Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1685 - November 27 2009 The following is a Q-S-T. Here is our producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF: -- NEWSLINE SUPPORT FUND ADMINISTRATOR ANDY JAREMA, N6TCQ - SK It is with deep personal sorrow that I report the sudden passing of our Newsline Support Fund Administrator and my personal friend of more than two decades, Andy Jarema, N6TCQ. According to Andy's life companion and domestic partner Judy Hurst, late last week Andy was admitted to a local hospital for some tests. His condition deteriorated very quickly he was placed on life support. The diagnosis was multiple organ failure. Andy passed away just before noon on Tuesday, November 24th. In a conversation with Judy just prior to writing this report I was told that no services are planned at this time. Instead a "Celebration of Andy's Life" will be held here in Los Angeles sometime in January, 2010. We will let you know an exact time, date and location as soon as plans have been completed. Those of you wishing to send condolences to Judy and members of the Jarema family can do so by e-mail to [email protected] or by regular mail through me. My address is 28197 Robin Avenue, Saugus California, 91350. Either way, we will deliver anything we receive to Judy within the next few weeks. In the meantime, there is an old saying that the show must go on. Knowing Andy as well as I did, he would want it to be that way. We will do just that and also dedicate this weeks newscast to Andy Jarema, N6TCQ, and his everlasting memory. I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. Now, here's Frank Haas, KB4T, with this weeks report. Frank. -- Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1685 with a release date of Friday, November 27th, 2009 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. Fear of the Swine Flu puts the North Pole Network on hold, U-K hams go on alert as flooding continues, Cuba to start supplying its ham community with electronic parts, and a U-K radio amateur starts spreading holiday cheer early. Find out the details on this good Samaritan ham radio operator on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1685 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) ** HELPING HAMS: H1N1 SWINE FLU SCARE HALTS THE NORTH POLE NETWORK An annual holiday tradition in Orange County, California will be interrupted this year by a bug, and it's not the computer kind. Newsline's Joe Moell, K0OV has the story. -- For 32 years, the voice of Santa Claus has echoed in the halls and patient rooms of Childrens Hospital in Orange County, California just before Christmas Eve. St. Nick wants to make sure that the kids have a chance to put in their holiday requests, and he has used a group of ham operators to make it happen. With their portable gear, members of the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System have gone from room to room and given each child a personal one-on-one chat with the fellow in the big red suit, who is up in his office at the North Pole getting ready for his big trip. They call it the North Pole Network. -- Previous contact audio -- But this year, because of the H1N1 virus, kids in hospitals will probably just have to send Santa an e-mail. North Pole Network is cancelled, says its founder, April Moell WA6OPS: -- "For infection control, hospitals throughout Orange County have instituted new visitor policies limiting who can go into patient rooms. Most of them limit the number of people in a patient room to two, and those people typically need to be immediate family members or guardians. No outside visitors are now being allowed into the patient rooms at Childrens Hospital, and the group playrooms are being closed as well." North Pole Network won't be active this year, but April and her crew are already planning to go to Childrens Hospital in 2010. You can read all about the North Pole Network and see photos going all the way back to 1976 on the Web at hdscs.org. That's hdscs.org, which is short for the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System. It's an ARES group that provides emergency communications for 35 hospitals in the county. From southern California, this is Joe Moell, K0OV, for Amateur Radio Newsline. -- If you know of other Operation Santa Claus or North Pole Network functions that have been cancelled due to fear of spreading of that dreaded H1N1 Swine Flu, please let us know. We in turn will pass that information along in our newscast. (K0OV, NPN) ** CHANGING TIMES: CUBA TO PROVIDE PARTS TO HAMS AND WILL MANUFACTURE 160 METER RADIO According the Cuban news service CAN, that nations Ministry of Informatics and Communications will soon start providing ham radio operators with the components and parts for their equipment. This, from stock that had been left idle for some time. Pedro Rodriguez, president of the Cuban Amateur Radio Federation told the press that the first 600 units are ready for delivery. He says that by using them his nations ham radio community will be able to assemble new stations or update those they already have. But that's not all. During the recently concluded 8th Cuban Ham Radio Federation Congress, a prototype of a domestically designed transceiver was shown. With the brand name "Caiguaran," the gear was designed by several specialists and will be manufactured at one of the Ministry of Informatics factories. Jos‚ Tanquero is one of the hams that worked on the creation of the radio. He told the news service that it Runs 20 watts out on 160 meters which it's the legal for Cuban Third Category ham radio license holders. By adding modules both 80 and 40 meters can be covered as well. The Cuban Amateur Radio Federation has over 5500 members many of whom are involved in both severe weather watch and emergency communications operations. (CAN) ** RESTRUCTURING: BELGIUM GIVES HAMS A 4 METER SLIVER ALLOCATION Radio Amateurs in Belgium now have limited access to a small allocation at 4 meters. Holders of Class A holders have access to 69.950 MHz, plus or minus 5 kHz with 10 Watts Effective Radiated Power. This, on a non-interference basis with other users of this spectrum. Hams in Belgium that wish to use this frequency must first inform their telecommunications regulator the Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications of their plans. Although this frequency is outside the 70.0 to 70.5 MHz allocation used elsewhere in Europe it is none-the-less a very welcome first step by radio amateurs in that nation. (Southgate) ** RESCUE RADIO: UK RAYNET ACTIVATES FOR CUMBRIA FLOODING Flooding in parts of the United Kingdom have put one ham radio response teams on alert. In North Pennines, that area's RAYNET group was put on standby by the Cumbria Emergency Planning Office on Friday morning, 20th November. Neighboring groups from RAYNET Yorkshire Zone 2 the North-West Zone 10 were also placed an call-up alert. While they were permitted to stand down on Friday night, after a review of the situation on Saturday, and with weather conditions set to deteriorate once again overnight Saturday into Sunday, the groups were again placed into stand-by on Saturday afternoon. More on this UK rescue radio activation as soon as information is released. (Southgate) ** BREAK 1 The news never stops and neither do we. From the United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the WA2EHL bulletin service coming your way from Burlington, New Jersey. (5 sec pause here) ** RADIO LAW: FCC CHAIRMAN SPEAKS ABOUT FUTURE SPECTRIUM SHORTAGE FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski still maintains that there is a looming spectrum crisis, but he now appears to be trying to calm the waters a bit. This, after several weeks of increasing alarm from broadcasters over FCC talks about reclaming some of their spectrum for wireless broadband services. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has more; -- In an interview Friday, November 20th for C-SPAN's Communicators series, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski expressed his view there are many ideas being offered as to what the commission could do to address the need for more spectrum. He stated that his agency has not decided anything about which ideas were the best. Genachowski also repeated a point he made earlier in the week at a press conference, which is that this is a long-term planning issue for the nation to deal with.. Genachowski admitted that his agency does not operate on impulse noting that it has historically taken the FCC between 6 and 13 years to reclaim spectrum. He said the FCC would be looking at government and commercial spectrum, but that there were no easy pickings on the spectrum chart, and hard choices will have to be made. And he did have a rather dyer warning. He stated -- and we quote: "We know the problem is coming. It's not coming next week; it's not coming next month; it's not coming next year, but it is coming." And added Chairman Genachowski, the FCC has to start coming up with the policies to address it now. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale, Arizona. -- While ham radio was never mentioned by the FCC chairman, the big question for the service is how much of our spectrum, especially in the microwave region might come under consideration for possible reallocation in the years to come. (B&C) ** TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW: FCC SAYS YES TO NET NEUTRALITY The FCC has said yes to the concept of Internet Neutrality. This as the regulatory agency take an important step toward prohibiting broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against certain kinds of Internet traffic. Despite the concerns of many telecommunications companies who believe that they have the right to regulate connection speed and capacity. The broadband providers insist they need flexibility, free from government intervention, to keep their networks running smoothly But telecommunications regulators disagree. Now the Federal Communications Commission has voted to begin writing so-called "network neutrality" regulations with a vote on whether to adopt them expected to come by next summer. Proponents say the rules would prevent phone and cable companies from abusing their control over the market for broadband access. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said regulations are needed to ensure that broadband subscribers can access all legal Web sites and services, including Internet calling applications and video sites that compete with the broadband companies' core businesses. (W8HDU) ** RADIO LAW: FCC RELEASES NOI ON CHILDRENS USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on issues related to children's use of electronic media. In its press release, the regulatory agency notes that the evolving electronic media landscape presents parents with both tremendous opportunities and critical challenges. On the one hand, electronic media technologies present many benefits for children, such as offering an almost unlimited potential for ways to educate children and provide them with the technological literacy needed to compete in a global economy. On the other, the technological developments that produce these benefits also present risks for children. The FCC says that its goal with the Notice of Inquiry is to gather data and recommendations from experts, industry, and parents that will enable it to identify actions that all stakeholders can take to enable parents and children to navigate this promising electronic media landscape safely and successfully. As such, it seeks information on the extent to which children are using electronic media today, including television, cell phones and other mobile devices, DVD players and VCRs, video games iPods and other MP3 players, and the Internet. The Notice of Inquiry also asks about the benefits and risks these technologies bring for children and the ways in which parents, teachers, and children can help reap the benefits of electronic media while minimizing the risks. The FCC's Notice of Inquiry is titled Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape. Comments are due January 25, 2010 and reply comments are due February 22, 2010. A link to it can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-09- 94A1.doc. (FCC) ** ENFORCEMENT: FCC BACKS AWAY FROM KWVE FINE AFTER INDUSTRY PROTEST The Federal Communications Commission has reversed itself in a case that raised broadcaster hackles, and rescinded a $5,000 levied on KWVE FM of San Clemente, California. Instead, the commission has now admonished the Calvary Chapel owned station for transmitting an unauthorized Required Monthly Test of the Emergency Alert System. As previously reported, the Enforcement Bureau had been asked to reconsidered its earlier fine issued in September against the station and to set it aside because of the unique circumstances at hand. This included the voluntary and critical nature of the service provided by local primary stations in enabling statewide EAS activity. Fifty state broadcast associations had protested the fine and asked the agency to reconsider or cancel the penalty. They feared that such a punitive measure for an accidental wrong transmission might deter other stations in the EAS chain from volunteering as Local Primaries because of fear of penalties for errors made during good faith operation. (CGC, RW) ** RADIO LAW: CALIFORNIA BANS HIGH ENERGY USE TV RECEIVERS TV sets that use excessive levels of mains power will be banned from store shelves in California. This, after state regulators voted on Wednesday, November 18th to adopt a mandate to reduce electricity demand. On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient, beginning in 2011. The requirement will be tougher in 2013, with only a quarter of all TVs currently on the market meeting that standard. TV sets larger than 58 inches, which account for no more than 3 percent of the market, would not be covered by the rule. This is viewed as a concession to independent retailers that sell high-end home-theater TV systems. However, the commission is expected to regulate them in the future. The commission estimates that TV receivers account for about 10 percent of a home's electricity use. The concern is that the energy draw will rise by as much as 8 percent a year as consumers buy larger televisions, add more to their homes and watch them longer. Commissioners say energy efficiency standards are the cheapest and easiest way to save electricity. More than 1,050 models sold today comply with the 2011 California standards, and more than 300 comply with the 2013 standard, according to the Energy Commission. (Published reports) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: W9XA AND N2ZZ ELECTED AS NEW ARRL VICE DIRECTORS A upset in the ARRL Central Division Vice Director's race where VUAC Chairman Kermit Carlson, W9XA, has routed longtime incumbent Vice Director Howard Huntington K9KM in his bid to retain he position he has held since 1983. When the votes were tallied Carlson had received 1808 while Huntington garnered only 1466. Kermit Carlson is an engineering physicist with Fermi National Accelerator Lab. He was appointed to the League's VHF/UHF Advisory Committee in 2005 and served as Chairman since this past January. Meantime in the Roanoke Division, Vice Director Patricia Hensley, N4ROS, decided not to seek another term. That left the field wide open with South Carolina Section Manager Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, and former West Virginia Section Manager Hal Turley, W8HC, both nominated to succeed her. When the votes were tallied, Boehner won the election with 1692 votes while Turley received 1496. Boehner is a physician specializing in women's healthcare. He has served four terms as the ARRL South Carolina Section Manager. In addition to Carlson and Boehner, seven incumbent directors and vice directors were declared elected without opposition. All will begin three-year terms of office beginning at noon on January 1, 2010. (ARRL) ** BREAK 2 With you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1976. 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) ** THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: REPEATER PIONEER KARL PAGEL, N6BVU - S.K. It is with much sadness that we report the passing of on our friend and former Newsline Survey-master Karl Pagel, N6BVU. Karl had been in declining health for some time and being treated in a nursing home in Orange County, California. Among his many achievements was his co-authoring with Kevin Karamanos, WD6DIH, of the most accurate and inclusive repeater directory covering the great American South-West. Its been said that if a repeater actually existed that it could be found in Karl's database and in the directories that he and Kevin published for more than half a decade. Karl was also heavily involved in repeater coordination issues. While he never owned or operated a repeater it was his work with all three of Southern California's regional frequency coordination bodies that helped many a new system come on the air. His work did not go unnoticed nationally and he was appointed as the Southwestern Division representative on the ARRL's VHF Repeater Advisory Committee where he also as chairman for one term. He was also presented with the ARRL Southwestern Division's Meritorious Service Award for his dedication to repeaters and frequency coordination. In addition to all of this, when Amateur Radio Newsline gained its original corporate status in the mid-1980's and we needed to find out who was listening, it was Karl who offered his services to us. And for about two years he dutifully tallied all of responses to the survey questions we put out. Karl Pagel was gifted had the knowledge needed to do complex database work and gave of himself unselfishly for the betterment of the hobby. Dick McKay, K6VGP, is one of the founding fathers of the original Southern California repeater Association. In an e-mail to Newsline, McKay said that N6BVU was certainly a good man and a true friend of ham radio. Karl Pagel, N6BVU, was age 66 when he passed away on November 10th. He is survived by his mother Mary, KA6IGG, his brother Kent and a Southern California ham radio community that truly admired his dedication and work on their behalf. (ARNewslineT, K0OV, K6VGP) ** EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: THE NANOTOM Turning to the Newsline science page, there's now a new, non destructive way for scientists to take a look at objects that are a part of mankind's present and its history. Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, tells us about the newly developed Nanotom. -- Researchers at the University off Nottingham have a new weapon in their arsenal of tools to push back the boundaries of science, engineering and archeology. Call it Nanotom. It is described as the most advanced 3-D x-ray microcomputed tomography scanner in the world. The Nanotom is expected to help researchers in a wide variety of scientific disciplines to literally see through solids. The machine will make previously difficult investigation much easier as it allows researchers to prove inside objects without having to break them apart. I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU. -- The Nanotom is being viewed as an amazing step forward in the science of looking at the past and present as a doorway to the future of scientific advancement. (Science OnLine) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS GETS NEW DUAL BAND ANTENNA Turning to space related ham radio news, word that a new dual band amateur radio antenna system has been installed on the International Space Station's Columbus Module. The antenna project was funded entirely by AMSAT-North America and the volunteers who built the antennas for both an European Space Agency experiment and for ARISS use. The new antenna is described as very similar to the antennas already on the Russian service module. Once all antennas are in place the ARISS team will be working to bring amateur radio to the Columbus module. Lou McFadin, W5DID is the ARISS US Hardware Manager. He says that this is an example of what can be achieved by ham radio volunteers hams working closely with a space agency. (ARISS) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AO-7 TURNS AGE 35 A happy birthday to the Amsat Oscar 7 ham radio satellite that turned 35 on November 15th. A O 7 was carried into orbit on November 15, 1974 by a Delta 2310 launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It used a circularly polarized canted turnstile VHF and UHF antenna system and High Frequency dipole for 10 meters. The second in the phase 2 satellite generation, A O 7 weighed 28.6 kilograms. And what is truly amazing is that after all these years it is still possible to hold an occasional QSO over that bird. The middle of the Mode B downlink passband is 145.950 MHz, and you will find most of the activity occurring between 145.940 MHz and 145.960 MHz. Generally, you'll hear CW operators below 145.950 and SSB operators above. A Oh 7 was a part of a multiple payload mission. That same launcher also carried the NOAA 4 weather satellite and the Spanish INTASAT into space. (ANS) ** ON THE AIR: IRELANDS GALWAY VHF GROUP FRPM CLIFDEN On the air, word that the final operation from Ireland's Galway VHF Group will take place from the Clifden Lifeboat Station over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of November. This all band operation will have two stations in operation at all times using the special commemorative call EI 185 RNLI. Varying types of antenna construction will be used including a Kite antenna for the Low Frequency bands. Primary modes will be SSB and digital with some operation on SSTV also possible. There will be a special QSL card for all contacts made and SWL reports will also be welcomed. A QSL route will be released shortly. (IRTS) ** DX In DX, word that F6AUS will operate portable FG from Les Saintes Guadaloupe until March 2010. Look for him to possibly be on 160 and 80 meters. QSL via his home callsign. K3CT and K3TEJ will be active slash KP2 from the U S Virgin Islands through December 1st. Their activity usually has an emphasis on the 160, 30, 17 and 12 meter bands. QSL to their individual home callsigns. And a reminder that DO7AG, is expected to be in the South Pacific with his family between November and January. He plans to be active as 5W1QX from Western Samoa and A31CE from Tonga but only on 40 and 20 meters. Complete dates of his operations have not been announced yet. The Algarve STAR DX Team has announced that the 4W6AL QSL cards have arrived from the printer and are being readied for mailout. All 4W6AL information can be found in cyberspace at algarvedx.com AA7JV and HA7RY will be active from the Chesterfield Islands as TX3A until December 6th. Their operation has be on all of the HF bands but with an emphasis on the lower bands. Modes used have been on CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via HA7RY. Lastly, IZ0EGM, will be active as from San Marino as T70A during ARRL 10 Meter Contest between December 11th and 13th, using CW and SSB. His QSL information is on QRZ.com. Above from various DX news sources ** THAT FINAL ITEM: A GIFT FROM THE HEART And finally, in keeping with the spirit of the upcoming holiday season we have the story of benevolence from one ham to several others. It took place in the United Kingdom where Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has the details: -- The team of five GB2RS newsreaders in North West England have been given transceivers for 2, 4 and 6meters for use in transmitting the news. The radios have come from Graham, G1PYA, a regular listener to GB2RS. The five newsreaders, G4GSY, G0MRL, G0NAJ, M1NTO and M0HDE would like to record their very great thanks to Graham for this valuable gift, which is so clearly in the traditional spirit of amateur radio. Im Jerany Boot, G4NJH, and you are listening to the Amateur Radio Newsline. -- And we cannot think of a better story with which to start out the 2009 holiday season. (GB2RS) ** 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 and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is [email protected]. 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 for the moment at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Saugus California 91350. For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Frank Haas, KB4T, saying 73, happy Thanksgiving, and we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.