Amateur Radio Newsline[TM] Report 1840 - November 16 2012

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1840 with a release
date of November 16, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. China to revise its amateur radio
service rules, French radar signals heard on several ham
radio bands, Norway affirms new spectrum for its ham radio
community, a rescue radio group receives a large grant to
get more gear, the Dayton Hamvention announces the theme of
Hamvention 2013 and a new ham radio cubesat will blink a
holiday message from space on Christmas Eve. Find out the
details are on Amateur Radio Newsline[TM] report number 1840
coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

RESTRUCTURING: CHINA TO REVISE ITS AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE

Big amateur radio changes ahead for ham radio in China.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports from
down-under:

--

According to word from Jim Linton, VK3PC, mandatory
membership of the Chinese Radio Sports Association will
likely soon be a thing of the past. This as China moves
forward under soon to be announced new amateur service
regulations.

For the past 30 years, only a sports organization could
transmit on the amateur Radio bands. That began on the 29th
of March, 1982 with the station BY1PK, at first on CW and
with limited spectrum made available for ham radio
operations. But this is 2012 and the old system of someone
first being a member of a sport-related body before entering
amateur radio no longer works and will end. Now clubs and
individuals will have their own callsigns throughout the
world's most populated country.

Also being considered for emergency communications is a new
error-correcting low power data mode for HF radio using
Chinese characters, a Software Defined Radio receiver
network for noisy locations, an alarm system, VHF and UHF
repeaters and overall training.

Along with the revised regulations will be a new entity
called the Chinese Radio Amateur Club, that will be solely
focused on amateur radio. The new group will deal with the
regulations including visitor licenses, conduct exams and
licensing, create band plans, allow nation-wide mobile
operation, develop emergency communications infrastructure,
amateur satellites, and work with the International Amateur
Radio Union.

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

--

When enacted, these revised regulations promise to bring
China more in line with the rest of amateur radio service
regulations world wide. As such don't be too surprised to
hear many more mainland China stations on the hambands once
the new rules do take effect. (VK3PC)

**

INTRUDER WATCH: HAM RADIO OPPOSED EUROPEAN PLT STANDARD
APPROVED

Europe has a new Power Line Communication or PLT standard
and hams on the other side of the Atlantic are not very
happy. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW
reports:

--

Despite opposition from the Radio Society of Great Britain
and several other European national ham radio societies, the
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization or
CENELEC Working Group 11 has voted in favor of a draft
standard for what ham radio operators are calling polluting
Power Line Communication or PLT apparatus. According to the
Radio Society of Great Britain this means the chance of
radio interference from P-L-T devices could be 10,000 times
higher than the previous standard and holding the potential
of ruining people's enjoyment of radio.

A statement on the RSGB website says that one of the reasons
why the combined voice of the amateur radio fraternity was
not heeded was the absence of complaints reported to and by
the national enforcement agencies. As a consequence it is
imperative that interference cases are diagnosed and
reported to, and pursued with, U-K telecommunications
regulator Ofcom if and when they occur.

The statement goes on to note that the RSGB EMC Committee is
working with other parties to enable radio amateurs to do
this and to build up statistics on the status of complaints.
If a significant number of people are affected the
organization can then lobby for further revision to the
standard. If the devices do not cause publicized problems
then the protection provided by this new standard will be
deemed adequate.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.

--

You can read the full RSGB statement at
tinyurl.com/european-PLT-approved. (Southgate)

**

INTRUDER WATCH: FRENCH RADAR ON THE HF HAM BANDS

The IARU Region 1 Monitoring Service reports that French
radar is again active near and in the High Frequency ham
bands. Recent reports have heard it near 7, 14, 14,259, and
21 MHz transmitting a 20 kHz wide burst system.

But that's not all. Region 1 monitors also report that taxi
operators in the Russia Federation, Belarus, Ukraine and
Kazakhstan are now using FM in the 28 MHz, 10 meter amateur
radio band more than ever. You can read more about both
these intruders on-line tinyurl.com/10-meter-intruders
(IARU-R1)

**

RESTRUCTURING: NORWAY AFFIRMS NEW SPECTRUM FOR AMATEUR
RADIO OPERATIONS

Its now official. Norway has affirmed news bands for ham
radio in that nation. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, of the RSGB News
reports:

--

The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority has made
changes to the Norwegian amateur license regulations.

The major change is that permission has been given to use
472 to 479 kHz with a maximum 1 Watt EIRP, with the former
permission to use 493 to 510 kHz removed.

Permission has been given to use 70.1875 to 70.2625MHz,
except in the three Norwegian southwest counties of
Hordaland, Rogaland and West-Agder, where there still is
commercial traffic within this frequency segment.

Other segments allowing 100W transmitter power and maximum
16kHz bandwidth include 70.0625 to 70.0875MHz, 70.3625 to
70.3875MHz and 70.4125 to 70.4625MHz.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in
Nottingham in the U.K.

--

The new rules in Norway are reportedly effective now.
(GB2RS)

**

RESCUE RADIO: SOUTH AFRICA HAMNET AIDS IN SEARCH FOR
MISSING AIRCRADT

South Africa's HAMNET, the Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Organization has concluded it's involvement
in a cross-border search and rescue operation for a missing
aircraft. This after a light aircraft, on an October 28th
flight from Malawi to an airport in South Africa failed to
make regular radio contact over Mozambique.

Soon after the plane was reported as missing, the South
African Air Rescue Control Centre was advised and requested
to assist. HAMNET was called out on Monday, October 29th by
the Air Rescue Control Centre to form a team to travel to
the region and provide a High Frequency communications link
between the two countries. Operations took place on the
internationally agreed Emergency Centre of Activity
frequencies using the 30 and 20 meter bands.

Unfortunately the search for the missing plane and its
occupants was unsuccessful and was scaled back on Saturday
November 3rd. At that point the HAMNET team stood down and
has now returned home. (IARU Region 1)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FITSAT-1 SCHEDULES CHRISTMAS EVE OPTICAL
TRANSMISSION

And there will be a Christmas present of sorts from ham
radio in space. On December 24th which is Christmas Eve the
students in Japan who built the FITSAT-1 satellite are
planning to active the birds LED optical array and flash a
message in Morse Code to those of us here on mother Earth.

According to JA6AVG, the students plan to start testing the
optical system at the end of November. As such its Morse
message beacon may well be visible from Earth with the
unaided eye well before the scheduled transmission date.

FITSAT-1 is a CubeSat that was developed by students at the
Fukuoka Institute of Technology in Japan. In addition to
the optical transmission system the bird carries a CW beacon
on 437.250 MHz and a data link on 437.445 MHz. There is
also a 5.8 GHz data downlink.

Further information about the FITSAT-1 cubesat is on-line at
tinyurl.com/fitsat-christmas-signal. And we will have more
ham radio space related news later on in this weeks Amateur
Radio Newsline report. (FITSAT-1 Team)

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the WL7CVG repeater serving Alaska's Kenai
Peninsula.

(5 sec pause here)


**

RESCUE RADIO: NIAGRA COUNTY NY RACES GETS $7000 GRANT

Some good news for a dedicated rescue radio group. Buffalo
dot com reports that the Niagara County New York Radio
Amateur Civil Emergency Service has received a $7,000
donation from Waste Management, parent company of the CWM
Chemical Services.

Jim Callahan of Waste Management made the presentation of
the check that will provide the group with equipment for
expanding and enhancing its services to Niagara County in
the event of a disaster. In doing so Callahan called the
RACES hams as being the unsung heroes who are prepared to
help communicate through any emergency situation, when other
means of communication may be down. (Buffalo.com)

**

ENFORCEMENT: PAGER COMPANY FINE REDUCED TO $7000

The Federal Communications Commission has affirmed a $7000
monetary forfeiture order to Leetek America, Inc. a
subsidiary of Lee Technology Korea. This for marketing of
an unauthorized pager transmitter system. Jim Davis, W2JKD,
has the details:

--

On August 25, 2008, the Enforcement Bureau's Spectrum
Enforcement Division issued a Notice of Apparent Liability
for Forfeiture or NAL to Leetek in the amount of $14,000.
This for its apparent willful and repeated violations of
Section 302(b) of the Act and Section 2.803(a) of the Rules
in connection with its marketing of two models of
unauthorized pager transmitter systems.

The Division's investigation into this matter was initiated
by a complaint that Leetek was marketing a pager transmitter
system that did not comply with the Rules and was causing
interference to primary licensed operators.

Leetek responded to the NAL on September 2, 2008. In its
reply, the company repeated the argument that it imported
only three units of the LTK-1700CT solely for the purpose of
design review and performance testing. Leetek's response
also clarified information Leetek submitted to the Division
in its response with respect to the LTK-1400S pager
transmitter system. It asserted that it never marketed a
pager transmitter system with the model number LTK-1400S.
Rather that its third party website provider mistyped LTK-
1400S as the model number for Leetek's authorized LTK-1400A
pager transmitter system. Leetek also said that it never
marketed or sold a pager transmitter system with a LTK-1400S
model number. According to Leetek, the company was
marketing an authorized pager transmitter system called he
LTK-1400A, but its third-party website provider misprinted
the model number as LTK-1400.

In rendering its final decision, the FCC says that based on
the company's statements, which were made under penalty of
perjury, it appears that the device mistakenly marketed on
Leetek's website under model number LTK-1400S was properly
authorized. Therefore the agency finds that a reduction of
the proposed forfeiture is warranted as to that model.
However having considered Leetek's response to the proposed
fine in light of the applicable statutory factors the FCC
concludes that Leetek did willfully and repeatedly violate
Section 2.803(a) of the Rules in connection with its
marketing of the uncertified LTK-1700CT pager transmitter
system, and is therefore liable for a forfeiture in the
amount of $7,000.

Im Jim Davis, W2JKD.

--

Because this was an affirmed fine, Leetek Payment was given
only fifteen calendar days after the release date of this
Forfeiture Order to pay the amount in full. That period is
now past. If the forfeiture was not paid within the period
specified, the FCC said that the case may be referred to the
U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement.
(FCC)

**

RADIO LAW: EXTENSION OF HEART MONITORING DEVICE GRANTED

The FCC has granted a request by Boston Scientific
Corporation to extend the existing waiver of Section 15.205
of its rules to continue tests of the company's Cognis
cardiac device.

The FCC says that granting Boston Scientifics' request will
permit this device to continue to use the 90 to 110 kHz
frequency band while Boston Scientific completes its ongoing
MultiSENSE clinical trial, begun in 2010, in which it is
using the Cognis device to collect physiologic data related
to patients' worsening heart failure.

The present waiver is scheduled to expire on November 17,
2012, and the extension will permit the continued
manufacture and marketing of the subject devices until
December 31, 2013, when the referenced clinical trial is
expected to complete its enrollment. (FCC)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS: EPISODE 4 OF YOUTH IN AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST
AVAILABLE

Episode 4 of the Youth in Amateur Radio Podcast is now
available for download. This month's topics include getting
on the air and how repeaters work. The report can be
downloaded on yarphams.com or on itunes, or the producers
RSS feed. As always please feel free to contact the
production team with comments and suggestions. They can be
reached by e-mail to Joe Andrews in care of kd0los (at)
yahoo (dot) com. (KD0LOS)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: MICHAEL J. OWEN AWARD CREATED BY IARU

Some names in the news. A new Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, Award
has been created and announced at the recently concluded
IARU Region 3 Conference held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual or
individuals that best exemplify the dedication and hard work
of International Amateur Radio Union volunteers.

At the same conference the Wireless Institute of Australia
proposed that an annual award or trophy be introduced in
Michael Owen's name for the highest Region 3 individual
operator score in the IARU High Frequency Contest. It
reported that the proposal was well received and the details
are to be announced at a later date. (RSGB)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: G4SWX NAMED NEW RSGB VHF MANAGER

The RSGB has announced the appointment of John Regnault,
G4SWX as the societies new VHF Manager. Regnault is
described as an active amateur on the VHF and UHF bands, a
long standing designer and home builder of VHF equipment and
a contributor to the RSGB publication RadCom. He replaces
David Butler, G4ASR, who took on the job temporarily
following the death of Terry Stevens, G8DKS, earlier in the
year. (RSGB)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: GREG WALDEN, W7EQI, RE-ELECTED TO
CONGRESS

Congressman Greg Walden, W7EQI, who is the chairman of the
House Energy and Commerce Committee's Communications
Subcommittee has been re-elected by a wide margin in
Oregon's second district. Walden pulled almost 70% of the
vote, according to unofficial results from the Oregon
Secretary of State. (Published News Reports)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: NEWSLINE'S WA6ITF TO APPEAR ON ECHOLINK
NET NOV. 17

Amateur Radio Newsline producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, will
be the featured guest on the Saturday night, November 17th
edition of the Echolink Newsline Net. The net meets every
Saturday at 9 p.m. Eastern on the Dodropin conference server
which is Echolink Node number 355800. According to Steve
Sercrest, W8WFO, this is not the original name for the
gathering. Rather, because it's been running our weekly
report for such a long time that those signing in began
calling it the Amateur Radio Newsline or Newsline network.
Again, you are welcome to join in the net conference at
Echolink node 355800 on Saturday night, November 17th at 9
p.m. Eastern to hear Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, talk
about numerous things in ham radio and do is best to answer
your questions. Bill says he hopes to meet many of you
there. (W8WFO)

**

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)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: BOEING UNVEILS EMP DRONE

From our technology page, it appears as if science fiction
has become a military fact. This after a successful missile
test has ushered in a new era of warfare in which the
military can take out electronic targets without destroying
a single building or harming human beings. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is here with the story:

--

According to news reports, back on October 16th an
experimental missile called CHAMP fired bursts of high power
microwave energy at an unoccupied site to damage computers
and other electronic systems during a test at the Utah Test
and Training Range. The Counter Electronics High Power
Microwave Advanced Missile Project flew over the Utah test
site and brought down the compound's entire spectrum of
electronic systems, apparently without producing any other
damage at all. Even cameras recording the test was shut
down.

Keith Coleman is the CHAMP program manager for Boeing
Phantom Works. He says that in the near future this
technology may be used to render an enemy's electronic and
data systems useless even before the first troops or
aircraft arrive.

The idea of using microwaves or electromagnetic pulses to
knock out electronic systems without having to reduce cities
or military bases to rubble first arose during Cold War
nuclear tests. There scientists found that explosions
created electromagnetic pulses that damaged some civilian
power grids and other facilities.

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

--

It will be interesting to see where the development of this
new electronic warfare device goes in years to come.
(Science OnLine, Business Insider, Discovery News, others)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: WORK PROCEEDING ON RECOVERY OF AO-27

Amsat Oscar 27 is down but not out. This according to
controllers who are working to return of the satellites FM
repeater back to service after it stopped responding on
October 5th. Heres the back story.

In early October AO-27 was restored to running on its
primary bootloader program. Control operators were able to
turn on the Transmitter for a short time on several
occasions. Also required were multiple recoveries the stuck
AFSK modem.

During recovery efforts AO-27 crashed once again on October
16. The command team again recovered the satellite to the
bootloader state. It was also recovered from another
occurrence of the AFSK modem problem and they again
performed another software upload.

On October 18 the transmitter was left on in an attempt to
discharge the batteries with the hope that faults could be
cleared. Once the battery was recharged the high-level
software aboard AO-27 ran for a few seconds before locking
up. The team was able to reset it back to the bootloader
once again. Telemetry indicate AO-27 is locking up while
fetching telemetry from the hardware. As such, controllers
say that it does not look like there will be a quick
resolution to this crash.

In the meantime the AO-27 controllers are asking the ham
radio public not to attempt to use the AO-27 if you hear it
in Amalog mode. This to prevent interfering with the
command team's recovery efforts. (AMSAT)

**

RADIO IN SPACE: JAPAN SCHEDULES FIRST LAUNCH OF NEW EPSILON
ROCKET

Japan is scheduled to launch its first Epsilon solid-fueled
rocket next August or September. The flight will deploy a
planetary telescope while on-orbit while demonstrating new
low-cost rocket assembly and control techniques, the
Japanese space agency announced last week.

The Epsilon program is designed to cut in half the cost of
Japanese small satellite launches. Japan's M5 rocket, which
launched seven times before retiring in 2006, cost $94
million per flight. Engineers designed the Epsilon rocket
with a simplified control system, and the vehicle's own
computers will autonomously monitor the status of its
systems during countdown.

Only a handful of engineers with laptop computers are
required on the launch control team. The Epsilon is also
designed to launch after only seven days of assembly on the
launch pad, reducing labor and overhead costs. (ANS)

**

CONTEST CORNER: RESULTS OF 2012 ARRL JUNE VHF CONTEST ON
LINE

Sean Kutzko, KX9X, who is the Leagues Contest Branch
Manager, says that the results for the 2012 ARRL June VHF
Contest are now available online. If you took part and want
to know where you placed, you can find out by taking your
web browser to www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles.
(KX9X)

**

SWL NEWS: L.A. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT'S TIS STATION GOES
DARK

If you are an A-M broadcast band DX'er and have not been
able to hear the Travelers Information Station on 530 kHz at
Los Angeles International Airport theres a good reason. It
has reportedly been off the air for a month or so. No word
as to why, but it does open up that frequency in the
Southwest United States for DX'ing a 50 Kilowatt religious
station in Turks and Caicos islands that operates on the
same frequency. (CGC)

**

SWL NEWS: UK REGULATOR OFCOM CANCELS 648 KHZ BBC NOV

British telecommunications regulator Ofcom has issued a
notice of variation the Wireless Telegraphy Act to Babcock
Communications Ltd. This to remove Babcock's authorization
to the frequency of 648 kHz previously used to broadcast the
BBC World Service.

Subject to international co-ordination, this frequency will
now be available for use by community radio licensing in
various parts of the UK, in addition to FM and other AM
frequencies that are already potentially available for this
purpose.

However, some note that the characteristics of 648 kHz is at
the lower end of the AM broadcast spectrum and therefore
requiring relatively large towers and transmitter sites.
This they say may make it less suitable for community radio
than other AM frequencies higher up in the Medium Wave band.

A Notice of Variation in the UK is very much like a Special
Temporary Authorization or STA issued here in the United
States by our FCC.

You can read the Ofcom announcement on line at
tinyurl.com/uk-nov-cancel (GB2RS)

**

DX

In DX, word that F8FQX will be active
from Cameroon as TJ3SN next 3 to 4 years. He will be
operational on High Frequency bands plus 6 meters using
various modes. QSL via IZ1BZV direct or electronically
using Logbook of the World.

Members of F6KOP team and others will be on the air
from Uganda next February 6th to the 18th as 5X8C. They
will be active on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY
and PSK. QSL via the bureau or electronically using Logbook
of the World.

AA9A will be active from Antigua Island February 10th to the
20th as V24A. His operation will include the 2013 ARRL DX
CW Contest. No bands or modes mentioned. QSL via home
call

HB9TUZ will be active as 8Q7MS from Gangehi Island Resort on
the North Ari Atoll Male in the Republic of the Maldives
from December 26th to January 3rd. His operation will be on
80 through 10 meters using SSB only. QSL electronically
only using eQSL.

Lastly the 2012 operation 5X1EME operation from Uganda has
been approved for DXCC credit. If you have a card for this
operation you can submit it to checkers to be added to your
DXCC total.

(Above courtesy of various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: DAYTON 2013 IS A DX HAMVENTION

The Dayton Hamvention has announced its theme for 2013.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl, Lasek, K9BIK, has the
details:

--

When the 2013 Dayton Hamvention opens its doors next May
17th the theme will be that of it being the DX Hamvention.
This according to General Chairman Charles Kaiser who says
that this name will reflect the distant contact which is an
important part of ham radio.

Kaiser says that the Dayton Hamvention is often an important
DX destination for amateurs from around the globe to visit.
Also, working DX is often a mix of band conditions, the
diligent application of radio theory and of coarse a little
bit of magic.

Kaiser noted that many attendees return to Dayton each year
to meet other hams that they have talked to on the radio.
He says that the quest for that distant contact advances
amateur radio on many levels so the Hamvention team is
honoring DX in all of its forms this year.

In the same press release, Kaiser announced that Jim
Tiderman, N8IDS, will serve as his assistant General
Chairman for 2013. Kaiser says that Tiderman has been
active in Hamvention for many years and brings a natural
leadership style to the Hamvention Team.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, not
far from Dayton in Zion Illinois.

--

Hamvention 2013 will take place next May 17th to the 19th at
its traditional home at the Hara Arena in suburban Trotwood,
Ohio For more information please visit www.hamvention.org
on the World-Wide-Web or e-mail . And
as always, we will se you there.
(Dayton Hamvention)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, World Disaster Report, 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 Newsline[TM]. 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 Newsline[TM],
28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350

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

Amateur Radio Newsline[TM] is Copyright 2012. All rights
reserved.