The Arsenal Files 6/The Arsenal Files 6 (Arsenal Computer).ISO/ham/arrl0112.zip/ARRL0112.TXT

Text File | 1996-02-16 | 25KB | 453 lines

The ARRL Letter
Vol. 15, No. 1
January 12, 1996
__________________________________

IN THIS EDITION:

FCC shutdown snarls issuance of licenses.
FCC proposes to suspend ham use of 76-77 GHz
DOVE-OSCAR 17 fails again.
Ham astronauts wed.
Ham radio rescue.
__________________________________

FCC PLAYING CATCH-UP BALL

The budget impasse is over for now, but FCC issuance of new ham radio
licenses was further delayed this month by bad weather and a Monday holiday.
The FCC reopened Thursday, January 11, but closed Friday, January 12, as more
snow hit Washington, DC. Monday, January 15, was a Federal holiday, Martin
Luther King Day. While open on January 11, the FCC accepted electronic
amateur license application files for processing from VECs, including more
than 1800 records from ARRL/VEC. The FCC was planning to expedite the
application backlog, but needed to make some temporary software adjustments
before granting licenses. It was expected to take several days after the
January 15th holiday for the FCC to get back up to speed. Applicants wanting
to check on license application status may call ARRL at 860-594-0300, 8 AM to
5 PM EST. Call sign and license upgrade information also is available on
Internet sites, including the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, WEB site
at http://www.ualr.edu/doc/hamualr/callsign.html.
(Bart Jahnke, KB9NM)

SPECTRUM-POLICY HEARINGS

The ARRL hopes to be able to participate in the Federal Communications
Commission's en banc hearings on spectrum allocation. The FCC says that since
spectrum issues have been arising in numerous contexts and affecting several
services, it has decided to hear oral presentations and "allow a direct
exchange of viewpoints." The hearings will address future spectrum demand and
user needs, trends in technology, and approaches to spectrum allocation and
assignment, including licensing and uses. The FCC is seeking comments from
individuals and representatives of affected industries. Originally scheduled
for January 31, the actual date of the hearings now is in doubt because of
the Federal furloughs triggered by the congressional budget deadlock and
heavy snow which extended the shutdown.
(Steve Mansfield, N1MZA)

FCC PROPOSES TO SUSPEND AMATEUR USE OF 76-77 GHZ

In a Second Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in ET Docket 94-124, issued
just before the Federal shutdown in mid-December, the Federal Communications
Commission has proposed amending Part 97 of its rules to "temporarily
disallow amateur use of the 76-77 GHz band," which the FCC hopes to open for
commercial development along with other "millimeter wave" frequency bands
above 40 GHz. The band in question is part of the 75.5 to 81 GHz allocation,
which the amateur and amateur satellite services share with other users--on a
primary basis from 75.5-76 GHz, and on a secondary basis from 76-81 GHz. The
primary allocation of 76-81 GHz is assigned to radiolocation, including radar.

The commission says the change will permit development of Part 15 vehicle
radar systems in the 76-77 GHz band that could be used in conjunction with
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Restricting amateur use of 76-77
GHz will prevent potential interference to these developing systems, the FCC
says. The NPRM says the "temporary" restriction could be relaxed if it can be
shown that other in-band transmissions would not compromise vehicle radar
system safety or if sharing guidelines can be worked out. The FCC says it
will revisit the issue within five years.

At the same time, "to balance any perceived harm" to amateur operators, the
FCC proposes to upgrade amateur status in the 77.5-78 GHz band from secondary
to co- primary with government and nongovernment radiolocation services.
"This will ensure that amateur access to spectrum near 77 GHz is maintained
without the threat of preemption by higher priority services," the NPRM
states.

In its comments, the ARRL objected to limiting the 76-77 GHz band to vehicle
radar systems. The League said it wanted to maintain existing ham allocations
from 75.5 to 81 GHz to spur development of short-range, high-speed data links.

Automobile manufacturers differed on the issue of continued Amateur Radio use
of the 76-77 GHz segment. Ford Motor Company opposed continued use of the
band by hams while General Motors Research Corporation said vehicle radar
systems would not be adversely affected by continued amateur use of the band.
GM said the anticipated power densities on public roads from amateur use
would be well below levels that would affect reliable vehicle radar system
operation. GM submitted the Petition for Rule Making to provide the 76-77 GHz
band for vehicle radar systems. Japanese automakers prefer 60-61 GHz for
these systems.

SUMMERS RECEIVES ARRL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bob Summers, K0BXF, has received the ARRL Lifetime Achievement Award plaque
after more than 30 continuous years as Kansas section manager and section
communications manager. Midwest Director Lew Gordon, K4VX, made the
presentation at the Kansas State Convention in Wichita September 30 (one day
after Bob turned 67).  First licensed in 1955, Summers has held a variety of
ARRL appointments, including OO, ORS and OBS as well as SEC for Kansas. He
was appointed acting section communication manager for Kansas in 1965 and was
successfully elected for every term up until his retirement last November.
Summers says his next real challenge is "to learn how to say 'no!'" (Lew
Gordon, K4VX).

FAR OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HAMS

The nonprofit Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc--an ARRL-affiliated federation
of radio clubs in the Washington, DC, area--plans to administer 57
scholarships for the 1996-97 academic year to help licensed radio amateurs
with their post-secondary education. Eight of the scholarships are fully
funded with income from grants and the foundation's annual hamfest in
Gaithersburg, Maryland. Licensed hams are eligible if they plan to pursue a
full-time course of study beyond high school and are enrolled or have been
accepted at an accredited university, college or technical school. Awards
range from $500 to $2000, with preference given in some cases to those
pursuing certain courses of study or to residents of specific geographical
areas (Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Virginia and Wisconsin). Application forms and information are available by
letter or QSL postmarked prior to April 30, 1996, from FAR Scholarships, 6903
Rhode Island Ave, College Park, MD 20740. Contributions to FAR are tax-exempt.

"THIS WEEK IN AMATEUR RADIO" TO RETURN

"This Week in Amateur Radio," a weekly audio news magazine service, is
scheduled to return to the air early this year on Telesat Canada's Anik E2
satellite. The program's executive producer, Stephan Anderman, WA3RKB, says
the show should return by late January. A beacon was scheduled to be on the
transponder (18). The satellite switch was made necessary as a result of the
shutdown of Telstar 302, which is nearing the end of its useful life. "This
Week in Amateur Radio" has been off the air since Thanksgiving weekend. The
program, which averages 75 minutes of news, carries ARRL and RAC bulletins,
contest and convention information, propagation forecasts, Radio Amateur
Information Network, the Amateur Radio Newsline and other features on over
100 nets and repeaters throughout North America.

Anik E2 is at 107º W longitude in geosynchronous orbit. "This Week
in Amateur Radio" is scheduled to air, on transponder 18, Saturdays at
8 PM Eastern Time. The satellite provides excellent coverage of North
America and has spot beams aimed at Alaska and Hawaii. The program
lineup is available on the ARRL's HIRAM BBS at 860-594-0306 and at
various Internet sites. For more information, call George Bowen,
N2LQS, 518-283-3665, (e-mail: [e-mail]), or Stephan Anderman,
WA3RKB, 518-664-6809 (e-mail: [e-mail]).

DOVE-OSCAR 17 FAILS AGAIN

The DOVE-OSCAR 17 satellite has failed again after some eight days of being
back on 2 meters during late December broadcasting a holiday greeting
message. The unexpected crash occurred December 29 at approximately 0500Z as
the AMSAT DOVE team continued to reload the spacecraft's software in the wake
of the initial failure December 3.  Jim White, WD0E, of the AMSAT DOVE team
says the latest crash suggests a hardware problem aboard the spacecraft. The
team had been hoping to fix the problem by reloading the satellite's
software, which White describes as "a complex process" that can be very
difficult and risky.

White said the team has created some software to allow the spacecraft to dump
memory and has dumped the housekeeping data for analysis. The team has begun
to load the first stage software again. As of early January, the spacecraft's
S-band transmitter was on. The 2-meter transmitter is still sending telemetry
packets infrequently, and White says it's acknowledging the loading of
packets. DOVE-OSCAR 17 is used for educational and research purposes. (Jim
White, WD0E/AMSAT News Service)

ASTRONAUT HAMS MARRY

In what appears to be a "first" for ham radio and for the space program,
astronauts Steve Nagel, N5RAW, and Linda Godwin, N5RAX, were married December
29. Steve and Linda flew together on STS-37 in April 1991. Both have appeared
as speakers for ARRL at conventions. Steve conducted a SAREX forum at the
1994 Dayton Hamvention, and Linda helped ARRL Educational Activities
Department head Rosalie White, WA1STO, with youth forums in Dallas in 1992
and Tulsa in 1994. Linda also has done public service announcements about ham
radio for ARRL, and she appears in the ARRL videotape, Ham Radio in Space.

Nagel was the commander aboard space shuttle mission STS-55 in April 1993,
operating the SAREX radios and thrilling hundreds of hams listening from
Earth. Godwin, a NASA Mission Specialist, operated the SAREX radios during
mission STS-59 in April 1994, and especially enjoyed the school QSOs. She
flies next on STS-76 in March 1996.

"These two folks are super wonderful people!" White said, expressing her best
wishes for the newlyweds. (Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL)

BEARS PROVIDE COMMUNICATION DURING BLIZZARD

As the first blizzard of 1996 hit New England the weekend of January 6-7, the
BEARS-- members of the Bethel Educational Amateur Radio Society of Bethel
(Connecticut) Middle School--got the call to action from the Bethel Office of
Emergency Management.  The students operated around the clock to provide
backup communication for the town and acting as a net control station for 34
surrounding towns in the greater Fairfield County area. The BEARS team
maintained vital communication links with the Area 1 Office of Emergency
Management in Bridgeport, relaying weather information and preparing
materials if emergency shelters were activated. Using the call sign of their
coordinator, Peter Kemp, KZ1Z, the group operated from the local fire
department on both HF and VHF. The BEARS also have a club station at their
school. A dozen students- -boys and girls--participated in the effort. Kemp
says he's been involved in emergency communication for years, and when the
middle school--which also serves as an evacuation center--was built, the
radio room was designed in and the building equipped with emergency power.
(BEARS/Peter Kemp, KZ1Z)

CANADIAN CALLS COMMEMORATE HOLOCAUST'S END

Industry Canada Quebec Region has authorized all Canadian hams to use
special prefixes through February to mark the 50th anniversary of the
end of the Holocaust:

Regular Prefix    Special Prefix
VE1             CF1
VA2             CG2
VE2             CF2
VA3             CG3
VE3             CF3
VE4             CF4
VE5             CF5
VE6             CF6
VA7             CG7
VE7             CF7
VE8             CF8
VE9             CF9
VO1             CZ1
VO2             CZ2
VY1             CK1
VY2             CK2

QST COVER PLAQUE AWARDS FOR 1995

On a regular basis throughout the year, the 15 ARRL division directors vote
to select their favorite QST articles in each month's issue. The authors
receive a handsome QST Cover Plaque, which consists of a cover from the issue
containing their article and an inscription of the author's name and call
sign. Here are the monthly winners for 1995 and the titles of their articles:

* January:   Jim Reynante, KD6GLF, for "A Five-Element Quad Antenna for 2
               Meters."
* February:  Darrel Emerson, AA7FV, for "Radio Observations of Two Solar
               Eclipses."
* March:     David E. Laag, WA6OWD, for "The San Bernardino Microwave Society
               Turns 40."
* April:     Michael L. Ardai, N1IST, for "Building a Digital Voice Recorder
               for Less Than $15."
* May:       Lauren Rudd, KD8PZ, for "Let Your PC Do the Logging."
* June:      Steven Bible, N7HPR, and Greg Pool, WH6DT, for "Amateur Radio
               on the World Wide Web."
* July:      Rudy Severns, N6LF, for "A Wideband 80-Meter Dipole."
* August:    Dan Davis, W8LUX, for "Amateur Radio and World War II."
* September: Thomas M. Webb, WA9AFM/5, for "Holocaust in Oklahoma City."
* October:   Robert Wilson, AL7KK, for "The Offset Multiband Trapless
               Antenna (OMTA)."
* November:  Floyd A. Koontz, WA2WVL, for "Broadband Transmitting Wire
               Antennas for 160 through 10 Meters."
* December:  Roger Sparks, W7WKB, for "The Super Sloper."

HAMS HELP HEART ATTACK VICTIM

A group of Boy Scouts and their leaders, including several hams, lived up to
the Scouts' motto, "Be Prepared," during a wilderness outing last summer, and
heart attack victim Dave Smith of Saratoga, California, is glad they did.
Smith and his wife Janet were accompanying their younger son and other scouts
in Troop 566 on an eight-day backpacking trip into California's Yosemite high
country in late August when Dave Smith experienced chest pain one day into
the outing. Scoutmaster Paul Wesling, KM6LH, took Smith's vital signs and
used ham radio to relay the information to the Yosemite emergency response
staff. Subsequently, Smith was transported by helicopter to Yosemite Valley
and then to Modesto, California, where doctors determined he'd suffered a
mild heart attack.

Wesling says ham radio "is a standard part of our troop's outings." Both
Wesling and Eagle Scout Rajeev Goel, KD6MXV, had VHF handheld radios along
for the trip. As a result of the experience, Dave and Janet Smith are making
plans to take one of the troop's Amateur Radio licensing classes and get
their tickets. "They see clearly how this can be a great benefit in the
backcountry, and Dave fully intends to be on our 50-miler next summer,"
Wesling says.

ATTORNEY-HAM CITES OHIO TVI ARREST AS POSSIBLE WARNING

In the wake of the December arrest of a Moraine, Ohio, CBer for causing TVI
at his neighbor's apartment, Dayton attorney and Amateur Radio operator Ron
Pretekin, AB8K, says "hams should take note of what such problems ultimately
can lead to." Pretekin pointed to an article in the Dayton Daily News
describing the circumstances under which the CBer, Steven Holbrook, wound up
in jail on a third-degree felony charge of disrupting public services for
interfering with his neighbor's reception of cable television programs.
According to the report, Holbrook and the neighbor had feuded over the
problem for several months. His arrest came after the neighbor tape-recorded
Holbrook's CB chatter as it came over his TV. The newspaper said the
conversation included profanity and threats against the neighbor. If
convicted, Holbrook faces a maximum $5000 fine and 10 years in jail, the
paper said.

ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, observed: "The FCC has
exclusive authority to regulate RF interference, which is not subject to
state or local law." Sumner says an attorney representing an ARRL member
facing charges based on RF interference would be able to look to the League
for some help. "However, we would hope that any licensed amateur would have
the good sense to not inflame the situation in the manner described by the
newspaper," Sumner added.

JOHN BROWNING, W6SP, SK. WAS AMSAT BOARD CHAIRMAN

Former AMSAT chairman of the board John W. Browning, W6SP, of Rancho Palos
Verdes, California, succumbed to kidney cancer January 3, 1996. He was 71.
W6SP was elected Chairman of the Board of AMSAT in 1982 and led the
organization during early Phase 3 satellite development. He was an ARRL life
member, prominent in many California DX associations and an avid HF operator
from Palo Alto and later Los Angeles.

Following his retirement from the Air Force in 1982, John worked as a
consultant to aerospace firms such as COMSAT and Sundstrand under his own
company, Altaspace.  He was also active in the Armed Forces Communications
Electronics Association (AFCEA), a trade group, where he was regional vice
president and was a member of SCAPR, the Southern California Association of
Professional Representatives. A highly decorated veteran (Legion of Merit
with one oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service
Medal, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal
with one oak leaf cluster and Purple Heart), John received the Distinguished
Service Medal, the highest peacetime medal awarded in the US, when he retired
as a Colonel in 1982.

Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery January 16. The family invited
donations in John's memory to the Torrance (California) Memorial Medical
Center. John is survived by his wife, Myrnie, a daughter and a brother.
(AMSAT)

SID E. MOLEN, VK2SG, SK, ANARTS CO-FOUNDER

Sid E. Molen, VK2SG, passed away in late December following a heart attack.
He was 76 and had been in failing health for a couple of years. Along with
Bill Storer, VK2EG, Sid was a co-founder of the Australian National Amateur
Radio Teleprinter Society (ANARTS) in the early 1970s. Sid and Bill
subsequently started the weekly RTTY DX Notes (renamed the VK2SG RTTY Notes
in 1993). Sid's byline, "DX1," reflected the fact that he held Australia's
first RTTY DXCC certificate. (Jules Freundlich, W2JGR)

FRANCES ELIZABETH B. "PAT" HUNTOON

Pat Huntoon, the wife of former ARRL General Manager John Huntoon, W1RW,
passed away December 26, 1995, in Hartford, Connecticut. She was 76. Pat was
a lifelong resident of East Hartford and, before retiring, she was employed
by Connecticut General Life Insurance Company and as a part-time receptionist
for Christ Church Cathedral, both of Hartford, and volunteered in many
community organizations. Besides her husband, three daughters survive. A
service for Pat Huntoon will be Saturday, January 27, 2 PM, at Christ Church
Cathedral, 45 Church St, Hartford. John Huntoon was the League's General
Manager from 1961 until 1975.

__________________________________

IN BRIEF:

* Five schools have been selected for participation in SAREX during space
shuttle flight STS-76, tentatively set to launch March 21 for a nine-day
mission that will include the third docking mission with Mir some 196 to 245
miles above Earth. The schools are Artesia (New Mexico) Public School; Troy
(New Mexico) Middle School; S J Davis Middle School, San Antonio, Texas;
Bethlehem Central Senior High School, Delmar, New York; and The University of
Colorado College of Engineering and Applied Science in Colorado Springs. Two
or more students at each of the selected schools will get to ask the
astronauts questions during their scheduled radio contacts.

* Ted Rappaport, N9NB, has been promoted to full professor at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg,
Virginia. Rappaport founded the Mobile and Portable Radio Research Group
within Tech's Bradley Department of Electrical Engineering. He specializes in
wireless communication and has contributed to research into radio wave
propagation within buildings and in local areas. A graduate of Purdue
University, Rappaport joined Virginia Tech's faculty in 1988. A profile of
Rappaport appeared in July 1994 QST. (MPRG Propagator)

* NASA Astronaut Scott Parazynski, KC5RSY, earned his ham ticket in November.
Parazynski has not yet been assigned to a shuttle mission. During 1995, a
record 11 NASA astronauts earned their Amateur Radio licenses. Right now, the
total number of hams who are NASA career astronauts or payload specialists is
41.

* Ralph Haller continues as one of the principal deputies of the FCC's
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau in the wake of a bureau-wide
reorganization. Haller will oversee private wireless, public safety and
enforcement, as well as serve as the bureau's principal liaison with
industry. Michele Farquhar is acting Chief of the bureau.

* Henry Tait, VE7FYU, is the new secretary of Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC),
effective January 1. Tait, a British Columbia, native, replaces Kenneth
Pulfer, VE3PU, who remains as RAC treasure and a member of the national
executive. Pulfer also continues as a member of the Amateur Radio Working
Group negotiation with Industry Canada. (RAC)

* Rick Lindquist, KX4V, has been assigned to edit Happenings and The ARRL
Letter following the departure from the ARRL staff of Jim Cain, K1TN. Rick,
an assistant technical editor, joined the League staff in September, 1995.

* The ARRL QSL Service mailed a total of 1,428,850 QSL cards during 1995.
That approaches five tons of members' cards.

* Section manager election ballots went out December 29 to members in the
Eastern Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and San Diego Sections.

* Kantronics now has an e-mail account for customers to get technical support
and service. Questions go to [e-mail]. Company representatives
will respond via e-mail. Kantronics now includes RF Concepts.

* Roy Welch, W0SL, has uploaded three .WAV files to the AMSAT ftp site on
the Internet that contain recordings of radio signals received from OSCAR 1
(OSCAR1.ZIP), Explorer 1 (EXPLORE1.ZIP) and Sputnik 1 (SPUTNIK1.ZIP). The
files each are around 100 kB each in size and play about 10 seconds of audio.
They are in the /amsat/misc/sounds directory at ftp.amsat.org and on the
AMSAT web page at http://www.amsat.org. Each satellite file at the FTP site
has a corresponding text file explaining circumstances of the recording.
(AMSAT News Service)

__________________________________

FEEDBACK:

* Because of an editor's oversight, the Highlights of the Year 1995 in
Amateur Radio listing in Vol. 14, No. 24 of The ARRL Letter failed to mention
the important role Amateur Radio played in providing communication and
assisting in recovery efforts in the wake of the Oklahoma City federal
building bombing. Articles in the August and September 1995 issues of QST
detailed this commendable public service effort.

* Because of an editor's error, an item in Vol 14, No. 24 of The ARRL Letter
incorrectly listed the offices held by Vivian Douglas, WA2PUU. Vivian is an
assistant vice director in the Atlantic Division, public information
coordinator for the Western New York Section, emergency coordinator in
Onondaga County, Central New York Traffic Net manager and a local club
official.

* The call sign for the Edison Amateur Radio Network (EARN) club station was
listed incorrectly in a news brief in Vol. 14, No. 24 of The ARRL Letter. The
correct call sign is WB6UCD.

__________________________________

The ARRL Letter is published by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main
Street, Newington, CT 06111, tel [phone]; fax [phone]. Rodney J.
Stafford, KB6ZV, President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President.

Editorial, Rick Lindquist, Assistant Technical Editor, [e-mail].
Electronic edition circulation, Kathy Capodicasa, [e-mail].

The purpose of The ARRL Letter is to provide the essential news of interest
to active, organizationally minded radio amateurs faster than it can be
disseminated by our official journal, QST. We strive to be fast, accurate and
readable in our reporting.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any
form, including photoreproduction and electronic databanks, provided that
credit is given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.