SB NEWSLIN @ ALLBBS $NLIN.976 Amateur Radio Newsline #976 27 Apr 1996 The Newsline Information and Copyright Notice is now published seperately every month. Please read this notice before using any part of Newsline in any manner. For a copy of the notice e-mail bigsteve@dorsai.org or netmail Steve Coletti @ 1:278/230 on Fidonet. NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #976 - 04/27/96 (*************************************************) (* *) (* A M A T E U R *) (* *) (* R A D I O *) (* *) (* N E W S L I N E *) (* *) (*************************************************) The following is late news about Amateur Radio for Radio Amateurs as prepared from NEWSLINE RADIO scripts by the staff of the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, INC., formerly the WESTLINK RADIO NETWORK. Amateur Radio Newsline is a audio news service distributed via telephone. This hardcopy version is produced by Dale Cary - WD0AKO from scripts provided to him weekly by Newsline. It is then distributed to on-line services, bbs networks and internet user jointly by Dale Cary and Steve Coletti. Editorial comments, news item and all other business should be directed to: Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF Newsline Producer & Editor Internet E-mail: 3241437@mcimail.com MCI E-mail: WESTRADIO Phone: (805) 296-7180 Fax: (805) 296-7180 (Fax senders wait for voice prompt.) Hardcopy comments or complements can be directed to: Dale Cary, WD0AKO Hardcopy Distribution for Newsline Internet E-mail: wd0ako@rrnet.com Phone: (218) 236-6324 The audio version of Newsline can be recorded from one of the currently operating lines listed below. This list is kept as accurate as possible. If any changes are not listed, please contact Dale Cary, WD0AKO at the above listed addresses. Audio Version of Newsline ========================= Los Angeles........................ (213) 462-0008 Los Angeles (Instant Update Line).. (805) 296-2407 Seattle............................ (206) 368-3969 Seattle............................ (206) 281-8455 Tacoma............................. (206) 927-7373 Louisville......................... (502) 894-8559 Dayton............................. (513) 275-9991 Chicago............................ (708) 289-0423 New York City...................... (718) 284-0752 Melbourne, Florida................. (407) 768-7447 Houston, Texas..................... (713) 362-4650 Conroe, Texas...................... (409) 525-6250 Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline ======================================= GEnie (RTC Bulletin Board)............. m345;1 GEnie (File Library)................... m345;3 Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... (214) 492-7573 In bulletin number 36 The Midwest Connection BBS............. (701) 239-2440 In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference Delphi.....................In the ham radio conference CompuServe/HamNet.................... HamNet Library 0 MicroSoft Network.......... Amateur Radio File Library Internet...............In the rec.radio.info newsgroup Internet FTP: oak.oakland.edu......................... In archive: pub/hamradio/docs/newsline Local BBS's............In the Ham Radio conferences on Fidonet, RIME, Intelec, I-Link, AR-Net and Fringenet. True Speech Internet Site ========================= http://www.scott.net/~wa4fat For the latest breaking info call the Instant Update Line listed above. To provide information please call (805) 296-7180. This line answers automatically and will accept up to 30 minutes of material. Check with your local amateur radio club to see if NEWSLINE can be heard weekly on the air in your area. Articles may be reproduced if printed in their entirety and credit is given to AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE as being the source. For further information about the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, please write to us with an S.A.S.E. at: NEWSLINE c/o Andy Jarema-N6TCQ P.O.Box 660937 Arcadia, CA 91066 Thank You, NEWSLINE (************************************************** Some of the hams of AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE: WA6ITF WB6MQV WB6FDF K6DUE W6RCL N6AHU N6AWE N6TCQ K6PGX N6PNY KU8R N8DTN W9JUV KC9RP K9XI KB4KCH KC5UD KC0HF G8AUU WD0AKO DJ0QN and many others in the United States and around the globe!!! (************************************************** [976] Newsline report number 976 for release on Friday, April 26, 1996 to follow. The following is a QST From coast to coast, ham radio heros highlight this weeks Newsline report number 976 coming your way right now! (***** NORTH CAROLINA TORNADOES Tornadoes and powerful thunderstorms pound the southeastern U.S., with amateur radio operators using their skills and resources to help warn of approaching danger. This time, it's the Raleigh, North Carolina suburb of Zebulon, hit head on by a series of twisters around dinner time April 15th. While there was heavy damage, amazingly only a few minor injuries were reported. And hams are getting part of the credit for that amazing outcome. Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, is a member of the Wake Co. Amateur Radio Emergency Service. He says the Raleigh Skywarn Network first went in service around noon on the 15th with hams staying on the air for 13 hours straight. During that time, members of Raleigh's Skywarn storm spotter network had their hands full. Just before 6pm, a ham reported seeing rotation starting in a lowered cloud base. Moments later another report that a tornado is on the ground, just south of Zebulon. Nearby hams confirm the sighting. Seconds later, the National Weather Service issues a warning. But it's not over yet. During the next half hour, Pearce says hams reported several additional funnel clouds and tornadoes, following nearly the same path as the first. The Raleigh Skywarn network's reputation is well known among local news organizations. Eyewitness reports of the tornadoes as they were being relayed via amateur radio were monitored and broadcast by Raleigh television stations that gave many people the time they needed to take cover. In the aftermath of the tornadoes, hams again found their services needed. Pierce says telephone circuits in Zebulon were knocked out and cellular channels were overloaded. Emergency management officials asked for hams to help provide communications between the county's Emergency Operations Center and several sites in Zebulon. The tornadoes that hit Zebulon seldom make the news, because no one was killed. But Gary Pearce says to look a little deeper and see WHY only a few minor injuries occurred when Zebulon got hit April 15th. The fact that the human toll wasn't higher that night is thanks in part to people like the hams serving their community in Raleigh, North Carolina. (***** 13 YEAR OLD HERO 13 year old Vince Bernotas III, N2WXE, is a real life ham radio hero. Vince is an active member of the Burlington County New Jersey ARES / RACES. And on March 17th, he turned out to be in the right place at the right time. Just ask one of the participants in a 100 mile dirt bike race. Vince and his parents were among those helping provide communications for the 1996 Sandy Lane Motorcycle Enduro. This endurance race takes place in the most barren part of southern New Jersey. When a rider hit a tree a mile from Vince's checkpoint, Vince assisted in locating the paralyzed accident victim. Upon learning that the rider might be suffering from a fractured back, Vince coordinated response of an ambulance and emergency vehicles, including a rescue helicopter. Now if all this sounds routine, hold on a minute. It might have been routine, had there not been a catastrophic radio failure in both the ambulance and the state police car. Vince Bernotas saved the day by forwarding information about the patient's location and condition to net control Doug McCray, K2QWQ. McRay then relayed the information to rescue service dispatchers. As a result of Vince Bernotas' quick thinking, the injured rider is recovering. (***** RESCUE AT SEA Another dramatic rescue involving ham radio took place the following day. That's when radio enthusiast Bob Karon, AA6RK, of Encino, California, was checking out repairs and modifications to his vintage Collins radio equipment. Around midnight, while working a Florida station, Karon heard a Canadian yacht sending a distress call. The Cambria had run aground and reported it was sinking in the Caribbean, 150 miles southwest of Jamaica. The signal was weak and fading. Still, the Cambria's skipper, Kenneth Cunningham, was able to tell Karon that the yacht was almost on its side with its mast and antenna nearly in the water. Upon getting the vessel's location, Bob Karon called the U.S. Coast Guard. But the Cambria's weak signal was too weak for the Coast Guard to hear. Rescuers were able to contact a merchant vessel 25 miles away from the Cambria. Bob Karon, who's a freelance musician, stayed on the air nearly 3 hours, serving as the only connection between the merchant ship and the Cambria. The merchant vessel finally arrived and sent a lifeboat to the Cambria, successfully rescuing all four crew members. Karon has received special thanks for his efforts. Captain Robert C. Gravino is Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard's Search and Rescue Branch. He has cited Karon for his professional and humanitarian actions assisting mariners in distress. Ham radio helped made it possible. (***** RFI DISAPPOINTMENT A major disappointment to anyone hoping the FCC could help resolve interference problems involving televisions, radios and stereo systems. The Commission says it cannot help because the cause of the interference is the design or construction of the products. And that, the FCC says, is not a violation of any commission rules. The Commission does say that its Compliance and Information Bureau will continue to take appropriate enforcement action where it has been determined that the interference is caused by violations of the Communications Act or FCC's rules or policies. In the meantime, the Commission says that basic consumer information about interference solutions is now available on the Internet. Just check in to the FCC Compliance and Information Bureau's home page. The information is also available through the FCC's FAX on demand service. The number to call is 202, 418- 2830. You'll need to request document number 69-04. (***** DAYTON '96 CHANGES Major changes are coming to the Dayton Hamvention in May. One of the biggest is that a number of forums and seminar sessions are moving off-site from the Hara Arena. Ken Allen, KB8KE, General Chairman of Hamvention '96 says there are good reasons for this: "We have had a few difficulties with one of the forum rooms that we have been using in the past. A rather crowded room. It has been warm and uncomfortable and that has been with the weather that has been somewhat less warm than we would like. With the move to May and also trying to accommodate getting better facilities for some of the forums, we are in the process of moving a few of these forums to the nearby Meadowdale High School where they, over the last number of years have held the FCC testing and the alternate activities." KB8KE One of the forums changing location is the Media Forum produced and hosted by Newsline. It is set for the Meadowdale High School Auditorium on Saturday, May 18th at 9:30 a.m. We'll have more information about the Hamvention next week. (***** NEW VA SM Chris Wright, KD4TZN, of Rocky Mount, Virginia, has been appointed Virginia Section Manager by ARRL Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE, has appointed Assistant Section Wright replaces Edward Dingler, N4KSO, of Chilhowie, Virginia, who resigned March 22 due to increased business commitments. (***** VANITY DELAY You've been waiting for vanity call signs, and you still don't have one. So what's the holdup? Several petitions are still preventing the FCC from opening the first gate of the ham radio vanity call sign program. One petition asks the Commission to again amend the vanity call sign rules. This time, the request is to permit survivors of Extra class licensees to get a late parent's call sign without having to upgrade, but only if the applicant has held an Advanced class license for at least 25 years and if the parent has been dead for more than two years. The FCC has granted a reconsideration request from David Popkin, W2CC. Popkin is asking to limit relatives to obtaining the call sign of deceased relatives that were of the same or lower operator class held by the applicant. Popkin now wants the FCC to fine tune the rule's wording. He wants the Commission to make it clear that if no call sign on an applicant's list of choices is available the FCC refund the fee. He also asks that the Commission not classify the original call sign vacated by the applicant as a vanity call sign requiring a fee for future renewals. Finally, Popkin asks that renewal applications be accepted on the license expiration date, not just prior to the date. And the Hill Country Amateur Radio Club in Kerrville, Texas, has its own ideas on the vanity call sign program. The Club wants the Commission to allow club stations issued licenses after March 24th, 1995, to apply for the call signs of deceased members under Gate 1A. Their club's call sign, KC5OJZ, was issued May 5th, 1995. Finally, there's the request by the Southern California Repeater and Remote Base Association. That group says that in the process of revising the vanity call sign rules, the FCC unintentionally introduced inequities. The Association cites the Commission's denial of an ARRL reconsideration request to limit an application for a vanity call sign to those available in the applicant's call sign district. The Association wants the Commission to change the procedures for Gate 1 filings. Specifically, to allow for placing a deceased family members' higher grade call sign in reserve for two years to give an applicant time to upgrade. Concerns have been expressed that the Commission failed to provide a 2 year upgrade period as the vanity call sign program commences. (***** WARC 99 In international news, ARRL president Rod Stafford, KB6ZV, has appointed the members of a committee to advise the League's Board of Directors on policies for the 1999 World Radiocommunication Conference. The Board established the Committee during its 1996 annual meeting. The group's first task is to define the process by which membership input should be solicited and the opinions of the membership objectively determined. The Committee is expected to complete its work by mid December. (***** NEW GB2RS BROADCAST The Radio Society of Great Britain reports that it initiated another new GB2RS news broadcast on Sunday, the 7th of April, covering the Telford area of the United Kingdom. The news reader is G3JKX, and the broadcast is at 12:00 hours UTC via the GB3TF 70 centimetre FM repeater on European ham radio repeater channel RB8. (***** KIDLINK Also from the United Kingdoms, word that "Kidlink '96" takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May. During Kidlink '96, schools across Great Britain are encouraged to put ham stations on the air so that youngsters, especially those between the ages of 10 and 15, can use amateur radio to communicate with their peers in this country and overseas. (***** SAREX NASA Astronaut Shannon Lucid is making youngsters around the world very happy by talking to them from the Russian Mir space station by ham radio. Three young Indiana amateurs are among the first to talk to Lucid who is operating as R0MIR. The youngsters are identified as 11 year old Jessica Buszkiewicz, KB9KVQ, 13 year old Jimmy Buszkiewicz, KG9DL, and 15 year old Keith Price Jr, KB9MQA. Also on hand were their parents Jim Buszkiewicz, KF9EB, and Keith Price Sr, N9TJH. All are members of the Studebaker Hill Amateur Radio Club In New Carlisle, Indiana. The QSO took place on Saturday, March 30th during Mir's 7:36 AM eastern pass. (***** HAM ASTRONAUT TO VISIT CONNECTICUT SCHOOL NASA Astronaut Ron Parise, WA4SIR, will put in a rare personal appearance May 16 at the Plymouth Center School in Plymouth, Connecticut. Parise flew aboard STS-67 last year and had a successful SAREX contact with students at the 600 student elementary school. The visit by WA4SIR is a result of the efforts of Len Brown, KD1OY, who volunteers at the school. While recovering from a back injury that put him out of his regular line of work as a mechanic, he approached school administrators about Amateur Radio and the SAREX program. He brought an HF receiver along to monitor the WA3NAN SAREX broadcasts and was invited back several times. (***** TMRCC ALIVE Southern California's recently formed Two Meter Repeater Coordinating Council says that its alive and well and has put out a four page newsletter that says so. According to the April issue of the TMRCC News the organization has heard from 110 out of 243 two meter repeaters known to be operating in the region. Of these, 92 responded in favor of recognizing TMRCC as the bona fide repeater coordinator while 14 indicated a preference for the long established Two Meter Area Spectrum Management Association. The other three who responded indicated that they were technically Northern California repeaters with primary coordination from NARCC. Steve Jensen, W6RHM, the interim president of The Two Meter Repeater Coordinating Council of Southern California admits that the results do not represent the majority of the 243 repeaters listed for the region in the latest ARRL Directory. He does say that the response does show a clear preference toward TMRCC among those who chose to vote. The next TMRCC meeting is slated for Saturday, May the 11th in Los Angeles. This will be an election meeting with a talk in station guiding everyone in on 146.535 MHZ simplex. It will be interesting to see how many of the 92 repeaters backing TMRCC send delegates to the conclave. (***** ANTIQUE WWW The Antique Wireless Association is now on the Internet. According to James Frederick, K2GBR, the AWA home page features a picture of the building housing both the Antique Wireless Association's, Radio Communication Museum and the Bloomfield, New York, Historical Society. Bruce Kelley, W2ICE, is the museum's curator. The museum is devoted to research, preservation and documentation of the history of wireless communication. A wide range of historical communication equipment is on display, much of it still in working order. Contact them directly for the Universal Resource Locator address. (***** DX In DX, that was the real Martti Laine, OB2BH that you heard operating last week as VK9XM operations from the newly established Christmas Island Casino Resort. Martti led his family team of OH2BE and OH2KNB, to a well earned DX vacation over the Easter Holidays but ham radio was not forgotten during their stay. QSL is via JA1BK. Also, a reminder that the dates for ARRL Field Day this year are June 22nd and the 23rd. Father's Day is a week earlier on Sunday, June 16th. (***** HAM IN NEED A California ham is in need and a lot of his friends are pitching in to help. Mark Hill, KC6UGU was recently diagnosed with having a tumor 1 inch by 2 inches on the left side of his brain and growing rapidly. Mark and his wife Peggy, KD6DLM have been very active in varying facets of amateur radio, but primarily in the mountain search and rescue arena, which of coarse falls under the purview of the San Diego County Sheriffs Department which the Radio Amateurs Civil Emergency Service RACES helps to support. In mid January, Peggy noticed Mark began slurring words and was having trouble standing upright on skis. A sport that he loved. They immediately headed to the ER where a CAT scan reveled the disturbing news. To help Mark, the San Diego Mountain Search and Rescue Team will be putting on a benefit on May 11th, 1996 at Romona Oaks Park in Romona, California from 10am to 3pm. There will be demonstrations put on by the search and rescue team and representatives will be on hand from the sheriffs department, the Radio Amateurs Civil Emergency Service and also the sheriffs helicopter will be available for demonstrations. If you would like to help Mark, please call the San Diego Mountain Search and Rescue Team at (619) 270-7047 for further information. Newsline joins with the rest of the nations ham radio community in wishing Mark Hill, KC6UGU, a full and speedy recovery. (***** And for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at: NEWSLINE P.O.Box 660937 Arcadia, California 91066 For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF at our editors desk, we at Newsline say 73 and we thank you for listening. (* * Newsline is copyright 1996 & All rights reserved. * * --