NZART Headquarters Infoline Issue 221
19-DECEMBER-2010
NZART Website: http://www.nzart.org.nz/home/

A Merry Christmas to All Our Subscribers
From The NZART President,
Business Manager, Council and Officers
In This Issue
*From The Business Manager ZL2DL
*The Official Broadcast is Available From The NZART Web Site
*AR NEWSLINE (USA) Gives ZL2BHF a Tribute
*Digital Amateur Television (DATV) UPDATE - 2
*FMTAG Notes For 19-December-2010 Infoline
*A Reminder About Contest Logs for the VHF-UHF Field Day Contest
*Updating Amateur Client Information
*Let There be Light
*National System Award 2011
*New Zealand Amateur Radio Day
*Banning AR Mobile Use in Canada?
*Spectrum Defense
*A Reminder For Conference Awards
*==Amateur of The Year AoTY
*==Arthur (Jumbo) Godfrey
*==Young Amateur of The Year (YAoTY)
*Web Update
*Weird and Wonderful
*Upcoming Events
*Contest News
*==VHF/UHF/SHF Contest 2011
*==Contest Calendar 2011
*Housekeeping
*==Update to Copy for Break-In From BI Editor
*Attachment(s) for Branches:
NZART Headquarters Infoline 221.doc

*******
Please think of the environment before printing this e-mail
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From The Business Manager ZL2DL
Debby says...
Well it's almost the end of the year and the last issue of HQ Info-line, I
wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and look forward to hearing
from you in the new year.

Headquarters will be open through the two short weeks between Christmas and
New year, plus will be open on Monday 10th January. However will then be
closed from 11th - 26th January.

Debby ZL2DL

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The Official Broadcast is Available From The NZART Web Site
If you want to catch-up on the latest Official Broadcast or just have a
browse and listen, they are available on the NZART Web Site.

The latest broadcast is normally available on the NZART Web Site around 8.30
pm on the night of the broadcast. So if your contest activity or Bar-B-Queue
happens during the time of the broadcast you can still hear it later from
the NZART Web Site.

Two years of broadcasts are held on the NZART Web Site.

To access the Official Broadcasts go to URL:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/h-quarter/broadcast/

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AR NEWSLINE (USA) Gives ZL2BHF a Tribute
On the 11-DECEMBER-2010 Jim Meachen received a surprise when he received an
e-mail from the American Amateur Radio News organisation NEWSLINE. Attached
to this e-mail was a tribute to Jim's 25 years attachment to the NZART
Official Broadcast from Bill Pasternak WA6ITF President, and Co-Founder of
Newsline.

The tribute can be heard by clicking on this LINK.
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Digital Amateur Television (DATV) UPDATE - 2"
On Sunday, the 19th of December, 2010, a group of Wellington and Hutt Valley
Amateurs simultaneously multiplexed four video and audio streams into one
digital television transmission, having half the occupied bandwidth of the
4th of December test transmissions, reported in HQ Infoline 220.

The DVB-T modulation format was used, which is receivable on a Digital
Terrestrial TV receiver, or set-top box.

The first transmission was on the 70 cm band at a power level of 5
milliwatts; the second transmission was on Channel 39 (614 to 622 MHz) at a
power level of 10 microwatts.

Further development and testing is planned, to confirm the compatibility of
the transmissions with in-band and adjacent-channel services.

The team was led by Doug, ZL2TAR, assisted by Gavin, ZL2TVM, Dick, ZL2TGQ,
and Phil, ZL2TIQ.

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FMTAG Notes For 19-December-2010 Infoline
Proposals
The Radio Electronics Group has applied to move its 2-metre repeater to
Peacockes Road, Topo50 map reference BD33 030.88 129.32. We have selected a
repeater transmit frequency of 147.125 MHz and a repeater receive frequency
of 147.725 MHz. An Engineering Evaluation shows that there will be no
interference to other stations.

The Radio Electronics Group has applied to move its 70-centimetre repeater
to Peacockes Road, Topo50 map reference BD33 030.88 129.32. We have selected
a repeater transmit frequency of 438.875 MHz and a repeater receive
frequency of 433.875 MHz. An Engineering Evaluation shows that there will be
no interference to other stations.

SRD Interference to 70cm Repeaters
Please refer to page 28 Of November/December 2010 Break-In.

With reference to solution number 3, it may be necessary to add a CTCSS
encode to the repeater's transmitter and a CTCSS decoder to the user's
receiver, since the output frequency of an inverted repeater is within the
frequency range of the SRD transmitters.

FMTAG has also received the following question:
"What is the likely interference range of a maximum power, legal, Short
Range Device on the input frequency of a modern, full performance, Amateur
repeater?"

The theoretical range, under free-space propagation conditions is about 160
km for a fully quieting input signal, and about 500 km for nuisance
triggering.

However, under practical propagation conditions, including path
obstructions, and the curvature of the Earth's surface, the interference
range will be somewhat reduced.

December MED Licence Renewal - A Reminder
As at the close-of-business on Friday the 17th of December, Licence Fee
payment had not been received at NZART HQ from the following Branch:

05 Christchurch

Final Recommendations to NZART Council
NZART Council, at its December 7th meeting approved the following
application.

Branch 74 Wellington VHF Group has applied for a Spectrum Licence on TV
Channel 39 for its Belmont ATV repeater, to replace its previous Radio
Licence, cancelled by the MED as part of the Digital Switch-Over process.
The location is Belmont, Topo50 map reference BQ32 568.79 398.86. All of the
engineering parameters are unchanged from those of the cancelled licence.

Comments and Applications
Please send your comments and suggestions on the above matters, and on any
other FMTAG matters, by e-mail to:
?subject=FMTAG_INFOLINE
Applications for repeaters, beacons, digipeaters, point-to-point links, and
so on, should be made on the latest version of FMTAG Form 10. The latest
versions of FMTAG Form 10, and the explanatory Form 10A, are available at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/nzart/fmtag/
Completed forms should be sent by e-mail to:
?subject=FMTAG_INFOLINE
END

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A Reminder About Contest Logs for the VHF-UHF Field Day Contest
The close-off date for submitting Contest Logs for the VHF-UHF Field Day
Contest, held on the 4th and 5th of December, is fast approaching.

Any remaining Contest Logs should be submitted by email to:

?subject=CONTEST_LOG

with Contest Log in the Subject line.
Many thanks
ZL2WA

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Updating Amateur Client Information
Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) have advised NZART that they have begun
emailing Amateurs that have an email address in SMART requesting them to
update their Client information.

RSM will send out around 500 emails a day to the 3500 Amateur clients that
have an email address. The 500 figure was chosen because RSM did not want to
provide a poor service by overloading their Contact Centre.

The email from RSM suggests that Amateurs log on and complete the updating
themselves but RSM are expecting some phone calls to the Contact Centre.

RSM is already getting many email bounces from the first 500 emails sent.
Clients that return an email bounce will get a letter in the New Year along
with the approximately 2000 Amateurs who had no email address recorded in
SMART.

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Let There be Light
IBM scientists have unveiled a chip technology called CMOS Integrated
Silicon Nanophotonics, integrating electrical and optical devices on the
same piece of silicon.

According to IBM, this means computer chips will be able to communicate
using pulses of light instead of electrical signals, boosting power
efficiency and speed, while miniaturising chips.

IBM claims CMOS Integrated Silicon Nanphotonics enables over 10X improvement
in integration density than is feasible with current manufacturing
techniques...

For more information please see:
http://www.electronicsnews.com.au/ne...there-be-light
ZL1GWE

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National System Award 2011
New Zealand Railway Stations
The railway network in New Zealand once had extensive coverage and service
all over the country. The National System aims to provide wide coverage and
reliable service to most of the country. New nodes are still being added to
the system and we are not likely to be “pulling up the rails” anytime
soon!...

Full rules are at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/a...em-award-2011/

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New Zealand Amateur Radio Day
Purpose
The purpose of the New Zealand Amateur Radio Day is to promote our hobby to
the public so that some may be encouraged to join the local club, take on
classes and become amateur radio operators.

Time
From 1000-1200 hours local time annually on the 3rd Saturday of January

Location
Any prominent and public location where there is plenty of public foot
traffic. The location will most likely require council (or other landowner)
approval. Make sure this is sought and obtained in plenty of time as
councils often have minimum notification times.

Logs
You are required to keep a log of all stations worked during the 2 hours.
Logs must include the callsign of the station worked, time, frequency, and
any other information you may like to include.

Callsign
Use of club callsigns is encouraged, however individuals may also set up a
station using his or her own callsign.

Prior Publicity
For this exercise to be a success prior publicity is essential. Make ever
effort to publicise the event through local club magazines, local newspapers
and other media outlets as much as possible.

Publicity on the day
As the aim of this exercise is to promote our hobby to the public, have
material to hand out on the day. A liaison person or persons should be
nominated for this task. People with good communication skills are
recommended to take on this role. This person should have a thorough
understanding of the systems and modes being used on the day as they will be
inundated with questions. Cards, pamphlets and other such giveaways, with
club representative contact details are a must. Get copies of the latest
amateur radio promotional brochure from Debby at NZART HQ. If you have a
class coming up make sure the details are included on any handout material.
Take down details of people who express an interest in the hobby and follow
them up.

Contacts
Contacts are to be made with other NZARD stations, or home stations willing
to work NZARD stations. Interested public should be encouraged to have a go
on the air under direct supervision.

Bands and Modes
Operation on the day can be on any band and any mode. The national system,
IRLP nodes, 80 and 40m would be recommended as a starting point for New
Zealand based contacts. Digital modes and CW may also be used to attract
interest.

Other Rules
While this is a field type operation, mains may be used if available.

Make sure your equipment is working and presentable to the public before the
event.

Afterwards
Please write an activity report and submit it with your log to
. There is no scoring of contacts made during the day.
Activity reports will be submitted to Break In. It is imperative to follow
up any names collected on the day. Invite them to a club night, or get them
involved in activities. Encourage them to study and get a callsign. All this
will help boost club membership.

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Banning AR Mobile Use in Canada?
RAC Bulletin 2010-039E - Distracted Driving Legislation Continues to be on
Provincial Agendas; New Brunswick introduces Legislation Banning Cell Phone
and Two Way Radio Use
2010-12-11
Provinces have a responsibility to legislate requirements respecting road
safety on public roadways and the virtually ubiquitous use of cell phones
for voice and texting communication has created new challenges for
legislators. RAC agrees with the need for provinces to address cell phone
use.

Most provinces [eg. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, BC, Quebec, Newfoundland and
Labrador to name five] have chosen not to restrict the operation of mobile
amateur radio equipment during driving. These governments have recognized
the value of amateur radio to their citizens. Amateur radio has served the
citizens of Canada during such emergencies such as floods, dangerous weather
and ice storms, in support of public events such as Marathons and in support
of agencies such as the Red Cross and a variety of provincial and municipal
agencies across Canada. The support provided by amateur radio is frequent,
freely given and in the highest standard of public service...

More at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/news/2010-ne...10-news/#dec02

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== + Spectrum Defense
WHAT ROLE CAN YOU PLAY TO DEFEND OUR AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM?
The third edition of Spectrum Defense Matters -- a newsletter aimed at
keeping ARRL members updated on issues related to the protection of Amateur
Radio frequencies -- has just been released on the ARRL Web site. This
newsletter covers both domestic and international topics related to the
Amateur Radio spectrum. Your financial support is vital to continue the
ARRL's work to protect your operating privileges. You can help protect these
privileges by contributing generously to the 2010 ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund
before December 31.

"The coming year will see the completion of preparations for the next World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12 ), to be held in Geneva in January and
February 2012," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. " We
hope for favorable outcomes on the agenda items we care about -- but that
will not be the end of it. This WRC will recommend an agenda for the next
one, later in the decade. Will that agenda pose serious threats to amateur
spectrum? Will it include the possibility of new or expanded amateur
allocations? The answers will depend in part on work being done on your
behalf today, in Geneva and within regional telecommunications organizations
that cover the globe."

This edition of Spectrum Defense Matters includes articles on how the IARU
works with the world's six regional telecommunications organizations, a look
at how the FCC's National Broadband Plan could affect the Amateur Radio
Service and a message from ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price,
N4QX, outlining many of the ways the ARRL advocates for the defense of your
spectrum.

Read more here
http://www.arrl.org/news/what-role-c...-our-amateur-r
adio-spectrum.

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A Reminder For Conference Awards
Amateur of The Year AoTY
Award to be made to the radio amateur who in the preceding 12 month calendar
year (January to December) has given outstanding service to Amateur Radio.

Details are found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/a...r-of-the-year/

Arthur (Jumbo) Godfrey
The purpose of this award is to remember one of New Zealand's most well
known radio amateurs, who fully supported NZART Inc and branch level
activities, in the belief that strong branches meant a strong national
organisation.

Details are found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/a...jumbo-godfrey/

Young Amateur of The Year (YAoTY)
To Recognise The Young Amateur of the Year. Last award given out in 2005.

Details are found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/a...ce/young-aoty/

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Web Update
Added to NZART Web - Branches/Central
A new Web Site link belonging to the Wellington Amateur Radio Club, NZART
Branch 50 has been added to the NZART Web. Also added is a link to a project
belonging to the Wellington ARC and that is the Quartz Hill Project. The
links for these two can be found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/branches/central/

Jamie Pye ZL2NN

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Weird and Wonderful
Life a Number of Centuries Ago
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw pile high, with no wood underneath. It
was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small
animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery
and sometime the animals would slip and fall off the roof.

Hence the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a
real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up
your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the
top afforded some protection.

That’s how canopy beds came into existence.

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May,
and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell,
so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour.

Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

From Shacknews, Newsletter From Highveld ARC South Africa
http://www.nzart.org.nz/council/promotion/#shacknews


You-Are-Doing-It-Wrong!

___oooOOOooo___

Information Sources
Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA),
The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), and
American Radio Relay League (ARRL)

___oooOOOooo___

Upcoming Events
1.. New Zealand Amateur Radio Day
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/e...eur-radio-day/

2.. Te Puke Amateur Radio Club Inc. Sale 5-March-2011
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/e...puke-arc-sale/

3.. Wellington EXPO-11 & VHF Convention 23-April-2011
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/events/expo-2011/

4.. UPPER HUTT NZART Conference 2011 -
Pre-registration Prize Draw and Update
http://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/e...per-hutt-conf/

Contest News
VHF/UHF/SHF Contest 2011
VHF++ DX Weekend Contest (1st SAT FEB) 05/06-FEB-2011
The rules are at: http://www.vhf.org.nz/VHF-UHF-SHF-ContestRules

Contest Calendar 2011
Contest Name
Date(s)

2011 Ross Hull VK VHF (Logs in by 14-FEB)
ALL-JAN-2011

VHF++ DX Weekend Contest (1st SAT FEB)
05/06-FEB-2011

***Boat Anchor Sprint (2nd SAT FEB)
12-FEB-2011

2011 PACC (Dutch) DX Contest
12/13-FEB-2011

ARRL CW
19/20-FEB-2011

Jock White Field Day (last full WE FEB)
26/27-FEB-2011






***Future Contests
In the results, received from ZL2KH, for the Nostalgia Night Contest, held
on Saturday, 11 September 2010 there was a footnote that said:

"Because of a lack of participation, Mike ZL1MDS and Barrie ZL2LA have
decided that Boat Anchor Sprints and Nostalgia Night contests will be
cancelled in the meantime."

Housekeeping
1.. Break-In-Closing Date Reminder: Copy for the JANUARY/FEBRUARY issue of
Break-In-closes on 10-JANUARY-2011

2.. Copy for Break-In: Copy is welcome in most electronic formats but
word.doc files are preferred. Photos and other graphics should be send as
separate discrete files (*.jpg preferred); not as embedded pix in the body
of the text. Please ensure that suitable descriptive captions/legends are
included with your copy.
All received copy will be acknowledged to confirm receipt.
Thank you for your cooperation.
John Walker ZL3IB Editor.

3.. Break-In: Early receipt of copy is much appreciated

4.. Break-In-Yearly Contents Index: Can be found from 1947 at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/assets/break...-bi-index.html

5.. Break-In AREC Column: The close-of-copy date is the 03-JANUARY-2011
for articles for publication in the AREC COLUMN OF BREAK-IN. Photos, if
available, to be on a separate floppy or CD (with captions), posted DIRECTLY
TO US. Use Call Book address. All other material can go to e-mail:
or

6.. The ARRL and WIA Weekly News: Can be found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/news/2010-news/

7.. Subscribe to and Un-Subscribe From Infoline: Please go to web at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/join/e-mail-...infoline-list/

Next NZART Official Broadcast is on SUNDAY 27-FEBRUARY-2011
Next HQ-Infoline e-mailed on SUNDAY 23-JANUARY-2011
Headquarters-Infoline is a twice-monthly bulletin of news from NZART
Headquarters. News and items of a general or technical interest are also
included that are obtained from various amateur sources. The bulletins are
e-mailed directly to Branches, the amateur radio packet Bulletin Board
Service and to others that subscribe through the NZART Website at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/join/e-mail-...infoline-list/

Past and present Infolines can be found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/h-quarter/infoline/
Where HTML, PDF and DOC formats can be found for the 2010 e-mailed Issues of
Infoline.

A yearly timetable of when to expect the Official Broadcast and Infoline can
be found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/h-quarter/in...011-timetable/

Regards, Jamie Pye ZL2NN, Editor