http://www.eham.net/ eHam.net Newsfeed http://www.eham.net/articles/19673 http://www.eham.net/articles/19673 Michael Owen VK3KI, WIA President and Peter Young VK3MV, WIA Directors met with Allan Major, ACMA Executive Manager Regulation and Compliance Branch, Dominic Byrne, ACMA Manager Compliance & Investigations Section and, by phone hookup, Gary Ryan, ACMA Acting Manager, Interference Management Section, Brisbane, on 18 June 2008. The meeting, originally suggested by Allan Major at the RadCom08 meetings, discussed compliance issues that concerned many amateurs in Australia. The ACMA representatives said that there had been an increased level of complaints about on air behaviour, some of which appeared to be breaches of the Amateur LCD and the Radiocommunications Act. The range of regulatory tools available to ACMA, from criminal prosecution to administrative action, including warnings leading to the suspension of licences, perhaps even leading to the cancellation of licences, were discussed. http://www.eham.net/articles/19672 http://www.eham.net/articles/19672 Kristi asked why she sometimes sees a zero with a diagonal line across it on license plates. She figured it isn't a normal zero or an "O," because both appear on plates without the line. Bill, Roy, George and Bob helped us on this one. All of them apparently are ham radio operators, and that symbol is part of a ham - or amateur - radio call sign; hams may use their call signs on specialized license plates in Colorado and other states. Years ago the FCC divided the country into 10 zones, and Colorado is in the 0 zone, so to speak, so that number is in every call sign issued here. The slash helps to distinguish the number 0 from the letter "O." http://www.eham.net/articles/19671 http://www.eham.net/articles/19671 This Weekend on the Radio: http://www.eham.net/articles/19670 http://www.eham.net/articles/19670 ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has written to Armond T. Mascelli, Vice President for Domestic Disaster response for the American Red Cross (ARC) to identify the ARRL's remaining concerns over the background check policy for ARC partners. Harrison emphasized that the commencement of negotiation of a replacement Statement of Understanding (SOU) between the two organizations should not be further delayed while these concerns are resolved and that he looked forward to signing a new SOU once additional edits to the background check Disclosure Form and clarifications of the background check Authorization Form are in place for those radio amateurs who volunteer their service to the Red Cross. http://www.eham.net/articles/19669 http://www.eham.net/articles/19669 On Thursday, July 3, Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH -- the man who has come to embody Amateur Radio Enforcement -- said goodbye to the FCC as he retired and began his life as a private citizen. In May, Hollingsworth announced he would definitely retire; he had contemplated retiring in January 2008, but cited "several issues on the table that I want[ed] to continue to work through with the amateur community." While his successor has not yet been named, he was quick to point out that the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program will continue. http://www.eham.net/articles/19668 http://www.eham.net/articles/19668 When residents of a Philadelphia suburb complained to an area television station about how their remote car door entry devices wouldn't work in the parking lot of a local department store, an investigative reporter for NBC-10 (WCAU) called everyone she could to help her discover why. No one knew anything -- until she called on some local ham radio operators. http://www.eham.net/articles/19667 http://www.eham.net/articles/19667 HF Contesting usually hits a dry spell during the summer months, but the weekend of July 12-13 brings a summer bright spot for HF contesters -- the IARU HF World Championship. http://www.eham.net/articles/19666 http://www.eham.net/articles/19666 Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth sent a Warning Notice to William G. Aber, Sr, N2JAI, of Green Creek, New Jersey, alerting him that "[t]he control operator of the KC2JPP repeater, operating on 449.875 MHz, has requested in writing that [Aber] refrain from use of the repeater." These requests, the Commission, noted, were due to Aber's "failure to follow operational rules set forth by the licensee/control operators of the repeater system for its users." Aber had been issued verbal requests to refrain from using the repeaters in the past, but he has, according to the Warning Notice, "apparently ignored both verbal and written requests." http://www.eham.net/articles/19665 http://www.eham.net/articles/19665 The United States Islands (USI) awards program will host a series of special event stations -- including their main club station KL7USI -- from all over the US, Alaska and the Yukon celebrating 15 years on HF. http://www.eham.net/articles/19664 http://www.eham.net/articles/19664 Every two weeks, H. Ward Silver, N0AX, produces the ARRL Contest Update. Each issue is jam-packed with information for all operators, be they involved in radiosport or not, such as operating and technical tips, propagation information and a focus on a technical Web site each issue. http://www.eham.net/articles/19663 http://www.eham.net/articles/19663 Registration remains open through Sunday, July 6, 2008 for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, July 18, 2008: http://www.eham.net/articles/19662 http://www.eham.net/articles/19662 This week's bulletin is presented a day earlier than usual, due to the Independence Day holiday on Friday. http://www.eham.net/articles/19661 http://www.eham.net/articles/19661 This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by NC1L, the OPDX Bulletin, DXNL, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all. http://www.eham.net/articles/19660 http://www.eham.net/articles/19660 KN4LF Propagation Forecast #2008-23: http://www.eham.net/articles/19659 http://www.eham.net/articles/19659 Radio Shack 13.8VDC Power Supply Recall: http://www.eham.net/articles/19656 http://www.eham.net/articles/19656 When I thought pedal-pushers were dead, they came back, ugly as ever, called capris. Thinking ham radio was outdated, I learned it's on the front burner of communications, as wonderful as always in times of emergencies. In fact, the Washington State Emergency Management Division and the Washington State Patrol are asking amateur radio operators to join the AMBER Alert system, which provides lickety-split child-kidnapping notifications. The agencies have asked about 27,000 licensed radio operators in our state to join the mission that quickly warns folks about abductions. But isn't ham radio as outdated as garter belts? Rob Harper, State Emergency Management Division spokesman, said hams still provide the community with a vital communications link. "It increases the range and distribution of the alert message, especially in rural areas where cell or phone service is spotty," Harper said. "The amateur radio system is very dependable and will quickly transmit alerts, in contrast to delays which can be experienced with some commercial broadcast networks." Vic Henry on Camano Island is ready to go on the air to help in times of crisis. The retired sergeant for the Island County Sheriff's Office got started in amateur radio in the Army, where he learned Morse code. Remember -- dit, dot, dash. He left the service and ham radios behind in 1962 but picked up the hobby when he retired. He is president of the Stanwood Camano Amateur Radio Club, started in 1990 to aid communication in the area. Gov. Gregoire proclaimed it to be Amateur Radio Week June 23-29. Hams (Henry said it's fine to call them hams) meet June 28 and 29 at the Twin City Sportsmen's Club in Stanwood for an annual SCARC Field Day event. http://www.eham.net/articles/19655 http://www.eham.net/articles/19655 She came ashore and in a matter of time, Hurricane Rita devastated the gulf coast. Gone were homes, businesses and in some areas our communication. With phone lines down and no internet, we turned to ham radio operators. "We only communicated when we were only needed to. When the messages needed to come out, they would come to us. The Red Cross or State Police would write a message down and we would transmit it to another station," said Doug Phelps. Hurricane Rita showed us we needed to be ready for the worst. This has helped first responders and communicators to hone their skills should another storm come our way. "Emergency preparedness, that's what were all about. We are prepared to handle a emergency, get the work done that needs to be done, the communications. It's all volunteer," said Mark Holcomb. http://www.eham.net/articles/19654 http://www.eham.net/articles/19654 SHELBY - The sign says it all, really. "When all else fails ... amateur radio works." Saturday and Sunday the yard of the clubhouse at Casar Park was crisscrossed with wires and generators whirred in the background. Blaze-orange drop cords snaked inside where visitors were immediately struck by the noise. At first, the noise is discordant, a mash up of tones and modulated voices. But it has a rhythm and a quality that renders it a hum of unimposing background noise. Specially trained Ham operators came together for a field day event - a fun day with a deeper a purpose. In an emergency - severe weather, wildfire, flood - amateur radio operators across the nation are ready to be activated and provide communication and relay important information. Locally, members of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) of Cleveland County have been trained a certified to provide emergency communication. http://www.eham.net/articles/19652 http://www.eham.net/articles/19652 SHERMAN, TX - With things like computers, satellite cable and even the iPhone, technology is at our fingertips. But what happens if disaster strikes and all of that is gone? That’s where HAM radios come in. Most of us have heard of HAM radios, but do you know what they are? Members of the Grayson County Amateur Radio Club tell us that ham radios are back-up communication relied on when everything else fails. It may seem impossible to wipe out all modern communication, but it's not, and it happened recently. "During Hurricane Katrina, they had absolutely no power, all the cell phones were down, amateur radio at one point and time was the only communications they had," says Chairman Glenn Waldrum. It's situations like that when HAM radios are most important, and that's why the Grayson County Club, like thousands of other groups around the country, took part in Saturday and Sunday's Test the Airwaves event. Glenn Waldrum, chairman of 2008's local field day, says during emergencies, you can count on ham radios for communication. "Communicating with the National Weather Bureau, FEMA, we handle message traffic. We can get a message from here to wherever in the U.S., or the entire world as far as that goes," says Waldrum. Preparing for those situations is what the annual field day is all about, trying to make contact with as many fellow HAM radio operators around the country. Running the radios on things like batteries and generators, just like in a real emergency. Wilmer Kinsey, president of the local club says HAM radios were his childhood hobby, something he is still passionate about today. "There's no question about it, it makes you feel good that you have the equipment, that you have the ability to do this, because it's very important when all other communication fails that we provide this service to the public and to the state and local officials," says Kinsey. http://www.eham.net/articles/19651 http://www.eham.net/articles/19651 NICHOLSON - Amateur radio enthusiast Bob Herrin caught the bug for amateur radio 15 years ago. Herrin, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the time, listened and watched in awe as "ham" radio operators kept communication open with emergency workers throughout the city when a blizzard blanketed the region with more than 20 inches of snow. A year later, Herrin was a licensed amateur radio operator. http://www.eham.net/articles/19650 http://www.eham.net/articles/19650 “Send SOS,” one of the Titanic’s radio operators supposedly said to another after the famous ship struck that infamous iceberg. “It’s the new call and besides this may be your last chance to send it.” That “new call” is 100 years old today, and people around the world who owe their lives to that piece of Morse code may reflect this morning on its importance. In the past century, “SOS” has become a firm part of popular culture used in everything from DIY programme titles to Abba hits. But it began life in a far more serious setting after being adopted by the international community on July 1, 1908, as the globally recognised distress signal for ships at sea. At that time voices could not yet be carried across the airwaves and sailors needed a standard means of saying, in Morse code, that they were in trouble. Until then, the most commonly used distress call was the “CQD” signal, which was open to misinterpretation. After much deliberation, SOS was chosen to replace it because the signal – three dots, three dashes and three more dots – is such a clear message to send in Morse code. http://www.eham.net/articles/19648 http://www.eham.net/articles/19648 You are invited to join in to the Echolinksters Saturday Night Net at 9:00 PM EST on July 12th. As special guest speaker Jonathon, K1RFD creator of the Echolink program answers questions in regards to Echolink and its facets in the amateur radio community. http://www.eham.net/articles/19642 http://www.eham.net/articles/19642 ROXBURY -- For 41 years, Mike Greenfeld has been a licensed operator of amateur radio -- often referred to as "ham" radio. It is a family affair for him. The 55-year-old Rockaway resident has a family of hams -- his wife, two sons and daughter are all licensed ham operators. Greenfeld was one of about 40 of Roxbury's Splitrock Amateur Radio Association's members to compete in the national "Field Day" exercises sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) -- the national association for amateur radio. The 24-hour Field Day exercise, which began Saturday and ended Sunday afternoon, also served as an emergency simulation, testing the capabilities of the ham radios. The goal of the national contest is to make as many connections across the country as possible. Splitrock's ham operators, who were competing as a single team, set up camp at the Horseshoe Lake Picnic Pavilion in Succasunna, and contacted ham radios from all over the country, including ham operators in Canada, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii and even Puerto Rico. Robert Hackett, director of the Township of Roxbury's Office of Emergency Management, said ham radio is a hobby that is geared toward public service. Hackett, also a ham operator, said ham radio "always works" and has always been able to back up public safety radio -- whose systems are often vulnerable -- in emergency situations, including the Sept. 11 attacks. Hackett said if central systems fail or are overloaded in emergency situations, ham radios can set up and operate anywhere. "Bring on the disaster. ...We'll communicate," he said. http://www.eham.net/articles/19641 http://www.eham.net/articles/19641 The Pee Dee represented the airwaves this weekend during the conclusion of Amateur Radio Week. Three stations at Lake Darpo in Darlington County set up their gear and made contact with over 700 other participants across the globe. In order to do this, 18-year-old Greg Davis had to be a pretty good listener. Beeps, blips, bumps and bings, to him, all say something different. He’s nationally known for his work with ham radios and Morse Code; least to say, he’s popular. It took him only six months to get familiar with understanding Morse Code and now he’s basically speaking another language. It’s basically a chat room, except when it comes down to it…his instant message could save the day. “We just come out and set up a temporary station like this so if we ever did get a hurricane or something we know we can get messages in and out of the area,” says Davis. When he’s not testing the system, Davis is known by a completely different Morse Code name: N3ZL. http://www.eham.net/articles/19640 http://www.eham.net/articles/19640 Camped out in his tent trailer, with mosquito netting, a bed, a stock of food and cool drinks, a laptop computer and a ham radio, Gordon Mitchell was more than ready to tackle the 24-hour North American amateur radio preparedness marathon on Saturday. "I've got the comforts of home," the Brantford man said, as he began booting up his computer and setting his radio dials. His fingers flew across the keyboard as multiple screens popped in and out of view and a computer voice read out information that was showing on the screen. "I'm visually impaired. I'm blind," Mitchell said, almost as an afterthought. His radio cackled to life with the voice of another ham operator lost on his way to the event, held on a farm property west of Burford. Mitchell gave the man detailed directions to the property on the north side of Highway 53. Mitchell's blindness seems no obstacle to his sense of direction, or to much else in this retired computer programmer's life. Mitchell has been an avid amateur radio enthusiast for more than 40 years. He was first licensed in 1966, making him one of the longest-licensed local amateurs in the Brantford Amateur Radio Club. http://www.eham.net/articles/19638 http://www.eham.net/articles/19638 HUNTERTOWN -- The sounds of a generator, radio transmissions and voices asking technical questions mingled Saturday at McMillen Girl Scout Camp. The camp, dotted with tents and at least one campfire, also played host to antennas, wires and radio equipment. The Fort Wayne Radio Club was among the groups to participate in Field Day, a national event where amateur radio operators demonstrate their ability to communicate using only emergency power supplies. The amateur radio operators, commonly referred to as ham radio operators, began transmitting at 2 p.m. Saturday, aiming to transmit for 24 hours in a row and to make as many contacts as possible. The day gives ham operators the opportunity to hone their emergency transmission skills as well as to compete, since points are awarded based on the number of contacts made, according to Steve Nardin, 56, of Fort Wayne, the club’s communications manager. Nearly 10,000 sites were expected to participate in Field Day, Nardin said. Other northeast Indiana cities and towns that hosted Field Day sites were Columbia City, Auburn and Huntington. Nardin said some sites were in Canada, as well. Ham radio operators have aided communications during local emergencies, with the most recent being the tornado on Fort Wayne’s north side in 2001, Nardin said. On a national level, Nardin said ham radio equipment played a key role in communications in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Ham operators have an edge in emergencies because they can operate when traditional communications infrastructure is compromised or non-existent, Nardin said. http://www.eham.net/articles/19637 http://www.eham.net/articles/19637 BURRELL -- When other forms of communication fail, amateur radio operators come to the rescue. Ed Wilbert, whose radio call sign is N3LFB and who is president of the Fort Armstrong Wireless Association, a local amateur radio club, said one reason radio amateurs are able to establish effective emergency communications quickly, is that amateur radio doesn't depend on cell-phone towers, overland phone lines, the Internet, or normal utility-supplied electricity. Communications infrastructure often is disabled in the aftermath of severe storms or other natural disasters. Normal lines of communications could be terrorist targets. Wilbert said amateur radio operators, known as "hams," have a proud tradition of providing emergency communications. The annual Field Day event, held the third weekend of June and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, Newington, Conn., can best be described as a nationwide dry run for setting up emergency communication stations. http://www.eham.net/articles/19636 http://www.eham.net/articles/19636 Irv Butler, an ARES official, said that while government and public safety emergency communication operators are very much relevant, ham operators can still provide assistance in most emergency situations, especially hurricanes and tornadoes. Many of these amateur radio operators, whose title refers to their status rather than their skills, have traveled across the country for various emergency situations, including the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina. Butler added the amateur radio operators have been the first line of communication when traditional means fail. "We just add to public safety," said Butler, who became interested in the profession after building a radio as a child. http://www.eham.net/articles/19632 http://www.eham.net/articles/19632 Episode 21 features part one of a tour of the very interesting Australian Army’s Signals Museum. Tommy gives us a quick look at editing video. George introduces the MFJ-259B Antenna Analyzer and some of it’s capabilities. And Peter attends the Wireless Institute of Australia’s Annual General Meeting in Broken Hill where he also visits the “School of the Air”, the “Flying Doctors” and more. http://www.eham.net/articles/19631 http://www.eham.net/articles/19631 Fall River -- The command center, the heart and the soul of the Fall River Amateur Radio Club is an old construction office trailer, bought as surplus for $200. But the 22-year-old trailer has been transformed into a 28-foot high-tech hub, capable of connecting its users to anywhere on the planet through a satellite or a 42-foot radio tower. This weekend, the trailer was put into action for only the third time. Its first voyage was to Martha’s Vineyard in May, and the crew helped out with a Kuss Middle School high altitude balloon launch on June 13. A trip to New Hampshire for a ham radio flea market is scheduled for the fall. The amateur radio field day, held Saturday and today at the Freetown State Forest, a round-the-clock event that started Saturday at 2 p.m., is part of a national amateur radio week sponsored by the National Association for Amateur Radio. More than 30,000 participated nationwide last year. “Like any hobby, you can start out very basic,” said Roland Daignault of Westport. But Daignault, who bought the trailer, gutted it and turned it into a ham radio enthusiast’s dream, has something that’s anything but basic. “This started as a modest project,” he said while standing beside all his gadgets. Daignault, a handy guy who’s working on assembling his own small plane in his garage, replaced the trailer’s axles, reinforced the roof so it could be walked on, and loaded the interior with a stove, refrigerator, shower, toilet, three bunks and a long custom-made counter for computer and radio hookups. The trailer even got its own name -- hamcow -- meaning ham radio communications on wheels. The previous trailer, which still sits outside Daignault’s house, was cramped and too short for many people to stand up inside. “Dilapidated is a polite way to put it,” he said. But it did its duty years ago during snowstorms helping with communication, manning shelters and transporting doctors, nurses and patients. http://www.eham.net/articles/19628 http://www.eham.net/articles/19628 MUSCATINE, Iowa -- An electronic device Tom Brehmer holds in the palm of his hand connects him with new friends half a world away and at home in Muscatine. Brehmer is one of about 20 members of the Muscatine Amateur Radio Club, an organization that meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the upper level meeting room at Musser Public Library. The Muscatine hams will host a field day at Muscatine Community College from Saturday, June 28, through Sunday, June 29, to share their hobby with the community. The Field Day is a 27-hour marathon to connect with ham radio operators wherever they are located. http://www.eham.net/articles/19627 http://www.eham.net/articles/19627 LIBERTY TWP. -- Butler County residents looking to gab with people worldwide need travel no further than Liberty Twp. That's because township trustees voted unanimously during a meeting earlier this month to allow Bill Wood to conduct a continuous emergency communication exercise Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, at Dudley Memorial Park, 5700 Yankee Road. Dubbed Field Day, the exercise is part of a national event sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, and will pit ham radio operators nationwide to see who can contact the most other amateur radio stations worldwide. Two stations will be dedicated to voice transmissions and Morse code for licensed ham operators. Those interested in observing the event or speaking on a public "Get on the Air" station may do so between 2 and 10 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The purpose of the Field Day event is to demonstrate to government officials and the public the potential availability of emergency communications should such a need ever arise. During Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of volunteer hams traveled to New Orleans to help save lives and property. http://www.eham.net/articles/19612 http://www.eham.net/articles/19612 Video: Car Locks Jam In Store Parking Lot, Hams to the Rescue!