Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/news0310.zip/NEWS0310.TXT

Text File | 1995-03-18 | 18KB | 353 lines

SB NEWSLIN @ ALLBBS $NLIN.917
Amateur Radio Newsline #917 12 Mar 1995

Amateur Radio Newsline is produced as an audio service by Newsline, a
service of the Westlink Radio Netowrk.  The transcribed version is produced
by Dale Cary, WD0AKO from materials provided by Newsline. and is jointly
distributed to online services and bulletin board networks by Steve Coletti
and Dale Cary.

Editorial comment, news items and all other business should be directed to
     Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, Newsline's Producer and Editor-In-Chief.
     E-Mail -  [e-mail] or [e-mail]
     Phone/Fax - [phone], fax senders wait for voice prompt.

Text Version information:
     America Online - [e-mail] (Terry Stader, Sysop) or
                      [e-mail]
     Compuserv, Delphi, Genie - [e-mail]
     Usenet - [e-mail] (David Dodell - Moderator rec-radio-info)
     FTP, (oak.oakland.edu) - [e-mail] (Scott Erlich, Boston ARC)
     Internet mailing list (individuals) - bigsteve@.dorsai.org
     Internet mailing list (re-distributors) - [e-mail]
     BBS Networks: FidoNet -  Joe Brown, 1:2625/111
                   RIME - RO mail to Steve Coletti, ->35
                   Others - Steve Coletti (within the conference)
                            (Fido Netmail to 1:278/230)
- - - - - -
 NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #917 - POSTED 03/11/95

 (***************************************************************)
 (*                                                             *)
 (*      *   * ***** *    *  **** *     ***** *   * *****       *)
 (*      **  * *     *    * *     *       *   **  * *           *)
 (*      * * * ***   * ** *  ***  *       *   * * * ***         *)
 (*      *  ** *     * ** *     * *       *   *  ** *           *)
 (*      *   * *****  *  *  ****  ***** ***** *   * *****       *)
 (*                                                             *)
 (***************************************************************)

    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.  For current information updates, please call

                     Audio Version of Newsline
                     =========================
      Los Angeles............................ [phone]
      Los Angeles (Instant Update Line)...... [phone]
      Seattle................................ [phone]
      Seattle................................ [phone]
      Tacoma................................. [phone]
      Louisville............................. [phone]
      Dayton................................. [phone]
      Chicago................................ [phone]
      New York City.......................... Out Of Service
      Melbourne, FL.......................... [phone]

             Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline
             =======================================
      GEnie (RTC Bulletin Board)............. m345;1
      GEnie (File Library)................... m345;3
      Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... [phone]
        In bulletin number 36
      The Midwest Connection BBS............. [phone]
        In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference
      Delphi.....................In the ham radio conference
      CompuServe/HamNet.................... HamNet Library 0
      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, Intellec, I-Link and AR-Net

    For questions or comments about the text version, contact me at
 [e-mail] on the Internet.

    For the latest breaking info call the Instant Update Line listed
 above.  To provide information please call [phone].  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 SASE at P.O. Box 463, Pasadena, CA
 91102.

                                              Thank You
                                              NEWSLINE

 (****************************************************************

 Some of the hams of NEWSLINE RADIO...

 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!!!

 (****************************************************************

 [917]

 (* * * *   C L O S E D   C I R C U I T   A D V I S O R Y   * * * *
 (*                                                               *
 (*      The following advisory is not necessarily for trans-     *
 (*   mission over amateur radio.  This is just a reminder that   *
 (*   the address for the Newsline Support Fund is:               *
 (*                                                               *
 (*                  Newsline                                     *
 (*                  c/o Andy Jarema, N6TCQ                       *
 (*                  P.O.Box 660937                               *
 (*                  Arcadia, California                          *
 (*                  91066                                        *
 (*                                                               *
 (*      Again, and as always, we thank you.  This ends the       *
 (*   closed circuit with Newsline report number 917 for release  *
 (*   on Friday, March 10, 1995 to follow.                        *
 (*                                                               *
 (* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                       The following is a QST

    A delay in the vanity call sign program, bad checks passed at a
 hamfest and electronic fish all highlight Newsline report number
 917 coming your way right now!

 (*****
                       VANITY CALL SIGN FORM

    There will be a delay in getting the vanity call sign program
 underway.  This is because the new  Federal Communications
 Commission form necessary for applying for a vanity call the new
 Form 610-V will not be available until after May 1.  Because of
 this, applications for vanity call signs can not be accepted until
 after the form is available.  This, even though the effective date
 for the new program to begin is March 24th.
    Beginning May 1st, FCC Form 610-V may be requested by calling
 the FCC Forms Distribution Center at 1-800-418-3676.  Hams who
 call the FCC to request the form before then will not have their
 names recorded and it will be necessary for them to request the
 form again, when it is available.
    As an alternative you can send an Self Addressed Stamped
 Envelope to ARRL-VEC at anytime.  Write Form 610-V request on the
 outer envelope and it will be sent to you as soon as it's
 available.
    The FCC says that it will make a public announcement of the
 date of opening of the first gate to file a vanity call sign
 application.  Do not send in any forms until after that date is
 announced.

 (*****
                         EMERGENCY COMMENTS

    The ARRL has filed comments on FCC notices of proposed rule
 making concerning a proposed new Emergency Alert System in FO
 Dockets 91-302 and 91-171.  The League says that the EAS proposal
 signals the Commission's intention to integrate broadcast alerting
 concepts into local and regional emergency response plans, and
 said that the Amateur Service is a logical partner in providing
 emergency information to the public.
    ARRL assert that Amateur Radio has a long history of providing
 emergency communication.  This, through the Radio Amateur Civil
 Emergency Service and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.  And
 the national society says while the Commission proposal cites hams
 as an auxiliary entity in emergency communication operations, the
 reality is that the Amateur Service is a principal provider of
 communication during disaster relief and other emergencies.
    The League believes that Amateur Radio must be considered an
 available resource at all levels of EAS organization.  It notes
 its memoranda of understanding with the American National Red
 Cross, the Salvation Army, the Federal Emergency Management
 Agency, the National Communications System, the Associated Public
 Safety Communications Officers, and the National Weather Service
 as basis.
    The League suggests that EAS participants should be a part of
 overall emergency planning, not just emergency communication
 planning.  It urges the total integration of Amateur Radio and
 other radio services into the overall planning.

 (*****
                     SECTION MANGER SPEAKS OUT

    And speaking about ham radio in emergency planning, the ARRL's
 new Section Manager for Alabama wants to see hams in that state
 unite, regardless of whether they are League affiliated.  Tom
 Moore, KL7Q, was appointed Section Manager following the December
 31st 1994 resignation of Ken McGlaughn (pronounced "Mac GLAWN"),
 KM4JD.  One of Moore's first actions as new Section leader was to
 call a statewide cabinet meeting January 21st.  During that
 meeting, Moore paid tribute to the many hams who, 'though not
 League members, contribute to the amateur radio service and to
 their community.
    Moore has a warning for hams everywhere.  He says the grab for
 valuable frequency spectrum by businesses with deep pockets will
 continue to threaten amateur radio.
    About 40 amateurs attended the cabinet meeting.  Moore's term
 as Section manager runs through December 31st.

 (*****
                           RUBBER CHECKS

    A ham radio con man appears to be at work in the mid-west
 hamfest circuit.  This, with a number of exhibitors at a recent
 Missouri show duped out of new equipment paid for with bad checks.
    The person passing the bad paper claims the identity of Frank
 J. Margita (pronounced "MAR-GEE-TA") of Topeka Kansas, but that
 appears to be a phony.  This, because the real Frank J. Margita
 passed away in Florida in 1992.
    The con man is described as 40 to 50 years old standing six
 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds.  Witnesses say he has a
 beard, is very knowledgeable about ham radio.  He may claim that
 he recently passed an Amateur Radio test and is waiting for his
 call sign.
    Among the items that the phony Frank J. Margita paid for with
 rubber checks was a new Yaesu F-T 890 high frequency transceiver
 bearing the serial number 211200762.  If anyone tries to sell
 you this radio or a new Midland 2 meter HT at a bargain price,
 please contact Detective Bill Fisher of the Saint Joseph Missouri
 Police Department at 501 Farron Street, in Saint Joseph, Missouri
 64501.

 (*****
                          STS-67 UPDATE

    The SAREX Shuttle Amateur Radio ham station on board the
 spaceship Endeavour has been working flawlessly, but the same
 cannot be said for the scientific gear.
    Just two days into a planned two-week astronomy mission, the
 team of orbiting astrophysicists was struggling to point an array
 of ultraviolet telescopes to the pre-selected celestial targets.
 Astronaut Ron Parise, WA4SIR told mission control the pointing
 system was drifting all over the place.
    The crew has had to manually point one of the three telescopes,
 which are supposed to lock automatically on their targets using a
 computer.  Later, Mission Control reported that most of the
 problems had been resolved with a change in procedures. This, in
 time for the space scientists to go back and focus on lost
 targets.
    As reported last week, six of the seven Endeavour astronauts
 have their ham radio license.  These include Ron Parise, WA4SIR on
 his second trip into space.  With Ron are Commander Steve Oswald,
 KB5YSR, Pilot Bill Gregory, KC5MGA, Mission Specialist Tammy
 Jernigan, KC5MGF, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, KC5KII and
 Payload Specialist Sam Durrance, N3TQA.
     SAREX is being flown in configuration C on this mission.  This
 means its operational on both voice and packet.  A record 26
 schools from around the world are participating in SAREX with a
 scheduled contact with the astronauts.  Even more will be
 listening in to the school student's question and answer session
 with the astronauts.

 (*****
                IS FCC PLANNING TAX ON MODEM USERS?

     N3GPU reports via packet that Baltimore radio station WCBM
 carried a news story which says that the FCC is developing plans
 to assess charges for modem users who pass data back and forth
 with online services such as Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy,
 and the like.  The story went on to say that the proposed user
 fees could be as high as $6 per hour, and would be charged by the
 telephone carriers with FCC permission, as partial compensation
 for the costs of long distance service deregulation.  The WCBM
 story concluded by saying that a similar effort by the FCC
 several years ago was shelved because of the weight of public
 comment against it.

 (*****
                      HIGHER BROADCAST FEES

    On the regulatory scene, Broadcasters and cable TV operators
 may face hikes in FCC user fees to pay for 1995 regulation under
 a new government proposal.  VHF TV stations in the top 10 markets
 would be required to pay $21,540 to the FCC, up from $18,000 a
 year ago.  VHF TV stations in markets below the top 10 would pay
 between $5,950 and $19,075 for 1995 FCC regulation.  UHF station
 payments would range from $4,775 in the smallest markets to
 $17,150 in the 10 largest markets.  Cable operators could be
 assessed 51 cents per subscriber, up from 37 cents in 1994.
 Radio stations would be hit with higher FCC user fees as well.
 The FCC proposal stems from Congress' ongoing effort to make
 regulated industries pay for the cost of FCC oversight.

 (*****
                              HDTV

    The era of high-definition television has been a long time
 coming to the United States but 1995 could prove to be a crucial
 year for those championing the new technology.  After years of
 research and narrowly focused testing, a consortium of companies
 is putting the finishing touches on a system that is likely to be
 ready for its last go-round in the laboratory.  If all goes
 smoothly, a special advisory committee called The Grand Alliance
 could recommend by late summer that federal regulators approve the
 system as the U.S. standard for transmitting HDTV signals.
 Alliance members believe that receivers could be available to the
 public in late 1996 or early 1997.  This the same time frame when
 HDTV broadcasts would be available.

 (*****
                                DX

    In DX, reports from the Tokyo PacketCluster indicate that two
 Laotian stations are currently active.  XW2A and XW1BOD have been
 mainly heard on 20 and 40 meters CW.  The two station operate on
 20 meters between 23:00 and 01:00 UTC and on 40 meters between
 14:30 and 17:00 UTC between 21:00 and 22:30 UTC.
    Also, several Japanese sources report that JH1AJT, who was
 recently active from Bhutan hopes to make a return sometime this
 summer.  Reportedly, he has left all the rigs, antennas and amps
 in A5 land and plans to go back again to activate the station for
 a longer stay.

 (*****
                        ELECTRONIC FISH-NAP

    And finally, four men were charged in a scheme to poach
 some electronic fish.  That's right, we said fish as in large
 mouth
 bass.  This, after some of the protected fish were tracked to a
 commercial farm through electronic devices implanted by state
 wildlife officials.
    Prosecutors say the men illegally pulled more than 40,000
 pounds of the bass from the Potomac River over three years.  They
 then sold the protected fish to wholesalers in the United States
 and Canada.
    But authorities were able to track the poached fish because
 some had tiny tagging transmitters implanted as part of a study by
 the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to track their growth
 and movement.  Fish and Game authorities were first tipped to the
 alleged scheme by a Canadian inspector who saw a shipment at a
 Toronto wholesaler.  After getting the lead, Maryland detectives
 took a receiver that monitors animal tag transmitters to a fish
 farm, where they picked up radio signals coming from the breeding
 ponds.

 (*****

    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

 (* * * Newsline Copyright 1995 all rights are reserved. * * *