflector:
see www.qth.net CarbonARC list for details
CARC Membership Information
Regular Membership is
$15.00, which includes autopatch privileges.
All amateur radio operators are invited to join the CARC
ARES / RACES net held 21:00 local time every Wednesday on the W3HA repeater at
147.255 MHz + offset, PL 131.8. Any
amateur radio operator or anyone with an interest in ham radio is welcome to
attend our monthly meetings which occur the third Thursday of each month at
7:30 PM at the Carbon County EMA Center on Route 93 in Nesquehoning.