Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1811 - April 27 2012

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1811 with a release date of April
27th, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Japan says it will be launching 16 educational
ham-sats; NASA says now is time for educators to request I-S-S contacts
for 2013; UK hams learn of ham band restrictions during the 2012
Olympics; US hams will not be affected by Part 90 narrow-banding and a
new video on VHF and UHF digital audio is on-line. Find out the
details are on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1811 coming
your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)


**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: JAPAN TO LAUNCH 16 NEW EDUCATIONAL HAM-SATS

Japan says that it plans to launch sixteen educational satellites over
the next two years. The tiny birds are currently under construction in
Japan with the first launch to take place on May 17th followed by the
others in as rapid succession as possible. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Butera-Howell, KB3TZD, has the details:

--

The first of the new birds to be launched will be the amateur radio
satellite HORYU-2 built by students at the Kyushu Institute of
Technology. Its mission is to take pictures of the Earth using a small
C-MOS camera called SCAMP that was developed by the University of
Surrey in the UK. The SCAMP camera takes a 640x480 pixel picture in
the popular JPEG format. That means from 700 km altitude, one pixel
corresponds to 1.6 km.

HORYU-2 will be followed in July by the transport of several items to
the International Space Station. This mission will deliver the
Japanese Experiment Module Small Satellite Orbital Deployer or JEM
along with the Japanese CubeSats WE-WISH, FITSAT-1 and RAIKO. These
CubeSats should be deployed from the ISS in September using the JEM and
robot arm.

FITSAT-1 may be the most interesting of these. It will use a neodymium
magnet for attitude control. It will also have multiple downlinks.
These include CW on 437.250 MHz, AX.25 on 437.445 MHz and a 4 watt high
speed data transmitter on 5840 MHz. The latter is capable of sending a
640 by 480 VGA JPEG image in 6 seconds.

In addition to its other experiments, FITSAT-1 will also carry a set of
high power LED's that will be driven with 100W pulses to produce
extremely bright flashes. It is hoped, will be observable by the
unaided eye or with small binoculars from the ground. Both the 5840
MHz and optical downlinks have a high power consumption so it may be
that they are only activated only over Japan.

In December the TSUBAME satellite is planned to be launched on a
Japanese H-IIA booster. It will carry a CW beacon on 437.250 MHz and
AX.25 packet at 1200 and 9600 bit per second telemetry on 437.505 MHz.
The remaining satellites will be placed into orbit on subsequent
flights.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Butera-Howell, KB3TZD, bear
Burwick, Pennsylvania.

--

Further information on all the satellites can be found on line at
www.uk.amsat.org/6691 (AMSAT-UK, JA-AMSAT)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NASA OPENS PROPOSAL CYCLE FOR 2013 CLASSROOM ISS
CONTACTS

NASA's Teaching From Space Office has announced a new proposal cycle
for United States ARISS school contacts. Proposals may be submitted
from April 23rd through July 2nd for contacts that will be scheduled
beginning in January 2013.

NASA says that informational sessions will be held to answer any
questions concerning the proposal process. To attend a session or to
have questions answered, contact the Teaching From Space office by
e-mail to JSC-TFS-ARISS (at) mail (dot) nasa (dot) gov. You can also
call the office during normal business hours Eastern time at
281-244-1919. More information is on the Teaching From Space website
at tinyurl.com/teach-from-space. (NASA)

**

RADIO SAFETY: RADIO HOBBYIST LOOSES LIFE IN ANTENNA ACCIDENT

A sad story from down-under where a radio hobbyist has been killed in a
strange accident. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News is here with
whats known so far:

--

Police are investigating the death of a man who fell from his vehicle
onto an antenna at his hobby farm. The 51 year-old man is believed to
have suffered fatal injuries after he fell onto the 20 meter high metal
antenna at the Cunderdin property in Western Australia.

Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said the antenna was used for
surveying services, and had been removed by the man from the roof rack
of his Landcruiser utility before the incident. Initial investigations
reveal that he may have slipped from the top of the car and fallen onto
the antenna.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News
in Australia.

--

As we go to air the victim has not been identified by authorities. Nor
is it known if he may have been a VK radio amateur. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/7kehv5s (VK4BAT, WIA News)

**

2012 OLYMPICS: UK REGULATOR OFCOM ANNOUNCES HAM BAND RESTRICTIONS
DURING 2012 OLYMPICS

Details of amateur band frequency restrictions during the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games have now been released by U-K
Telecommunications regulator Ofcom. The greatest impact to ham radio
appears to be satellite and other operations in the 436 to 437 Mhz
segment of 70 centimeters. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley,
KI7UP, explains why:

--

Parts of the 70, 13 and 9 centimeter amateur bands in the United
Kingdom will face restrictions between June 28th and September 23rd.
This, due to need for spectrum during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games.

The restrictions only apply in geographically limited areas, with 70cm
being particularly affected around London and Weymouth. Also hard hit
by the restrictions will be ham radio satellite operations.

According to a notice on the AMSAT-UK web site the Amateur-satellite
Service allocation in the 435 to 438 MHz range will be restricted to
436.25 to 437.25 MHz. This is based on an understanding that the
equipment being used for Olympics communications in the 430 MHz band
will include handheld FM rigs at the hotels, the routes to the venues
and at the venues themselves.

The U-K communications regulator Ofcom say the use of radio by amateurs
in the designated areas could cause interference to various
communications at the games. Also, it is possible that higher power
transmissions from outside these areas could cause interference as
well. Consequently, to avoid the risk of interference, Ofcom has
requested that United Kingdom amateurs do not operate within the
frequency ranges it has outlined. This says AMSAT-UK means that the
spectrum identified by Ofcom should be avoided for a considerable
distance outside the designated Olympic communications zones.

AMSAT-UK notes that a well equipped station on a good site 75 km or
more from the edge of an Olympics communications zone could still put a
fairly decent signal into that area.

Newsline did a bit of research and found that the closest heavily
populated mainland European city to London appears to be Calais,
France. This is mainly over water path only about 93 airline miles or
149 kilometers away from the closest Olympic venue.

That said, Ofcom has so far not asked the French or any other European
telecommunications administrations to restrict their nations Amateur
Service allocations during the Olympic and Paralympic games.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Norm Seeley, KI7UP, far from the U-K
in Scottsdale, Arizona.

--

More on this is on-line at www.uk.amsat.org/6574 and RSGB.org/olympics.
(GB2RS, AMSAT-UK, ARNewsline(tm))

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W7KYC
repeater serving Portland Oregon.

(5 sec pause here)


**

RADIO RULES: US PART 97 HAM RADIO NOT AFFECTED BY FCC PART 90
NARROWBANDING

A lot of mis-information is going around in amateur radio FM and
repeater circles regarding an upcoming FCC mandate on narrow-banding
communications in the 150 to 512 MHz spectrum is finally being
debunked. Ham radio is not affected by this change as we hear from
Amateur radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK:

--

Much of the mis-information regarding narrowband on amateur radio FM
appears to be coming from hams who have purchased various low cost Part
90 radios built in China. These radios are capable of narrowband
operation on the 2 meter and 70 centimeter ham bands in addition to
Part 90 frequencies.

The manuals that come with these radios are written with Part 90 users
in mind and much of the material has no meaning to Part 97 Amateur
Service operations. However, some hams do not realize this and that's
likely the way the erroneous rumors that ham radio FM and repeater
operations at 70 centimeters and above would have to narrowband got
started.

To make it clear, ham radio is not affected in any way by this FCC
edict and your ham gear is not going to become obsolete.

The switch to 12.5 KHz from the current 25 KHz channel spacing only
affects operations in the FCC Part 90 regulated services. There is no
narrow band mandate by the FCC for Part 97 ham radio operations. Hams
are free to voluntarily switch to narrowband operations if they so
desire, but the Amateur Part 97 Service as a whole is not obligated to
make any change.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion,
Illinois.

--

Once again, ham radio is in no way affected by the switch of Part 90 to
narrowband operation. What ham radio decides is strictly up to those
within the hobby to determine. (Repeater Remailer, ARNewsline(tm))

**

ENFORCEMENT: FCC SAYS IT WONT RECONSIDER NYC $10000 FINE

The FCC has told Alexander Kissi, that he must pay a $10,000 fine for
operating of an unlicensed radio broadcast station on the frequency
96.5 MHz in Bronx, New York. In its April 20th Memorandum Opinion and
Order, the FCC noted that back on February 28 and March 1, 2008, agents
in the Enforcement Bureau's New located the unlicensed transmitter at a
two-story building on White Plains Road in the Bronx. After completing
the field strength measurements the agents returned to conduct a
station inspection. The agents spoke to a man who worked there and a
woman who was doing a live radio broadcast from a small broadcast
studio. In response to agents' questions both the man and the woman
stated that Alexander Kissi was in charge of the station, but that he
was not there at the time. The agents reached Kissi by phone on March
6, 2008, at which time he took full responsibility for operation of the
station.

On June 18, 2008, the New York Office issued Mr. Kissi a Notice of
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture by operating an unlicensed radio
transmitter and proposing a forfeiture in the amount of $10,000. Mr.
Kissi did not file a response to the NAL. So on September 11,2008, the
Enforcement Bureau's Northeast Region issued a Forfeiture Order
affirming the findings and assessing a $10,000 forfeiture.

That's when Kissi filed an appeal in which he claimed that he was out
of town at the time the unlicensed transmissions took place. He also
asserted that a construction worker had stolen his radio transmission
equipment for the purpose of selling. Also that when the construction
worker was doing equipment tests, he mistakenly left the equipment
running for several days.

But in denying the appeal the FCC says that Kissi does not meet any of
the three criteria that would allow the Bureau to consider his
Petition. This is because Kissi accepted responsibility for the
unauthorized operation just five days after the violation. Therefore
his new assertions regarding the theft of his radio transmission
equipment directly contradicts his March 6, 2008, admission to an FCC
agent that he was fully responsible for the operation of the station on
February 28, 2008, and March 1, 2008.

Given that it finds this newly-presented information unsubstantiated
and unreliable, the FCC says that it does not believe that further
consideration of the Petition would serve the public interest. For
these reasons, the FCC says it finds no basis for reconsideration and
therefore affirms the finding in the Forfeiture Order. Its given Kissi
the customary 30 days to pay the $10,000 fine or take the matter to
further appeal. (FCC)

**

PUBLIC SERVICE: MORE HAMS NEEDED FOR PROJECT BREAD WALK COMMUNICATIONS
IN BOSTON

Eric Horwitz, KA1NCF, tells Newsline that there is still need for more
volunteer ham radio operators for this years Boston, Massachusetts area
Project Bread Walk for Hunger. The walk takes place Sunday, May 6th and
is the 44th ouuting of the event.

Horowitz says that they need people to provide communications support
for the Project Bread Staff and volunteers along the 20 mile route. If
you will be in the Boston area on May 6th and are interested in helping
out this year, go to www.mmra.org/wfh to log in and fill out the signup
form. (KA1NCF)

**

HAMVENTION 2012: UNPAID RESERVED GREEN FLEA SPACES NOW AVAILABLE FOR
RENT

Any reserved Dayton Hamvention Flea Market Green booth space that has
not been paid for or payment armaments made have been released and are
available for rental.

According to the Hamvention's Assistant Flea Market Chairman Stan
Leeds, KC7EHJ, to find out what is available simply just take your web
browser to tinyurl.com/flea-spaces-green. Then scroll to the bottom of
the left side of the screen and click the "View Floor Plan" link. This
will give a map of rented, reserved and available spaces. From this
link you can also use the web portal for ordering a space if you so
desire. (Hamventionc Remailer)

**

HAM VIDEO: DIGITAL MOBILE RADIO ON HAM RADIO NOW

The future of digital audio in VHF and UHF amateur radio is the subject
of a video conversation between video producer Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, and
expert Jeff Parker, WA1WXL, who works for Motorola Solutions. The
video presents a discussion of alternative digital audio systems
available today and what may be coming to the ham radio market in the
very near future. You can see it on line as Episode 7 of Pearce's Ham
Radio New series. The URL is hamradionow.tv. (Various)

**

HAM RADIO PROMOTION: FREE POSTERS FROM THE RSGB

The Radio Society of Great Britain has made available a collection of
high quality amateur radio promotional posters that can be used when
demonstrating the hobby to the general public. These posters are in
Adobe .PDF format are being provided free of charge to the amateur
radio community for the purpose of promoting the hobby.

It should be noted that the posters do contain the RSGB logo and
contact information making then basically more useful to UK hams than
others. You can see them and download them at www.rsgb.org/posters.
(RSGB)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: VE3RXA NAMED DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR RAC N/E. ONTARIO
REGION

Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA of Ottawa is the new Deputy Director for Radio
Amateurs of Canada, North East Ontario Region. By way of background,
VE3XRA was employed by the Canadian Federal Government in various
departments as diverse as Environmental issues to Foreign Affairs.

Bill Unger, VE3XT, is the North East Ontario Regional Director for the
Canadian national society. He says that MacDonell will bring some
iportent administration, innovation and management skills to Radio
Amateurs of Canads. As such Unger says that he is looking forward to
working with him as part of the North-East Ontario team. (RAC)

**

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)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD: AUTHOR ROBERT L. SHRADER, W6BNB -S.K.

The changing of the guard in amateur radio continues. This with the
sad news that writer and author Robert L. Shrader, W6BNB, became a
Silent Key on Wednesday, April 11th.

The author of numerous books and articles dealing with almost every
area of communications, possibly his best known work was the textbook
Electronic Communications, which was first published in 1959 and is
currently in its 6th edition from McGraw Hill.

Robert Shrader, W5BNB, is survived by his wife Dorothy, W6ECU, a son
Doug, KJ6TEJ, and daughter Patricia. At the time of his passing Robert
Shrader was age 98. (PressDemocrat, others)

**

WORLDBEAT - JAPAN: ULTRA THIN FLEXIBLE BATTERIES EXPECTED IN 2013

In news from around the world, an ultra-thin flexible battery is on its
way from Japan electronic giant NEC. According to reports, the company
has worked for over a decade to design an organic battery is just one
one-hundredth of an inch thick, can refresh a teeny screen 2,000 times
and can be recharged in less than a minute.

In 2013, the battery is expected to be included in such items as
enhanced credit and debit cards that display balances, electronic hotel
keys, subway and train passes, and in much slimmer and lighter smart
phones. The organic battery is also expected to pave the way for
slender flat-screen displays and e-readers with a texture that feels
like paper. (Kiplinger, CGC)

**

WORLDBEAT - CANADA: ONTARIO EXPECTED TO EXTEND HAM RADIO HAND HELD
DEVICE LAW ANOTHER FIVE YEARS

Some good news for hams living in the Canadian Province of Ontario. You
likely will be able to continue to operate mobile using a hand mic or
other hand held device for at least another 60 months.

On April 16th the Ontario Ministry of Transportation posted a
regulatory notice proposing a change to Ontario motor vehicle
regulations that deal with the use of display screens and hand-held
devices in motor vehicles. If approved it would extend the present
exemption for licensed amateur radio operators for an additional five
years.

As previously reported, Radio Amateurs of Canada has been lobbying for
a permanent exemption for ham radio since this regulation was first
enacted back in 2009. The current exemption was due to expire at the
end of this calendar year. (VE3XT, RAC)

**

ON THE AIR: W4F COMMEMORATES 2010 NASHVILLE FLOODS

Back in the USA, Tennessee's Sumner County ARES team will be hosting a
special event station W4F on Saturday, May 12th. This to commemorate
the 2nd Anniversary of the 2010 Nashville Flood and give recognition to
the amateur radio community that responded to that disaster.

W4F will be on the air from 10 am to 7 pm Central Standard Time. If
you make contact, QSL via WR1Q at his call book address. More is
on-line at specialevent.sumnerares.org (N4WRD)

**

DX

In DX, word that DL6UAA will once again be back on Mauritius as 3B8MM,
but the length of his stay is unknown at this time. His on the air
activity is usually on 160 through 10 meters using mostly CW. Some SSB
and Digital will also be possible. QSL via DL6UAA, either via the
Bureau or direct.

IRO, is expected to be in Uganda on a work assignment starting early
May. He is hoping to get a license during the first week of his
arrival. Once secured, listen out for him on CW on the upper HF bands,
especially on 10 MHz. QSL routes include F8DFP, the French Cureau or
direct with a self addressed envelope and include one I-R-C.

J28AA will once again be active as 6O3A from Somalia between May 25th
and the 31st. His operation will be on SSB, RTTY and 50 MHz. QSL via
K2PF.

F5VHJ will operate the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest from Senegak as
6W1RY this October. He plans to be on as a Single-Operator All-Band
High-Power entry. QSL via F5VHJ, direct, by the Bureau or Logbook of
the World.

Members of the Oceania DX Group be operational as YJ0VK from Efate
Island, Vanuatu through May 5th. Activity will be on all HF bands
160-10 meters, with an emphasis on 30/17/12 meter bands using CW, SSB,
RTTY and PSK31. QSL via VK2CA, direct or by the Bureau.

Lastly DJ2EH is currently active as 9H3XX from Malta. The length of his
stay is not known at this time but he has been heard on 30, 17, 12 and
6 meters using CW. QSL via DJ2EH.

(Above from various DX news sources)


**

THAT FINAL ITEM: NORTH FLORIDA SCOUTING COUNCIL TO INAUGURATE KB4SA

And finally this week, we say congratulations to a group of scouts who
have chartered a new scouting amateur radio station. Heres Mark
Abramowicz, NT3V, with the details:

--

Hams in the Jacksonville area had been helping Scouts in the North
Florida Council earn their Radio merit badges over the years.

But they were looking to do more for the Scouts and for ham radio.

Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, says a group of those hams finally decided to
make a move.

"We approached one of the local Scout camps here in the area and talked
to them about it and they said, 'Yes, we're all for it, let's do it,'
Roberts says.

"And, basically, at that point, amateur radio club KB4SA was born."

The station is being set up at Camp Echockotee in Orange Park, Florida.
It also has backing from Clay County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
operators.

Roberts says KB4SA will be staffed by Scouters and Scouts looking to
share the fun of the amateur radio hobby.

On Saturday, May 12, Roberts says the station will launch operations
with a special event station from the camp. And he's looking to make
contacts with.

"Other Scout clubs, with other DX stations that are around that can be
available that day to talk to the Scouts and kind of make it a big hit
for some of these Scouts that have been on the radio before and then
some of those that have never been on the radio before," Roberts says.

You can find more about the KB4SA operation by going online to our
website, arnewsline.org for a link (http://kb4sa.org) to information
about the station and the frequencies.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in
Philadelphia.

--

Our congratulations to The North Florida Council on its upcoming
inauguration of amateur radio station KB4SA. If you hear the station
on the air please be sure to give the scouts operating it a call and
say hello. (N. FL. Council, NT3V)

**

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 Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is
newsline(at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) 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

A reminder that the nominating period for the 2012 Amateur Radio
Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is now open. Full details and a
downloadable nominating form are on our website at
arnewsline.org/yhoty.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Fred
Vobbe, W8HDU, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.