QRZ! Ham Radio 4/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 4.iso/files/arrl/hiram/ltr12n18.txt

Text File | 1994-11-27 | 19KB | 366 lines

The ARRL Letter
Vol. 12, No. 18
September 27, 1993

FCC lauds amateurs for interference resolution; L.A. office finds
drop in EMI complaints

     Interference complaints are down significantly in Southern
California, according to the FCC's Los Angeles office of the
Field Operations Bureau, and amateur volunteers are cited as the
prevailing reason for the decline.
     The FCC said that it has "noted a significant decrease in
the number of complaints involving amateur radio operators
causing interference to consumer electronic equipment." A  July
survey of interference case data conducted by the Commission's
Los Angeles office showed a 42% decrease in amateur-TVI/phone
interference complaints, the FCC said.
     The survey compared complaints from January 1989 to June
1993.
     "This significant decrease," the FCC said, "is primarily due
to the exemplary work of the local volunteer amateur auxiliaries
(of the ARRL, see Editor's note) which intervene when TVI or
telephone interference occurs. The auxiliary members volunteer
their time and expertise to inspect amateur radio installations
and offer technical advice as well as helping troubleshoot the
problem with method(s) of shielding, filtering, grounding, etc.
     "The effort of the auxiliary is significant," the FCC said,
"because of the recent change in FCC policy where field offices
no longer routinely investigate individual TVI or telephone
interference complaints on a one-to-one basis. The auxiliary is
commended for continuing to work on these complaints even though
the FCC no longer requires them to work on these interference
cases."
     The Commission, reacting to budget constraints, now provides
self-help information for individuals to use in resolving
interference, and works with consumer groups in solving problems
on a larger scale.
     "The Commission is redirecting its resources to attack
interference problems at their roots. The continuing work of the
auxiliary has resulted in fewer complaints reported to the FCC.
     "This voluntary work of the auxiliary," the FCC said,
"should be applauded by amateur operators everywhere. They
continue to make the Amateur Radio Service more self-sufficient
and promote goodwill between amateurs and all parties involved.
     "It should also be noted," the FCC said, "that the auxiliary
continues to accept complaints of amateur-to-amateur interference
cases. The Los Angeles FCC Field Office is fortunate to have some
of the finest auxiliary volunteers in their area and amateur
operators are encouraged to take advantage of their expertise,"
the FCC said.
     (Editor's note: The FCC in this case has used the term
"amateur auxiliary" in a somewhat generic form. The ARRL Amateur
Auxiliary exists primarily to assist the FCC in enforcement
actions. But FCC Field Offices are often most familiar with local
ARRL Amateur Auxiliary members and call on them for assistance in
resolving interference cases; Amateur Auxiliary members are,
according to ARRL Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE,
generally ready and willing to assist in such matters even though
they do not fall directly within their responsibilities.
     Other ARRL volunteers who often assist in interference
resolution include Technical Advisors and TVI/RFI committees of
ARRL-affiliated clubs.
     A detailed description of the ARRL Amateur Auxiliary is in
*QST* for December, 1992 (page 55).

Town honors Headquarters on A.R. Awareness Day

     ARRL Heaquarters is well known in the town of Newington, the
office building having been a prominent fixture at 225 Main
Street since 1965; the 120-ft tower erected in the spring of 1978
doesn't hurt, either!
     This year in conjunction with Amateur Radio Awareness Day on
Sept. 18 the town recognized Amateur Radio with the following
proclamation:
     "WHEREAS the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the
backbone of Amateur Radio in the United States, has declared
September 18, 1993 as "Amateur Radio Awareness Day"; and
     "WHEREAS, the Town of Newington is the national headquarters
location of said ARRL; and
     "WHEREAS, 'ham radio operators' are often the first to get
word out of an area hit by a hurricane, earthquake, or other
major disaster; and
     "WHEREAS, amateur radio organizations, in cooperation with
those in public service, also provide much needed communications
and assistance for local events such as Newington's Memorial Day
Parade and provide additional 'eyes and ears' for the Newington
Police Department on Halloween Eve, as well as conduct free
classes by volunteer instructors to teach the public how to
become a licensed amateur operator; and
     "WHEREAS, there exists in Newington a local club entitled
'Newington Amateur Radio League (NARL)' which provides the above
and other services; and
     "WHEREAS, amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal
Communications Commission are forbidden by federal law to charge
for services, and organizations that require their services may
call on them for assistance within the limits of NARL's available
man and woman power;
     "Now, Therefore, I, Rodney B. Mortensen, Mayor of the Town
of Newington, do hereby proclaim Saturday, September 18, 1993, as
AMATEUR RADIO AWARENESS DAY in the Town of Newington."

FCC FINES RETAILER FOR OFFERING MODIFICATION

     The FCC has ordered Amateur Radio Supply of Seattle to pay a
fine of $5,600 for selling an Amateur Radio transceiver and
offering to modify it to be able to transmit and receive in the
Private Land Mobile and Marine Radio Services.
     According to the FCC, the sale took place in December, 1991,
and in July of 1992 the Commission's Seattle office issued a
Notice of Apparent Liability, followed by a response from Amateur
Radio Supply. The FCC said it reviewed the response and then
issued a Notice of Forfeiture for $5,600.
     The Commission said that reasons given for the store's
actions -- training of a new salesperson and many years in the
business of serving the Amateur Radio community -- were not
persuasive, although the FCC considered the store's "clean
record" in mitigating the amount of the fine.

PROPOSED TOWER STIRS CONCERN IN ARIZONA TOWN

     A commercial FM station in Arizona is trying to get around
strict "beautification" rules by proposing to disguise a new
transmitting tower as a saguaro cactus.
     KXLL told officials of Paradise Valley, a bedroom community
north of Phoenix that does not allow commercial operations of any
kind (not even a gasoline station) that it would like to build
the tower at the crest of Mummy Mountain, in the center of the
town; the ersatz saguaro (which is the symbol of Arizona) would
house both the tower and transmitting antenna itself.
     Because the transmitter site has no real saguaros nearby,
KXLL co-owner Katherine S. Klein told the Tempe-Mesa *News
Tribune*, "the station would place up to three real cactuses
around their artificial cousin.
     "You wouldn't be able to tell them apart," Klein told the
newspaper.
     According to Harry Hyder, W7IV, of nearby Tempe, Paradise
Valley's most distinguished citizen is former U.S. Senator Barry
Goldwater, K7UGA, who has a tall "Christmas tree" of Yagi
antennas.
     "Perhaps he was 'grandfathered,'" Hyder said.

AEA NAMES CALIF. WOMAN 1993 AMBASSADOR WINNER

     Advanced Electronics Applications has named Catherine
Gunderson, N6OOS, its 1993 Amateur Ambassador Award winner.
Gunderson, 41, of Santa Cruz, California, is director of the
Redwood Youth Foundation, a non-profit youth education program.
     In September 1992 Gunderson organized a contact with shuttle
astronaut Jay Apt, N5QWL, during a SAREX flight.
Students at Del Mar Middle School managed a six-minute contact
with the crew. According to AEA, the feat was accomplished with
"only a small radio and a home-made antenna they adjusted every
20 seconds."
     Gunderson's name will be engraved on the Amateur Ambassador
Award trophy which permanently resides at ARRL Headquarters.
{photo requested but not here yet}.

POLICE FEAR FOUL PLAY IN YOUNG HAM'S DISAPPEARANCE

     A 13-year-old Gardner, Massachusetts amateur has been
missing since August 27 and police suspect foul play.
     Nathan A. Taylor, WZ1W, is believed to have traveled to the
Houston area, possibly with an adult, according to Gardner
police. He was described by his parents as very bright but
hyperactive and moody. Although an Extra Class ham, his most
recent interest has been in computers.
     Both the Houston Police Department and the FBI have become
involved in the case, which is being treated as more serious than
just a "runaway," according to Gardner police.
     Nathan Taylor is 5 ft, 5 in tall and weighs about 105
pounds, with blue eyes, light brown/blonde hair, and wears
eyeglasses.
     Anyone with information on Nathan is asked to call Detective
Bill Grasmuck of the City of Gardner (Mass.) Police Department,
at 508-632-5600.
     Nathan was still missing as of September 23, 1993.

CANDADIANS CALLED TO ARMS OVER PROPOSED NEW LAWS

     The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has issued an "urgent
notice" for its members to react to a proposed government rules
change that could adversely affect amateurs.
     In a September 13, 1993, news bulletin from RAC headquarters
in Kingston, Ontario, Canadian amateurs were told that
     "Industry, Science and Technology Canada, the government
department replacing Communications Canada," RAC said, "has just
released TRC-86, a draft document entitled 'Criteria for
Resolution of Immunity Complaints Involving Fundamental Emissions
of Radiocommunications Transmitters.'
     "This document suggests and proposes," RAC said, "to make
ministerial determinations, as provided by law in the Radio
Communications Act, by a measurement of the following values of
field strength, quote 'measured in accordance with accepted
engineering practice, at the site of the equipment being affected
by harmful interference:

     "'a) for broadcast receivers and associated equipment ....
1.83 volts per meter, equivalent to a 125 dB above a microvolt
per meter;

     "'b) for all radio sensitive equipment .... 3.16 volts per
meter, equivalent to 130 dB above one microvolt per meter.'

     "Radio amateurs should not accept this one-sided technical
solution," RAC told its members, "which further obligates the
transmitter owner and inequitably places no mandatory requirement
whatsoever on the manufacturers of such radio equipment....
     "There is further ambiguity in the definitions of the two
classes of equipment mentioned above, that VCRs and compact disc
accessories may qualify to be deemed broadcast receivers if they
are attached to equipment capable of receiving broadcast signals.
     "Over 80% of these cases involving Amateur use of the
spectrum 1.8 to 30 MHz have been resolved by reducing the
conducted interference on any cable entering the affected
equipment. External shielding is not remedial nor necessary in
these circumstances. A radiated measurement does not account for
random localized re-radiation, household wiring resonance effects
or place any obligation on the manufacturers of the devices to
meet any requirement for radiosensitivity.
     "The EMC Committee of RAC will respond to the proposals of
this document .... this is an URGENT MATTER as the paper will be
published in the Canada Gazette in early 1994 and can become
law."

*220  MHz band in jeopardy*

     In other news from Canada, according to the RAC, Industry
and Science Canada (formerly the Department of Communications)
has invited public discussion on a newly released paper on
spectrum allocation and use in the range 30-960 MHz. The amateur
primary allocation at 220-222 MHz (which U.S. amateurs already
have lost to commercial interests) is under review.
     "Canada's amateurs must get behind RAD in an all out effort
to retain this important VHF segment," RAC said, citing growth in
amateur licensees of more than 55 per cent, to 40,000, since
1990.

BRIEFS

     * The launch of SAREX flight STS-58 has been pushed back
again, to October 14 at 1453 UTC for a 13 day mission. On board
are William S. McArthur Jr., KC5ACR, and Martin J. Fettman,
KC5AXA. Flight information updates will be available on W1AW as
the launch date nears.
     SAREX flight STS-60 is tentatively scheduled for November
10, 1993, but likely will be delayed into 1994.

     * The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information will
hold its Second Annual Training Workshop for Telecommunications
Regulators November 15-19, 1993, in New York City. Among events
scheduled is a welcoming overview as well as the closing address
by Eli Noam, KE2PN, a Columbia professor of telecommunications.
More information is available from the Institute at 212-854-4222
(fax [phone]).

     * Amateur licensing processing times at the FCC's
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania facility have been running at near their
desired maximum of 90 days; both a continued large amount of
applications and inadequate staffing are cited.
     Recent examinees can expect to wait 12-14 weeks for their
license to arrive from the FCC.

     * Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, president of the Radio Society of
Great Britain, represented the Society in July at a garden party
at Buckingham Palace. HRH Prince Phillip is a Patron of the RSGB.
     And the RSGB recently reported that their new Direct Debit
Payment Service, allowing members to spread their annual dues
payment over several months, has "proved to be extremely popular
with existing members ... and has attracted many new members
following the advertising campaign: 'It's Never Been Easier to
Join.'"

     * The newest DXCC country may be Eritrea, which has been
recommended by the ARRL DX Advisory Advisory Committee but still
faces approval by the League's Awards Committee.
     Eritrea was a DXCC countty after World War 2; it was
conquered by British Forces in 1941, became federated with
Ethiopia in 1952, and was made a province of Ethiopia in 1962. At
that time it was deleted from the DXCC list.
     The DXAC was convinced that Eritrea now has emerged as an
independent country but was split on a recommended effective date
for valid contacts with the new country.
     *DO NOT* send QSL cards to the DXCC Desk until the
announcement that Eritrea has officially been added to the DXCC
list and a date for acceptance of cards has been set.

     * As of September 13, 82 members of the U.S. House of
Representatives had become co-sponsors of The Amateur Radio
Service Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 199); 12 senators were co-
sponsors of the Senate version, S.J. 90. A full list of co-
sponsors of the resolutions is scheduled for November *QST*.

     * The newest call sign among the Headquarters staff is
N1QDO, sported by Educational Correspondent Tracy Bedlack, a
veteran of the Educational Activities Department.

     * The Montserrat Amateur Radio Society will operate station
VP2M from its new clubhouse November 14, commemorating both the
15th anniversary of the Society and
the 500th anniversary of the naming of the Island by Christopher
Columbus during his second voyage to the West Indies in 1493.
     A story about Montserrat by Stu Stevens, K8SJ, appears in
October *QST*.

     * The 1993 Boy Scouts of America Jamboree-on-the-Air will be
held October 16 and 17, the 36th running of this event. W1AW will
carry more information as the date nears.
     Contact the ARRL Educational Activities Department of see
September *QST*, page 45, for information on how you can get
involved.

Inundated

     John Peters, K1ER, right, and Steve Larson, N3SL, left,
present a plaque of appreciation to the (entire) staff of the
Frankton, Colorado post office. Peters and Larson were members of
the February, 1993 AH1A DXpedition to Howland Island. More than
40,000 pieces of mail in response to the operation doubled the
normal annual volume for the tiny Frankton post office. Larson
lives in Frankton, Peters in nearby Longmont. Both are ARRL Life
Members (Photo courtesy K1ER).

Ham on the run

     Fred Doob, AA8FQ, trains for the New York Marathon a 2-meter
handheld and headset. Fred, 45, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, will
talk to as many locals as he can during the 26.2 mile run; in
return, ICOM America will donate five dollars for every contact
to the memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
     "Anyone who's in reasonable shape can talk while running
without breaking stride," Fred said. Fred will use an ICOM IC-
W21AT and carry a push-to-talk button in his hand. A volunteer
backup will log the contacts.
     Fred will monitor and scan several local repeaters as well
as three simplex frequencies during the race, which he expects to
complete in about five hours.
     ARRL Public Information Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, also
plans to run the NY Marathon. "But I will keep my mouth shut and
concentrate on finishing the race," Mansfield, a cranky 46, said.
     ARRL Hudson Division Director Steve Mendelsohn, WA2DHF, is
once again this year in charge of Amateur Radio communications
for the event, which have been the backbone of race
communications for years, and which garners top-notch publicity
for amateurs, especially during the race coverage by ABC-
Television.
     Hams wishing to donate to the cause may pledge any amount or
send $1.00 or more per the 26 miles and get an ICOM souvenir to
MSKCC, PO Box 20100, Shaker Heights OH 44120

Ukrainian day at HQ

     ARRL Senior Editor Jim Cain, K1TN, poses with Vic
Goncharsky, UB5WE and his father Vlad, U5WF, in the museum at
ARRL Headquarters. The pair were in Newington with business
associate David Larsen, KK4WW, executive director of Foundation
for Amateur International Radio Service Ltd., and met with ARRL
Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ.
     FAIRS was behind a recent training and educational project
in Bangladesh; an article on their efforts is in September, 1993
*QST*, p 86.
     Of course, QSLs were swapped all around for past contacts.
Vlad's U5WF call sign is in honor of his service in the Russian
Army during World War 2. (K1ZZ photo)

*eof