Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/hamradio/news0521.zip/NEWS0521.TXT

Text File | 1993-05-28 | 12KB | 247 lines

NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #73 - POSTED 05/21/93

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     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. The electronic version of newsline is posted on this
CBBS twice monthly. For current information updates, please call
[phone], [phone], [phone], [phone],
[phone], [phone], [phone] or [phone].
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                                             Thank You
                                             NEWSLINE

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Some of the hams of NEWSLINE RADIO...

WA6ITF WB6MQV WB6FDF K6DUE W6RCL N6AHU N6AWE N6TCQ K6PGX N6PNY
KU8R N8DTN W9JUV KC9RP K9XI KB5KCH KC5UD KC0HF G8AUU DJ0QN and
many others in the United States and around the globe!!!

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[823]
                          PIRATE FINES

   Three Washington state men have been fined 2,000 each by the
FCC for unlicensed operation on 2 meters. Receiving Notices of
Apparent Liability for $2,000 were Randy Baxter, Kevin Marilley,
and Mark Karuza, all of Bellingham, Washington.
   The FCC says that it received a complaint from an amateur on
November 17, 1992, alleging that people aboard fishing vessels
were operating on 144.170 MHz.  The agent taking the call was
unable to receive adequate signals from the operations and asked
for a tape recording from the complainant.
   After receiving the tape recording, the agency conducted an in
depth investigation.  It's agents used telephone, marina, and
U.S.  Coast Guard information to identify the source of the
transmissions.  They did and the fines were issued.
   The FCC said that since all three accused men were individuals
rather than commercial operations, because of the nature of the
violations and the fact they were first offenses, it would set
the fines at $2,000 instead of the $8,000.  At this time, it is
unknown if the three alleged two meter bootleggers plan to file
appeals.

*****
                   FAKE SOS BRINGS SENTENCE

   A former Extra class license holder has been sentenced for
making fake distress transmissions on the twenty meter band.
Fifty year old Jorge Mestre, who has already surrendered his
NS3K license to the FCC in a plea-bargain agreement, has been
given one year probation on condition of his serving sixty days
of home confinement, was ordered to perform 200 hours of
community service and to pay an additional fifty dollar
assessment.
   Mestre, of Fairfax, Virginia has pleaded guilty last February
to knowingly and willfully communicating false distress signals
on 14.313 Mhz on August 7, 1992.  At that time Mestre entered
into a plea bargain agreement with the government.  Under the
terms of the agreement, he was to surrender his FCC amateur
license, to dispose of his amateur radio equipment within sixty
days, and to make immediate restitution in the amount of fifty
thousand dollars to the United States Coast Guard.
   Under current law, Mestre could have received a fine of up to
$250,000 and up to six years in jail.

*****
                           LOST FINE

   A rather interesting announcement from the American Radio
Relay League concerning a story it ran in the September 1992
issue of its QST Magazine.  Back then, the League reported on an
FCC enforcement action taken against James Winstead KK6SM of
Redwood City, California.  Winstead had admitted causing
interference to amateur and commercial communications in the San
Francisco Bay area in the time frame from October of 1990 to
July of 1991.  The story reported that Winstead was hit with a
fifteen thousand dollar Notice of Apparent Liability which was
issued on May 18th, 1992.
   The May 1993 QST carries and update to the Winstead matter
not previously reported.  According to the FCC's David
Hartsborn, KK6SM appealed the fine.  It was reduced to $2000 in
July of 1992.  In addition, Winsteads Amateur and Commercial
licenses were suspended for a year.

*****
                      BISHOP FINE REDUCED

   The FCC has reduced a $10,000 fine levied against Don Bishop,
N0EA to $8,000.  Bishop was cited in April of 1992 for allegedly
transmitting for several hours on 7.240 Mhz and 15.050 Mhz while
driving in the mid-western United States.  The FCC said it took
the action to reduce Bishop's fine because of his prior record
of compliance with the Commissions rules.

*****
                        ARSENE FAILURE

   The French ARSENE packet-radio satellite apparently suffered
a serious failure immediately after separation from its launch
vehicle the first Amateur Radio satellite of 1993 was launched
from the Kourou Space Center, French Guiana, on May 12.  ARSENE
was carried into orbit  aboard an Ariane V56A rocket along with
an Astra commercial satellite.
   According to Jean Gruau, president of the Radio Amateur Club
de l'Espace, there is a signal coming from ARSENE, but it is
extremely weak.  Gruau said his group and space officials were
attempting to determine the cause of the problem.  They
speculated that it could be improper antenna orientation or a
power-system failure.  The commercial ASTRA satellite that was
launched with ARSENE is functioning normally.
   If it can be recovered and brought on line, ARSENE will
function as a packet relay, similar to a digipeater.  Uplinks and
downlinks will utilize standard AX.25 packet protocol.  Unlike
present pacsats, however, ARSENE will employ FM on both the
uplinks and downlinks.

*****
                       LEO REGULATIONS

   The FCC has allocated approximately four megahertz of
existing VHF and UHF spectrum for a low earth orbit mobile
satellite service and this new service has a definite Amateur
Radio Connection.  Specifically, the Commission has allocated the
137.000 to 137.025, 137.175 to 137.815 and 400.150 to 401.000 Mhz
bands on a primary basis as downlinks and 148.000 to 150.050 and
399.900 to 400.050 MHz on a primary basis as uplinks.  The FCC
says that it believes that the Low Earth Orbiting or LEO
satellite systems being planned for these frequencies will be
able to provide non-voice services as substantial cost savings
over existing systems.
   The FCC has also awarded what they call a pioneers preference
for a license to operate a Leo system to the group Volunteers in
Technical Assistance.  In making its preference choice known, the
Commission recognized that VITA was the first organization to
demonstrate the utility of these small satellites for civilian
communications.  Working with AMSAT, it was VITA that assisted
in the design and construction of a satellite incorporating a
prototype of the Leo technology that was launched into orbit in
1984.

*****
                    RECORD HAMVENTION CROWD

   1993 was a record breaking year for the Dayton Hamvention.
This according to Hamvention chairman Dave Grubb, KC8CF.  He says
that 35,186 people walked through the gate at the Hara Arena.
This is a ten percent increase over he attendance figure from
1982.
   Also, manufacturers and distributors of ham gear donated in
excess of $115,000 worth of merchandise that was given away as
prizes.  This figure does not include the prizes and other
incentives that individual vendors gave away at their own
booths.  Needless to say that the 1993 Dayton Hamvention will go
down in ham radio history as one of the best shows ever.

*****
                     Ex-FCC CHAIRMAN DIES

   Word that former FCC Chairman Robert E. Lee has died.  Lee
was born in Chicago in 1912, and served as an FCC commissioner
from 1953 to 1981.  He was first appointed by President
Eisenhower and then reappointed by Presidents Johnson and Nixon.
He served briefly as chairman of the Commission, from February
5th to May 18th of 1981, in the initial days of the Reagan
administration.

*****
                        HENDERSON OBIT

   The ARRL reports that Wireless Institute of Australia
President Ron Henderson, VK1RH became a silent key on April
26th.  Henderson was known worldwide as an active amateur
operator and superlative administrative leader.  He attended the
full term of WARC-92 as a delegate from Australia and
participated in the 1985 conference in Melbourne.  His untimely
death was the result of cancer.

*****
                    YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

    A reminder from the Westlink Report newsletter.  It says that
its 1993 Young Ham of the Year Award will be presented at the
Huntsville Hamfest and ARRL National Convention in Huntsville
Alabama the weekend of August 14th and 15th.
   The Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year is a person who in
the view of the judges best epitomizes the accomplishments of
youth in amateur radio.  Achievements can be in any area of
endeavour associated to the hobby service.  To qualify, a nominee
must be 18 years of age or younger, be attending an accredited
school or place of learning and must hold any class of valid
United States amateur license.  Cutoff date for nominations is
June 30th.  For a nominating form please send an S.A.S.E. to the
1993 Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year, 28197 Robin Avenue,
Saugus, CA 91350.

*****
                     FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP

   Congratulations to Ron Heise of N4TXR Indiatlantic, Florida.
The Indian River Amateur Radio Club Memorial Scholarship
Foundation has awarded Ron its $750 Joseph Rubino Memorial
scholarship for use at the school of his choice.  Ron is a senior
at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, holds a Technician class
license and comes from al all ham household.  His dad is WA4VQD,
his mom is WA4OMS, and KD4DHS is his sister.

*****

* * * Newsline Copyright 1993 all rights are reserved. * * *

--
       Allan Courtney KD4DBN         Internet: [e-mail]
       Lexington, Kentucky           AMPRNet:  44.106.2.120