Monday, November 3, 2014

UPDATE--- PRB-1

This is an important UPDATE 

As this PRB-1 drama unfolds with the Michigan House of Representatives,
we find ourselves reacting to breaking news. This happens as a result
of the House currently not being in session. Nothing is official and
everything is speculative. 

As you will remember, we just started a letter writing campaign which
targeted the members of the Committee that we were told would be
handling our bill. Things change and it now appears that we will deal
with different committee.

Don’t think that all of those letters that we sent to the first
committee members were sent in vain. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Each of those representatives are now aware of our bill and
aware that there are a lot of amateur radio operators that have an
interest in having SB 0493 pass out of committee and out of the House
itself. No wasted letters here.

It is time to shift gears. 

Please go to our PRB-1 website at http://www.miarrlprb1.org/

Click on the ‘Sample Letters’ tab and click on ‘House of
Representatives’ and enter your information to locate your
representative’s website. Back on the Sample Letters tab, scroll down
to Sample House Letter. Copy the letter and paste it into your
Representative’s email form. 

Be sure to add the Representative’s information as well as your
information at the end of the letter to personalize the document.
Sometimes it is easier to copy the letter from our website and paste it
into a word processor to get it prepared and then paste into the
Representative’s email form.

Once again, please send a copy of what you send to wb8r@arrl.org and
wa8qje@arrl.net.

Thank you for all of your efforts and with your help we can accomplish
this important task.

73,

Saturday, November 1, 2014

False FEMA Alert Message

FALSE FEMA ALERT MESSAGE ON ATT U-VERSE ON OCT 24

AT&T has confirmed that it accidentally relayed an incorrect emergency alert message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to its U-verse customers in parts of Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan and Mississippi.

The alert messages began popping up on screens around 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 24th. Red banners appeared the television screens of viewers in the affected areas alerting them to stand by for an important message.  

Soon after the incident FEMA spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre stated that there had been an inappropriate playing of the national emergency alert notification tones on a syndicated radio broadcast. He went on to state that there is not a national emergency but that the broadcast triggered alert notification in states where it had been played. Lemaitre said his agency was working with the FCC to quantify the scale of the incident.

Source (TechTimes)

MORSE EXPRESS; New Products & News

I received this informadabale e-mail this morning from 

MORSE EXPRESS NEW PRODUCTS AND NEWS

News from Milestone Technologies, Inc
(Morse Express, Oak Hills Research, and AMECO)
October 31, 2014

THE HEADLINES...

-  Professional Analog Multimeter (VOM)

-  Morse Express 2014 Christmas Key

- Inventory Notes and  Odds & Ends

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional Analog Multimeter (VOM)

Analog multimeters tend to be either very cheap, amost disposable units
that are just accurate enough to check an electrical outlet or battery
voltage, or very expensive lab-quality instruments that are more than
most people need.  Now, finally, there is an alternative    Elenco Model
M1250 provides professional quality features and reliability at a
reasonable price. One of the most notable features is the 20,000
Ohms/Volt input isolation.  There are some things that digital multimeters
just can't do, and, and there are a LOT of things that are easier to see on
an analog VOM. M1250 23 Range VOM $26.50 at
http://www.MorseeEpress.com/elenco/#elvom

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Morse Express 2014 Christmas Key

Our 2014 Christmas Key is on schedule for delivery at the end of
November.  As always, if you have the 2013 key then the same serial
number is reserved for you in 2014.  If you missed out on the 2013 key
please note that we do have some of them left, even a few matching pairs
of 2012-2013 keys.

Print advertizing this year will be in QST, in the January issue (which
ARRL members will receive before Christmas). And we will send out
another newsletter at the end of November when we can open up the
ordering system.  For a sneak peak, go to
http://MorseExpress.com/x14.htm   A few 2013 and earlier keys are still
available at: http://www.MorseExpress.com/xmas

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventory Notes, and Odds & Ends

Our friend and colleague Neil Hecht at Almost All digital electronics  is
recovering from a serious illness and is not accepting orders until further
notice.  We have limited stocks at http://www.MorseExpress.com/aade
Please join us in wishing Neil a speedy and complete recovery.

The following Nye Viking Speed-X keys are in stock:
NV-310-001
NV-310-003
NV-320-001
http://www.MorseExpress.com/nye

Other key inventories are in good shape, with almost all Palm Radio,
GHD,  Hi-Mound and Scheunemann models in stock:
http://www.MorseExpress.com/keys.htm

All of the Oak Hills Research kits and accessories are available at
http://www.OHR.com, and we have good stocks of the AMECO products
including the preamplifiers and the code practice ocillators, at
http://www.MorseExpress.com/ameco

Our web site has been undergoing some emergency maintenance over the
last two weeks but I'm told everything is in good shape now.  Of course if
you have any problems with the web site you can call us on 303-752-3382
between 10am and 6pm MST.  Our office will be closed between
November 17th and November 21st  but the web site and email should be
working during that time and we will catch up as quickly as possible
when we return.  Your patience is appreciated.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
As always, pictures and more information are available on the Milestone
Technologies web sites (Morse Express, Oak Hills Research, and
AMECO)    http://www.MorseExpress.com

Please use our secure on-line ordering facilities or call
1-877-DOT DASH (877-368-3274) or 1-866-OHR-KITS (866-647-5487)
TOLL FREE to order by phone.  And feel free to call me
personally on (303) 752-3382 for more information about any of our
products or services.

73
Marshall Emm, N1FN

Milestone Technologies,
Morse Express, OHR, and AMECO.
10691 E Bethany Drive STE 800
Aurora CO 80014

http://www.MTechnologies.com
http://www.MorseExpress.com
http://www.OHR.com
Email: admin@mtechnologies.com
Phone: (303)752-3382

"Everything for the Morse Enthusiast"
--

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Michigan PRB -1 Call to Action – Michigan Senate

To the hams of Michigan:

Subject: Michigan PRB -1 Call to Action – Michigan Senate

On September 16, 2014, members of the Michigan PRB -1 Committee
attended a Senate Hearing in Lansing regarding Senate Bill 0493. We are
extremely pleased to report that SB 0493 Substitute S-2 to codify the
language of 47 CFR Part 97.15 into state law was unanimously passed out
of the Energy and Technology Committee. You can see SB 0493 S-2 on our
PRB-1 website located here: http://www.miarrlprb1.org/

It is time for us to begin our letter writing campaign targeting our
Michigan Senators in a effort to encourage them to look closely at SB
0493 and to vote in favor of the bill when it comes up for a vote on
the Senate floor. A very important part of communication with our
elected officials is that we need to keep our focus on the positive
side. This is not the place to discuss his or her voting record or what
other legislation they have supported or not supported. It is vital that
we stay on topic and deal with only the subject at hand.

The appropriate documentation has been prepared on our Michigan PRB-1
website located at http://www.miarrlprb1.org/ and you can read more and
find sample letters there. 

It is very important that we concentrate ONLY on the Senate right now.
When and if the Senate passes the bill, then we will change the
emphasis to the members of the House. The letters are identical except
for the appropriate changes to reflect where the letters are going. 

All you need to do is to copy the prepared letter from our website, add
your Senator’s information and your information to the letter and
email it to your Senator asking for his or her support. You can find
out who your Senator is and how to reach him or her here:
http://www.senate.michigan.gov/findyoursenator/michiganfys.asp

The website noted above will give you a direct email address for your
Senator. When your letter is customized with your Senator’s
information and your information, you can send your letter direction to
your Senator. The lack of a physical signature is not important here. By
the very nature of the method of contacting them, an actual signature is
difficult to accomplish.

Please send me a copy of your letter (wb8r@arrl.org) as this will help
our committee to gauge our effectiveness.

If things work the way we would like them to, our efforts will turn to
the Michigan House once our bill passes the Senate. And when and if our
bill passes the House, then we will turn our attention to the
Governor’s office to urge him to sign our bill into law.

This is the very best opportunity we have to make a difference for the
hams of Michigan. Talk it up, and step forward to make sure that your
friends (ham and non-ham) have the information and that they are
encouraged to act. We need to add our voices to this bill to help
ensure that our representatives act on our behalf.

Thank you in advance and 73!

Larry, WB8R 

Michigan ARRL Section Manager

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Michigan Section
Section Manager: Larry Camp, WB8R
wb8r@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe from messages, go to:
http://p1k.arrl.org/oo/3ab88dc356b8b8d52b7d665cfde0feae

Saturday, August 9, 2014

GAREC 2014 to be Held in Conjunction with 2014 HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST

The 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference will be held this year just prior to the Huntsville Hamfest, in Huntsville Alabama. The conference will take place August 14th and 15th at the Embassy Suites Hotel which is adjacent to the convention venue at the Von Braun Convention Center. The hamfest will immediately follow on the weekend of August 16th and 17th.

Planners of the 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference say that all emergency communication minded radio amateurs and professionals planners from around the world are invited to attend. They add that the conference agenda, full information and a website are currently being developed. More on the Huntsville Hamfest is on line at hamfest.org.

Source (VK3PC)

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

"The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014"

The just-concluded ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, helped to impart added energy into efforts to line up co-sponsors for "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" also known as House of Representatives measure H R 4969.

H R 4969 was introduced in the US House of Representatives with bipartisan support in late June. It asks Congress to direct the FCC to apply the "reasonable accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy to private land-use restrictions regarding antennas. 

The measures primary sponsor is Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. It received initial co-sponsorship from Democrat Joe Courtney of Connecticut. Four additional members of the House had since signed aboard to co-sponsor the bill by July 24th. On July 29th, ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, posted to Facebook that two more House law makers had thrown their support to H R 4969. . 

By way of background, right now present PRB-1 only applies to state and municipal land-use ordinances. The FCC has indicated that it will not act to provide the same legal protections from private land-use agreements -- often called covenants, conditions, and restrictions without direction from Congress. As such, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014 is an attempt by the League to muster the needed push to get the FCC to act on this matter.

Speaking at the convention, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, says that there already is precedent for the FCC to act. He explains that the Commission's so-called Over-the-Air Receiving Device rules currently preempt private land-use agreements to permit the installation of television antennas and satellite dishes. Based on this, Imlay suggests that making the leap to reasonably accommodating outdoor amateur radio antennas is within the FCC's regulatory scope. This, given the established strong federal interest in effective amateur radio communication.

On the other side, Imlay said the bill faces opposition from the Community Associations Institute and an organization called Associa. The latter has already suggested to Representative Kinzinger that he "re-think" the bill. As such, Imlay says that a lot more co-sponsors are needed for this bill.

While the ARRL has been very successful in getting HR 4969 before the House of Representatives it appears as if not every ham is in favor of its being passed into law. In an interview on the video podcast HamRadioNow, viewer Mike Alexander, N8MSA takes what he calls a principled stand against the measure.

N8MSA spends about 40 minutes explaining his point of view and answering questions from moderator Gary Pearce, KN4AQ. You can see the interview in episode 158 of the video podcast HamRadioNow at hamradionow.tv. (HamRadioNow)


Source Gary Bernstein, N9VU

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Letter from Camp

Letter from camp;

Dear Mom,

Our Scoutmaster told us all to write to our parents in case you
saw the flood on TV and worried.  We are OK.  Only one of our
tents and two sleeping bags got washed away.  Luckily, none of us
got drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for
Chad when it happened.

Oh yes, please call Chad's mother and tell her that he's OK.  He
can't write because of the cast. I got to ride on one of the
search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found
him in the dark if it hadn't been for the lightning.

Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone
without telling anyone.  Chad said he did tell him, but it was
during the fire so he probably didn't hear him.

Did you know that if you put a gas can on a fire, the gas can
will blow up?  Billy is going to look weird until his hair grows
back.

We will be home on Saturday if Scoutmaster Webb gets the car
fixed. It wasn't his fault about the wreck.  The brakes worked OK
when we left. Scoutmaster Webb said that with a car that old you
to have to expect something to break down; that's probably why he
can't get insurance on it. We think it's a neat car.  He doesn't
care if we get it dirty, and if it's hot, sometimes he lets us
ride in the tailgate. It gets pretty hot with ten people in a
car.

Scoutmaster Webb is a neat guy. Don't worry, he is a good driver.
  In fact, he is teaching Terry how to drive. But he only lets him
drive on the mountain roads where there isn't any traffic. All we
ever see up there are logging trucks.

Guess what?  We have all passed our first aid merit badges. When
Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a
tourniquet works.

Also, Wade and I threw up.  Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was
just food poisoning from  the leftover chicken. He said they got
sick that way with the food they ate in prison.

I'm so glad he got out and became our scoutmaster. He said he
sure figured out how to get things done better while he was doing
his time.

I have to go now. We are going into town to mail our letters and
buy more bullets and dynamite.

Don't worry about anything.  We are fine.

Love,
Johnny

Saturday, July 5, 2014

World War II Field Phone

I received this U.S. Army Field Phone from a friend. 

We are thinking it is WWII.

Thoughts?







Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Central States VHF Society is Soliciting Papers for Conference

The Central States VHF Society is soliciting papers and presentations for the 48th annual conference slated for July 25th to the 27th in Austin, Texas.

Papers and presentations pertaining to all aspects of operation on VHF and above frequencies other than FM and repeaters are welcome. The due date for all entries is April 23rd with all submission going via e-mail to Tom Apel or Dick Hanson via e-mail to tom at k5tra dot net or dick at dkhanson dot com.

This years featured dinner speaker will be Jimmy Treybig, W6JKV. And possibly as an added incentive, planners say that there will be Best Presentation and Best Technical Paper awards presented at this year’s convention banquet. 
Source:  csvhfs.org. (VHF Reflector)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Quote for Today

I found this quote many years ago in a family members bible that was given to me. 

Nothing marked in it. No personal notes.

Just a book marker that read this quote. 


"Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books - especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day."


Saturday, June 21, 2014

Tubes

I bought this entire kit of tubes for $10.00 dollars.


I know, what to do with them? I have many projects in mind.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

SAIPAN from June 21-22

JA3IUY will be active as AH0CI from the Saipan Rental Shack in the Northern Mariana Islands between June 21st and 22nd. Operations will be on all bands and modes. QSL via his home callsign, either direct or via the bureau. (OPDX)

Friday, June 6, 2014

Ham Radio assisted in Reactivating Three Decade Old NASA Satellite

Ham radio has assisted in reactivating an over three decade old NASA satellite.

The U-K newspaper the Daily Mail says that several radio amateurs were involved with Project Reboot in regaining control on May 29th of the 35 year old abandoned International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 spacecraft. Hams named in the article include Dennis Wingo, KD4ETA; Achim Vollhardt, DH2VA, and Mario Lorenz DL5MLO.

The International Sun-Earth Explorer was launched in 1978 to study Earth’s magnetosphere. It carries thirteen scientific instruments to measure plasmas, energetic particles, waves, and fields. As of this past May, all but one is thought to be functional. An on-board data handling system gathers the scientific and engineering information from all systems in the spacecraft. It then formats this information into a serial stream for transmission back to Earth by an on-board 5 watt transmitter.

After completing its main mission, the satellite was repurposed in 1983 to study two comets. At that time it was renamed the International Cometary Explorer and has been in a heliocentric orbit since then, traveling just slightly faster than Earth. It’s finally catching up to our planet from behind, and will be closest to Earth this August.

Now, KD4ETA has released an update on the attempts by the projects volunteers, including the radio amateurs, to gain control of the spacecraft. According to Wingo, the probe has been successfully commanded into engineering telemetry mode. He noted the job done by DH2VA and also Phil Karn, KA9Q, to make this happen. Karn is well known in the amateur radio community for his work on the KA9Q Network Operating System, the early 9600 bit FSK radio modems, and more recently, the introduction of forward error correction into the Amateur Satellite Service.

As we go to air, Project Reboot members are working on deadline. If they get the spacecraft to change its orbit quickly, it can use the Moon's gravity to get back into a useful halo orbit. If not, the fear is that for all practical purposes the International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 could be lost. We will keep you posted.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania.

--

The actual first command to the revived International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 spacecraft was successfully sent from the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico using the facilities 305 meter dish. This after the volunteer team installed the needed modulator, demodulator and power amplifier to make contact and control of the satellite possible. More is on the web at tinyurl.com/reboot-project (AMSAT-UK, Daily Mail, Southgate)

Thursday, June 5, 2014

118 New Hams coming to the air from South Africa

Listen out for upward of 118 new hams coming to the air from South Africa. This after South African Radio League Radio Examination Manager ZS4GJA, reports a good pass rate for the ham radio exams administered last month.

Unlike other countries South Africa only has two amateur radio exams each year. They are held in May and October, with usually around 120 successful candidates for each session. Call signs for candidates who submitted all the paperwork prior to the May examination have been published and they may start using their new call signs immediately.

Artsat One Invader Reports Needed

Masahiro Sanada, JI1ZR reports the amateur radio CubeSat Artsat One Invader also known as CO-77 is in trouble and he is asks radio hams world-wide to keep an ear open for the bird and to report anything heard.

According to Sanada, the satellite does not reply to commands from the control station and those involved in the project are trying to find out why in hope of finding a fix or work-around. The downlink frequency for Artsat One Invader is 437.325MHz. If you hear the bird please send that information via a form on the web at api.artsat.jp/report

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

ICELAND DX – JUNE 27 TO JULY 4

In DX up-front, ON6KE has announced that he will be active stroke T F from Iceland between June 27th and July 4th. His operation will be low power holiday style, mostly in the early mornings and evenings on the High Frequency bands using CW, SSB and JT65. Equipment is a FT-817ND and magnetic loop antenna. QSL only electronically using Logbook of the World or eQSL.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Oklahoma Grant Will Fund Amateur Radio-Based SKYWARN Location-Tracking System

 Oklahoma Grant Will Fund Amateur Radio-Based SKYWARN Location-Tracking System:  http://t.co/ex1EBp51Sv

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Incidental Radiator Fine

04/24/2014
The FCC has cited a Woodinville, Washington, resident for operating an “incidental radiator” — apparently some sort of lighting device — that has been causing harmful interference on Amateur Radio frequencies. The Commission has ordered Thomas Edward Rogers to “take steps to eliminate all harmful interference” or risk substantial fines and seizure of equipment. The Enforcement Bureau action came in the wake of repeated complaints last year of interference to Amateur Radio operations. To date, Rogers has not responded to several communications from the Commission.

“Commission agents have made multiple unsuccessful attempts in writing and via phone calls to contact Mr Rogers regarding unauthorized and unlicensed radio frequency emissions emanating from his property,” the FCC said in a Citation and Order released April 24. The Commission directed Rogers to “cease operation of the incidental radiators immediately, until the interference is resolved.”
Last year, agents from the Enforcement Bureau’s Seattle Office twice visited Rogers’ neighborhood and confirmed through direction-finding techniques and the use of a spectrum analyzer that “signals on frequencies between 7 and 8 MHz were emanating from Mr Rogers’ residence,” the FCC recounted. The C&O said Rogers failed to reply to an “RFI Letter” and a subsequent Warning Letter, and the interference complaints continued.
The FCC said Rogers is violating Part 15 rules that prohibit the operation of an unlicensed intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator that causes harmful interference to a licensed radio service. Rogers was ordered to respond in writing within 30 days stating that he has ceased operating the incidental radiators and tell the Commission what he has done to eliminate all harmful interference. The FCC warned Rogers that he faces “severe penalties, including fines of up to $16,000 per day,” if he fails to take action to resolve the interference issue.
In March, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler tapped Travis LeBlanc as acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the Bureau already appears to have become more responsive.
“The Seattle Office’s prompt investigation of an amateur’s complaint in May 2013 set the wheels in motion leading to this Citation,” Sumner said. “Today’s announcement provides further evidence that with the recent change in leadership of the Enforcement Bureau, there’s a new sheriff in town.”


04/22/2014
A Texas radio amateur has agreed to turn in his Amateur Extra class license as part of an agreement with the FCC to settle an enforcement action against him. The FCC earlier this year issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) to James R. Winstead, KD5OZY, of Coleman, Texas, after determining that Winstead “apparently willfully violated” FCC rules by interfering with Amateur Radio communications. The Commission had proposed a $7000 fine. The action was in response other radio amateurs’ complaints of intentional interference on 7.195 MHz.

“Mr Winstead has admitted that his actions violated the Commission’s rules and agreed to voluntarily relinquish his amateur license and make a $1000 voluntary contribution to resolve the [Enforcement] Bureau’s investigation,” the FCC said in an Order released April 22. The Order adopted a Consent Decree between the Enforcement Bureau and Winstead that spells out the details of the settlement.
According to the Consent Decree, Winstead will make his “voluntary contribution” to the US Treasury in 12 installments. He also agreed to relinquish his Amateur Radio license, prior to signing the Consent Decree. Such agreements between the FCC and violators have become more common recently in both Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio cases.


ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, gave kudos to the Enforcement Bureau “for bringing the matter to a prompt conclusion.”
Last January 21 an agent from the Commission’s Dallas Office used direction-finding techniques to positively identify the source of interfering transmissions as Winstead’s address. After monitoring the transmissions from the station for about a half-hour, the agent heard Winstead “replay multiple times short sentences or conversations that had just been transmitted, and occasionally speak the word ‘George.’”
“Mr Winstead replayed recorded conversations so frequently that other licensees were unable to complete their conversations,” the NAL stated. The agent estimated that Winstead disrupted approximately 20 minutes of conversation over a 30 minute period by making up to 15 minutes of short transmissions. The agent subsequently inspected Winstead’s station, observing that his radio equipment was tuned to 7.195 MHz.
“During the inspection, Mr Winstead showed the agent how he recorded and retransmitted other amateur licensees’ communications,” the FCC said. “He also admitted that he intentionally interfered with amateur communications on 7.195 MHz and had an ongoing disagreement with another amateur licensee named George.”
The FCC said the evidence in the case was sufficient to establish that Winstead had violated Section 333 of the Communications Act of 1934 and Section 97.101(d) of the FCC Amateur Service rules.
As part of the Consent Decree, the Enforcement Bureau, “to avoid further expenditure of public resources,” agreed to terminate its investigation and not to use facts developed in its investigation to institute any new proceeding against Winstead “concerning the matters that were the subject of the investigation.”



http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-cites-w...ur-frequencies
http://www.arrl.org/news/texas-radio...ion-settlement
source: de KN7S

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

International Marconi Day - April 26

 INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY – APRIL 26

Saturday April 26th is when stations around the world will be on the air to celebrate International Marconi Day. This is a once a year opportunity to make contact with historic Marconi locations around the world and to celebrate the birth of Guglielmo Marconi on the April 25th 1874.

At airtime, over 20 Marconi related sites have confirmed that they will be on board this year’s celebration. These include the historic GB4IMD at Poldhu in Cornwall, England along with VO1AA on Signal Hill in St. Johns, Newfoundland, and W2MRC at Monmouth Junction in New Jersey.

All stations planning to participate are urged to register in advance. Full details are at www.gb4imd.com.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

VHF/UHF/Microwave Amateur Radio

New page on Facebook.  
VHF/UHF/Microwave Amateur Radio
Come and join the conversation.
Topics include how to get started in Microwave Amateur Radio. 
Sharing of info, events, how to build your station, contest and help from others. 
Same goes for VHF/UHF
 Click Below or Copy and Paste URL in your web browser. 
 
VHF/UHF/Microwave Amateur Radio
 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/VHFUHFMicrowave-Amateur-Radio/1518171351742981?id=1518171351742981&sk=info

Friday, March 28, 2014

UK Hams may get Added Spectrum on 2 Meters

The two meter band in the United Kingdom may soon be a megahertz larger. This as United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom publishes a consultation on the release of around 6 MHz of VHF spectrum in the 143 to 169 MHz band, which has been returned for civil use.
--
For ham radio operators in the U-K, the key point of the Consultation is the proposal to permit temporary access of the spectrum from 146 to 147 MHz for amateur radio use, until or unless it might be needed by Business Radio or other services. Should additional spectrum be needed to meet those operational requirements, Ofcom says that it will re remove the temporary ham radio allocation.

Amateur Radio use of 146 to 147 MHz will be on a non-protected and non-interference basis with any other service. There will also be some geographical restrictions to ensure that there is no interference to neighboring countries. Authorization to use this spectrum by U-K hams will be by an individual Notice of Variation to an applicant’s amateur radio license.

A notice of Variance is the equivalent of a Special Temporary Authority while an Ofcom Consultation is about the same as an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making here in the United States. 

source; Stephen Kinford, N8WB 

Responses to the Ofcom proposals in the Consultation by United Kingdom citizens are due by May 26th.
Those in the United Kingdom wishing file a response can do so on-line at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/con.../howtorespond/ 

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Commissioning of ISS HAM TV Delayed

It appears as if there will be a few weeks delay in the final commissioning of the new HAM TV system on board the International Space Station. According to ARISS Europe Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, the final step to bring HAM TV into full operation now will not take place until late April or early May due to the scheduled arrival of the SpaceX Dragon re-supply ship docking and related operations. Because of this the current Ham Video blank transmissions will come to an end March 31.

NASA has confirmed the new launch of the re-supply mission. The Dragon spacecraft will ride into space sitting atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 30 at 10:50 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission will deliver 4,959 pounds of supplies to the ISS.

source (ON4WF, SpaceX)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The World's Longest Police Foot Pursuit

More than 10,000 law enforcement personnel from around the world have assembled on Death Valley Road, in the Mojave Desert outside of Baker, California to begin this weekend's 30th annual running of what is known as 'The World's Longest Police Foot Pursuit'.

The Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race, a gruelling, 120 mile ordeal, has become the premier competitive event among the worlds law enforcement agencies.

The race begins outside of Baker, California at the gateway to Death Valley. Death Valley holds the record as the hottest location on earth, with an officially recorded temperature of 134.0 F (57.6C). Ground temperatures in this area can exceed 200 F. This land truly belongs to the rattlesnakes and coyotes.
The race winds through the Mojave Desert before crossing the Spring Mountains at Mountain Springs Pass (5,530 Ft Elv) and then descending into the glitter gulch, Las Vegas, Nevada, some 120 miles from the Start Line.

Humans do not fare well in this extreme environment. Severe medical incidents, as well as deaths occur in this event. There is no telephone service or medical facilities in this desolate part of the world. The event must carry in all of their own emergency medical personnel and equipment. They must also build their own communications infrastructure.

The communication system needs to cover an area of 8,100 square miles, roughly the same area as the states of Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island combined. Entering the picture is Joy Matlack KD6FJV and her 650 amateur radio volunteers. Matlack, the long serving Communications Director oversees a multi-tiered infra-structure of ham radio, business band, aeronautical, and public safety communication systems.

http://youtu.be/4LTGWG8C5Xw

 Amateur radio operators build and deploy the portable repeater systems that seamlessly cover to entire 8,100 sq miles. They also build and deploy the links used by the med-evac teams
Baker to Vegas, known to those around it as the B2V is broken up into 20 race stages. It is at these stages that the teams change runners. Amateur radio operators serve as the staff for these stages.

The hams provide the timing and scoring functions, operate the public address system, staff early warning and early, early warning positions, summon medical assistance, and relay all of the routine and emergency radio traffic for the event.

Although the majority of the traffic handled deals with routine logistical and operational functions of the event, the primary mission of the amateur radio operators is the protection and safety of the runners and their support vehicle staffs.

All of the roadways used during the event are still open to regular vehicle traffic. The first half of the race is on what is typically lightly traveled wilderness roads. But come race weekend these routes are covered with thousands of vehicles belonging to support staff, course volunteers, and family/friends of the runners.
The race takes a dramatic turn once it reaches Pahrump. Nevada. Pahrump which was a tiny dot on the map when B2V began 30 years ago, has now grown to be a small city of 37,000. The once quiet little route NV 160 which links Pahrump to Las Vegas is now a heavily travelled thoroughfare. NV 160 is notorious for it's large number of traffic fatalities. which primarily occur as it winds into the Las Vegas valley at Blue Diamond.

Once the race enters the Las Vegas Metro area (pop.1,951,269) the runners will spend a dozen miles on urban streets. Here they will share the pavement with thousands of motor vehicles. The average vehicle in Las Vegas travels in excess of 50 MPH!

For these reasons, a team of highly trained, motorcycle mounted, amateur radio operators, known as "Motors" patrol the entire 120 miles of the race. Most of these hams are either active duty or retired peace officers who look for hazards, rules violations, and runners in need. Also as the road skirts Death Valley at the early stages of the race from the Start Line to Shoshone, California (pop. 31) the runners face the most severe conditions. A 2,000 ft rise in elevation, coupled with high temperatures and arid conditions cause this to be the location of most of the severe medical emergencies and deaths to runners.

Even police officers do not always make the wisest choices. Follow vehicle personnel often fail to correctly observe the deteriorating condition of their runner. In a few instances, they have replaced a sagging runner and then simply left him along side of the road. In one such case, the abandoned runner was experiencing a complete shut-down of his vital organs. Found by another team, he hovered near death in ICU for weeks.

Matlack now deploys a "Patrol Unit" team. This group consists of a coordinator and 6 specially trained amateur radio operators who patrol this section of highway observing the condition of each runner. They maintain continuous communications with the follow vehicles, medical evac, and race officials. They are empowered to take a runner off of the course, summon a medical response, and to enforce violations being committed by the runners support team. Both the Motor and Patrol Unit hams can issue a special green violation card affectionately called "Meanie Greenies" which can disqualify a team for infractions.

b2vberlin.JPGBaker to Vegas is sponsored by the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club. In an attempt to keep the hugely popular event manageable, LAPRAC limits the number of entries to 270 teams.
Despite this, participation by support crews family, and friends from around the world has caused the number of direct and indirect participants to swell to more than 10,000 people.
Right: 2014 Berlin Team displays national pride

Many of these teams also utilize their own independent crews of ham radio operators. These team specific hams provide effective logistical support for the officer-athletes on their team.

With such a huge communications network, one that bridges several radio services, equipment failures are to be expected. When they do, a special technical team of amateur radio operators spring into action. This very mobile, highly qualified, crew of specialists quickly deploy and resolve any technical issues. They are also the people who set up and take down the system of temporary repeaters and links.

One final team of amateur radio operators contribute to the overall enjoyment of this event and they are the APRS specialists. This group coordinates the real time position reporting activities of the various team follow vehicles. You can follow your favorite teams progress here: http://b2v.findu.com/

In the three decades of this rugged, isolated event. More than a quarter of a million law enforcement personnel, their families, and their friends have felt safe in the knowledge that "In this chase, Amateur Radio is on the Case".


source; 
John-N7UR
 http://www.nevadahamradio.com/

Monday, March 24, 2014

FCC Invites Public Comment on 10-10.5 GHZ Petition

Back here in the United States, the FCC has invited public comment on a Petition for Rule Making titled RM-11715. This is a proposal that would make a significant portion of the 10.0 to 10.5 GHz band available for wireless broadband services while to some extent protect amateur radio terrestrial and space operations from interference.
According to the ARRL the petition by Mimosa Networks Inc. proposes a band plan for the spectrum from 10.0 to 10.5 GHz that the petitioner says would protect frequencies most often used by radio amateurs. The proposal would specify 10.350 to 10.370 GHz as an “Amateur Calling Band,” and 10.450 to 10.500 GHz for Amateur-Satellite operations. This would be in the midst of 21 wireless broadband channels and a small guard band.

The success of the Mimosa petition hinges on FCC adoption of rule changes that would put the 10 GHz band under Subpart Z of the Commission’s Part 90 rules. Subpart Z currently sets out regulations governing wireless licensing, technical standards, and operational standards in the 3650 to 3700 MHz spectrum.


Interested parties may comment on RM-11715 using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System. You can read the entire proposal at http://www.tinyurl.com/kvbqshn 


source (ARRL, Southgate)

Friday, March 21, 2014

Ukrane Station SZRU Active on 20 Meter

The IARU Monitoring System newsletter reports the Ukraine foreign Intelligence Service SZRU has been active every Wednesday on 14.280 MHz at 1010 UTC running full carrier AM. Reports say that a female voice spelled numbers and encrypted messages. The exact location is believed to be near Rivne.
The newsletter also says that REA4 which is a call used by the Russian Airforce in Moscow was still active on 7 dot 018 MHz with Frequency Shift Keying at 100 Baud and a 1000 Hz shift. Harmonics could be measured on 14 dot 036, 21 dot 052 and 28 dot 072 MHz on February 28th at about 10:50 UTC.

If you hear or are bothered by these or any other illegal user of ham radio spectrum, please report these incidents to the Intruder Watch Coordinator for your nation. Here in the United States that would be The American Radio Relay League. 


source (IARU R1 Newsletter) 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

New Spectrum Awarded to Hams in France

French radio amateurs have gained access to 472 to 479 kHz with 1 watt output in I-T-U Region 1 and French territories in Region 2. Also, 435 to 438 MHz is now allocated to the Amateur-satellite service in France for both Earth-to-Space and Space-to-Earth in the same geographic areas. Due to a previous error in the national frequency table, French amateurs did not have Space-to-Earth privileges for this band in their licenses.
Still with space related matters, the 2400 to 2415 MHz band is now allocated to radio stations in the Amateur-satellite service in French territories in Region 2.

Regarding the 1.2 GHz band the national society questioned if Europe’s new Galileo Global Positioning satellite system may call into question the future of this allocation for use by ham radio. Galileo downlinks across 1260 to 1300 MHz band. France’s telecommunications regulator said that it would review this matter and provide a response at some future date.

These changes are the result of a meeting between French telecommunications regulator the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes and the French national amateur radio society R-E-F that was held on March 7th. Discussions also covered the possibility of a future amateur band across the whole of 1.8 to 2.0 MHz spectrum and possible allocations at 5.5 MHz and 70 MHz. The R-E-F report also noted that the regulatory body has also shown an interest in ARISS school contacts which both groups believe have a high educational value.

The complete minutes in Google English is on the web at

 http://tinyurl.com/REF-ARCEP-Minutes-2014-03-07 

source (REF, Southgate)
 

Saturday, March 15, 2014

THE ST. PATRICKS DAY AWARD

A group of Northern Ireland radio amateurs have introduced a new award for hams who want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on the air. While details are still a bit sketchy, the organizers hope this to be an annual event every March 17th. Those who want to participate as an award station or who want more information on the event should go to stpatrickaward.webs.com on the World Wide Web. 

source: (MI0RYL, Southgate)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

2014 Palm Springs Hamfest is March 15th, 2014

The 2014 Palm Springs Hamfest is slated for March 15th at the Palm Springs Pavilion in Palm Springs California. This one-day event will again be hosted by the Desert Radio Amateur Transmitting Society better known as the Desert Rats. Rehab Radio founder April Moell, WA6OPS and Ham Nation co-host Gordon West, WB6NOA, will be the featured speakers. There will also be demonstrations dealing with Amateur Television, microwave communications as well hunts T-hunts and much more. Further information on this event is on the web at palmspringshamfest.com
source; (Palm Springs Hamfest)

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014

DX Code of Conduct

I ( KD8BIG ) am a supporter of the. DX CODE OF CONDUCT

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station's callsign before calling.
I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
I will always send by full call sign.
I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
 will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

OSCAR-11 / UOSAT-2 Celebrates 30 Years in Orbit

UOSAT-OSCAR-11 has now been in orbit for 30 years and remarkably its signal on 145.826 MHz FM (AFSK 1200 bps ASCII) is still being received.

OSCAR-11, also known as UOSAT-2, was designed and built by a team of engineers at the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, UK as the successor to OSCAR-9 / UOSAT-1 (see Hobby Electronics August 1981).
It was launched from the Western Test Range at Vandenberg Air Base, in Lompoc, California along with LANDSAT-5 on a Delta 3920 rocket on March 1, 1984.

OSCAR-11 was the most rapidly designed OSCAR, going from inception to launch in only five months. It was also the first amateur satellite to carry a digital communications package into Earth orbit, and the first to be controlled by a CPU running software written in the high-level programming language “Forth”.

OSCAR-11 carries beacons in three amateur radio bands.

The 145.826 MHz beacon transmits FM Audio Frequency Shift Keying (AFSK) 1200 bps ASCII data. It the early years it also transmitted a voice message from the digitalker experiment.

The 435.025 MHz beacon transmitted either 1200 bps FM AFSK or 4800 bps PSK data. This beacon was used to downlink information from the Digital Store and Readout (DSR) Experiment, which includes CCD Earth image data, results from the Particle Wave Experiment, and engineering data from the RCA COSMAC 1802 CPU.

The 2401.5 MHz beacon transmitted FM and PSK signals. Antenna polarization for all three beacon transmitters is left-hand circular (LHCP). Only the 145.826 MHz beacon is now operational.

Addition OSCAR-11 information
http://www.g3cwv.co.uk/oscar11.htm

OSCAR-11 page on the DK3WN satellite blog at
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=47

SSTL Blog – Happy 30th Birthday to UOSAT-2
http://www.sstl.co.uk/Blog/March-201...ay-to-UoSAT-2-

OSCAR-9 and OSCAR-11 TV News Reports
http://amsat-uk.org/2011/10/30/oscar...-news-reports/

BBC Micro ASTRID UoSAT receiver and AMSAT-UK Software Library
http://amsat-uk.org/2011/12/11/
bbc-micro-and-amsat-uk-software-library/




http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...s_in_orbit.htm

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Launch of Two Hundred 437MHz Satellites

The largest ever launch of 437 MHz satellites is planned for March 16 at 0841 UT when 200 Sprite satellites will be launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS 3 mission
They will be deployed into a 325×315 km 51.5 degree inclination orbit. You should be able to watch the launch live on NASA TV at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv

A Sprite is a tiny, 3.5 by 3.5 cm, single-board spacecraft that was developed by Zac Manchester KD2BHC. It has a microcontroller, radio, and solar cells and is capable of carrying single-chip sensors, such as thermometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, and accelerometers.

The 200 Sprites are carried in a 3U CubeSat called KickSat. They are stacked atop a spring-loaded pusher and secured by a nichrome burn wire system.

On reaching orbit KickSat will perform a de-tumble maneuver and establish communication with Cornell University’s ground station. After check-out, the spacecraft will be put in a sun-pointing attitude and spun up to maintain that attitude.

A command signal from the ground station will then trigger the deployment and the Sprites will be released as free-flying spacecraft. After deployment, telemetry and sensor measurements from the individual Sprites will be received through Cornell’s ground station in Ithaca, NY, as well as several other amateur ground stations around the world.

Due to the low orbit Sprites will have a short lifetime before they re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. In the best-case scenario the orbital lifetime could be six weeks but realistically it may be considerably shorter depending on atmospheric conditions.

All Sprites operate on a single frequency of 437.240 MHz and use Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The transmitter runs 10 mW output of Minimum Shift Keying (MSK) modulated binary data with each data bit modulated as a 511 bit Pseudo-Random Number (PRN) sequence. The ITU emission designator is 50K0G1D.

The KickSat CubeSat has downlinks on 437.505 MHz and 2401-2436.2 MHz.

KickSat Sprite Ground Station by Andy Thomas G0SFJ
http://kicksat.wordpress.com/support...round-station/
British Interplanetary Society: Sprite Technical Summary
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/03/09/...hnical-summary
KickSat project information
http://zacinaction.github.io/kicksat/
KickSat on KickStarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/
kicksat-your-personal-spacecraft-in-space/

Check this site for the latest CRS 3 launch date
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/


http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...satellites.htm

Sunday, March 2, 2014

United States Department of Defense has Released Electromagnetic Spectrum Strategy

The United States Department of Defense has released its complete 2013 Electromagnetic Spectrum Strategy. This to increase available spectrum in order to meet growing demand from the commercial wireless industry.

The release follows the release of a memorandum issued in 2010 by President Obama titled Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution. In it the Department of Defense is required to make available 500 MHz of spectrum for commercial use by 2020.

It should be noted that a good number of amateur UHF and Microwave spectrum allocations are shared with the Department of Defense but at this point in time its not known what impact, if any, the release of the required 500 MHz could have on future ham radio operations.

You can read the entire Department of Defense Electromagnetic Spectrum Strategy document on line in PDF format at http://www.defense.gov/news/dodspectrumstrategy.pdf

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Village of Swanton,Ohio is Appealing the States PRB-1

OHIO TOWN TAKES STATE PRB-1 LOSS APPEAL TO HIGHER COURT

An Ohio town is appealing the States PRB-1 like law into the court system. This after it lost an appeal by a ham who was given the right to put up an antenna that the municipality had denied. We have the latest from Amateur Radio Newsline’s Stephan Kinford, N8WB:

--

On February 4th the Village of Swanton Ohio filed a notice of appeal of its intention to challenge the decision of the Fulton County Common Pleas Court in the case of Gary Wodtke versus the Village of Swanton.

The legal issue began when the Village denied Gary Woodtke’s tower application and Wodtke, who holds the call WW8N, appealed that decision to the Fulton County Common Pleas Court. The Court ruled in favor of Wodtke telling the Village that it must approve a variance to WW8N’s antenna support structure. Instead the Village is now appealing that order into the Court of Appeals for the Sixth District.

In its docketing statement the Village of Swanton asserts four potential issues including one that questions whether Revised Code Section enacted by H.B. 158, which is Ohio’s version of the Federal PRB-1 statute is constitutional. It also questions whether H.B. 158 was constitutionally applied in this case.

Ohio law grants a right of appeal from final decisions of a Common Pleas Court. Appellate decisions are heard by a three judge panel that is usually designated near the time for oral argument. Decisions normally take a number of months after oral arguments are made.

Appellate decisions are generally final, unless further review is granted by the Ohio Supreme Court. While such a Court of Appeals decision represents the law only in that appellate district, it has the ability to be used as a significant precedent in other Ohio courts. It also can be cited in cases in other states that have passed similar state versions of the FCC regulations that are outlined in the text of PRB-1.

Late word is that the ARRL has announced its intention to file a Friend of the Court brief on behalf of Woodtke. This is likely because of the long term potential a finding against WW8N might hold by impacting on any ham living anywhere in the United States.

WW8N is represented by Toledo attorney Carey Cooper and by Fred Hopengarten, K1VR. Hopengarten is considered a national authority on zoning law and amateur radio antenna issues.
 

source; Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donations to help cover WW8N's mounting legal costs can be sent to him through PayPal to ww8n73@centurylink.net .

It's a long complicated story, but this has been in the courts since 2008. And Gary still doesn't have his tower.

And this is NOT a CC&R or HOA issue! It's the city council who is stopping him at every turn. More details at http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...ll-US-amateurs. Ignore all the thread hijackers and the incorrect assertions that "he shouldn't have moved into an HOA" because that is NOT the case here!  

W0BTU http://www.w0btu.com/

Saturday, February 22, 2014

DX News

In DX comes word that JA1IST, will be on the air stroke FK from New Caledonia between February 25th and March 1st. His activity will be holiday style on High Frequency bands. QSL to his home callsign or via the bureau.

F5MNW will once again be operational stroke FR from Saint Leu between March 16th and April 8th. Activity will be on the HF bands using only CW. QSL via his home call either direct via the bureau.

F6ARC will be active stroke FG from Guadeloupe between March 11th to the 23rd. Activity will be holiday style with a focus on the 30, 17 and 12 meter bands and the lower bands using 100 watts and operating Morse only. QSL via FE1IDX either direct or via the bureau.

ZL3TE will be operational as 3D2SE from Viti Levu Island between April 11th and the 14th. His main activity will be in the Japan International DX CW Contest on April 12th and 13th. Operations outside the contest will mainly be on CW, with some digital modes. QSL to ZL3TE or electronically via Logbook of the World.

G0VJG will be active stroke J6 from St. Lucia between June 5th and the 18th. Operation is likely to be on 40 through 10 meters using SSB only. If you make contact please QSL via G4DFI.

Lastly, several sources are reporting that a multi-national team will be on a DXpedition to Malawi as 7Q7Q sometime late November. This will include an entry in the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest. At airtime this operation seems to be headed up by ZS6RJ, and will be the same group that was active as 3DA0ET last year. Look for more details to be forthcoming in future newscasts.

WW8N Tower Court Case

This court case about a tower before a Federal court could affect the ability of amateurs everywhere to erect towers. READ THIS!
February Edition of the Ohio Section Journal
FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT LIAISON..
---------------------------------

Village of Swanton Antenna Decision Appealed..

On February 4 the Village of Swanton filed a notice of appeal, appealing the decision of the Fulton County Common Pleas Court in the case of Wodtke v. Village of Swanton. The case is the first court case that we are aware of involving application of Ohio’s new antenna legislation, H.B. 158 (129th General Assembly). The Trial Court ordered the approval of an application to the village by Gary Wodtke, WW8N, for approval of an antenna variance. The Village denied the application and Mr. Wodtke appealed that decision to the Fulton County Common Pleas Court. The Court ruled in Mr. Wodtke’s favor and the Village is now appealing that order. In the docketing statement filed with the Court of Appeals the Village asserts four potential issues to be argued in the appeal, including whether Revised Code Section 5502.031, enacted by H.B. 158, is constitutional and whether it was constitutionally applied in this case.

Ohio law grants a right of appeal from final decisions of a common pleas court. The decision here is appealed to the Sixth District Court of Appeals, headquartered in Toledo. The appellate process involves first, filing the record of proceedings in the common pleas court, then briefs of each of the parties and, finally, a brief oral argument to the court. Appellate decisions are heard by a three judge panel that is usually designated near the time for oral argument. Decisions normally take a number of months after oral argument. Appellate decisions are generally final, unless further review is granted by the Ohio Supreme Court. While a court of appeals decision represents the law only in that appellate district, it carries significant precedential value in other Ohio courts and may also be cited in similar cases in other states.

Mr. Wodtke is represented by Toledo attorney Carey Cooper and by Fred Hopengarten, K1VR a noted authority on zoning and amateur radio antenna issues. ARRL leadership at the national level is also aware of the appeal. Scott Yonally, Ohio Section Manager and Jim Weaver, Great Lakes Division Director have enlisted support from the ARRL. In my discussion with League General Counsel, Chris Imlay, W3KD, it appears that the leadership of the League views this appeal as being one of precedential significance, not only for Ohio amateurs, but also for amateurs in other states that have passed state versions of FCC regulation PRB-1.

Discussions are ongoing regarding various ways to help bring this appeal to a successful conclusion. We will keep you informed as further developments occur.

source: Nick, K8NAP

My Stamp Collecting Blog

Counter Added January 1, 2011

free counters

HOW TO READ PROPAGATION NUMBERS

The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

A lower A-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Ap-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

  • 70 NOT GOOD
  • 80 GOOD
  • 90 BETTER
  • 100+ BEST

The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

Higher Solar Flux generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; Solar Flux rarely affects the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

K index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 0 or 1 is BEST
  • 2 is OK
  • 3 or more is BAD
  • 5 is VERY VERY BAD

The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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