Show Me Cam - BlogTV

Hurricane Season - following from ARRL's QST

It's That Time of Year Again (Jun 1, 2007) -- The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season officially began today and runs through the end of November. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami is the focal point for hurricane predictions and advisories once a storm is identified. Information on the storm is gathered from a variety of sources, one being Amateur Radio. When a hurricane comes within 300 miles of landfall, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) generally is activated; the net may also be activated for a tropical storm that is expected to intensify to hurricane status. HWN's primary thrust is to provide information to the NHC regarding the position and conditions within the storm area and providing advisories to those in the affected area who might not have any other way to get that information. HWN is not a "check-in" net, and checking in from outside of the affected area is strongly discouraged. HWN is also not a health and welfare traffic net but it will provide information as to frequencies where health and welfare nets are operational. When there is a named storm, feel free to tune to 14.325 and listen, but please don't transmit unless you have good reason. When the HWN is in operation, keep in mind that a clear frequency on either side is appreciated, since reporting stations will often be using makeshift antennas and low power. You can get up-to-date information on the storm, as well as receive the latest outlook and advisory bulletins via e-mail, at the Hurricane Watch Net Web site.Link to this item

Miami-Dade SkyWarn Training

SkyWarn training:

Coral Gables PD
2801 Salzedo St.
Coral Gables FL 33134

On Saturday June 16th.
0930-1200 Basic Class
1300-1500 Advanced

We really need more spotters!
Don MorrisWX0WX
Miami-Dade Skywarn Coordinatorto
Join MiamiSkywarn: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MiamiSkywarn/join

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/skywarn.php for list of classes (not yet up to date) and information on Skywarn

My New Ham Blog

I hope I did not lose any of you in the switch over.  I was doing this Amateur Radio Blog using TypePad software but have decided to use this Blogger software.  I think it will work out better.
I just do not want to lose any of you in the move.

Our new url is:  www.n0uwy.blogspot.com

73,

Jim
N0UWY

Page breaks

I do not see a way to add a page break to the text here yet. That makes the Amateur Radio News Line posts very long. I will look for a way to add in a page break. I will also set up a way for you to listen to the MP3 audio of the Newsline. We will work it out.

73, N0UWY

Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1553 - May 18, 2007

Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1553 - May 18, 2007
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1553 with a release date of
Friday, April May 18th, 2007 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. Hamvention 2007 is here and we have a
preview. Also, the 500 Kilohertz experiment expands in Europe and a
19 year old radio amateur will head Delaware's newly formed ham radio
Communication Corps. Find out the details on Amateur Radio NewslineT
report number 1553 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)

**
Hamvention 2007 is here and we are here too. The doors at Dayton
Ohio's Hara Arena opened on Friday, May 18th, bringing with them a
celebration of the backbone of Amateur Radio:
--
Nies: "Our theme this year is "Local Radio Clubs, The Heart Of Ham
Radio." We are trying to recognize that an awful lot of what goes on
in Amateur Radio happens because of the efforts of the local clubs
rather than any national, regional or statewide activity."
--
That's Jim Nies, WX8F, who is this year Dayton Hamvention General
Chairman. And in a recent interview with the Radio amateur Information
Network, he expanded on some of the ways that the role of clubs will be
celebrated:
--
Nies: "We have a program in the Flea Market to offer discounted spaces
to clubs. We have some banners inside recognizing the contribution
that local clubs make in terms of getting people involved, Elmering.
Just the kind of support that local clubs do that brings members in and
keep the whole thing going."
--
So what are the major changes this year? Most appear to be in the area
of forums:
--
Nies: "In terms of anything dramatically new, we have some forums
coming in. One of the things with forums we are trying to do is to
shorten things up a little bit so we have room for more topics.
Software Defined Radio is an up and coming technology and they're
getting some attention. They were there last year and will be again
this year."
--
And will those attending see anything new in the way of radio gear?
--
Nies: "We never really know but we do believe that several of the
inside manufacturers are going to be showing off some of their new
products this year. They never tell us. We always ask but they tend
to event to keep it under wraps until the very last minute, but I
noticed in the latest QST that a couple of different vendors are
touting new equipment that they are going to be showing at Hamvention,
and we are kind of excited about that."
--
And there was some good news this year about parking. Even with all
the construction at one important lot, the parking remained:
--
Nies: "We will still have parking at the Salem Mall, which is kind of
an interesting situation. The Salem Mall is under construction and all
of the stores except for a bank and the Home Depot and Sears have been
torn down. The city of Trotwood is marketing it as a new kind of a
mall with the renovation. Meanwhile though, the parking spaces are
still available to us and we will be bussing to there as we have done
for the past years."
--
The Dayton Hamvention runs May 18th, 19th and 20th. Its truly a fun event
but if you cannot be there in person, you can take part vicariously
over the World Wide Web thanks to Tom Medlin, WA5KUB. Tom will be
webcasting many of the Hamvention 2007 highlights. Look for the fun at
http://wa5kub.com. Meantime we hope to see some of you at the Hara
Arena and Hamvention 2007. (ARNewslineT with audio provided by RAIN)
**
RADIO EXPERIMENTATION: 500 KHZ EXPERIMENTS EXPAND IN EUROPE
In other news, word that the German medium wave radio experiment is
expanding. Since the beginning of 2005 the German telecommunication
authorities have licensed a propagation study on medium wave bands.
The first permit for an experimental station on 440 kHz plus/minus 100
Hz was issued to DJ2LF under the callsign DI2AG. In May 2006, DK8KW
got the second license to operate under the callsign DI2BO at his home
location in Peine near Hannover.
Now comes word that early in 2007 the experimental radio licenses were
extended to a second frequency. Besides 440 kHz the frequency of
505.1 kHz plus or minus 100 Hz is also now being used. This frequency
falls into the frequency range being used by the United States
experimental radio group with the callsign WD2XSH.
And this just in. Swedish authorities have issued one license for this
frequency range. (GB2RS News)
**
RESCUE RADIO: 2 RESCUED AT SEA THANKS TO AMATEUR RADIO
A long established ham radio network was instrumental in a recent
rescue at sea.
It took place South-West of the Galapagos Islands starting on on
Friday, May 4th. That's when Wes Mullenix, KI0A, the Texas-based net
controller on Intercon intercepted a distress call from a damaged 35
foot pleasure craft called the Sail About. As KI0A did not have good a
truly readable signal from the emergency request, he handed the
communications over to Fletcher Henderson, KA4BPR, in Dolthan, Alabama.
It was KA4BPR obtained the pertinent information through a series of
relays. He learned that there were two people on board, that they were
named Gunner and Gretta, that they were from Norway, that the boats bow
was damaged and began taking on water. With this information in hand,
KA4BPR then called the United States Coast Guard to report the
situation.
Soon several vessels had set an intercept course to rendezvous with the
Sail About which was slowly headed toward that point under motor power.
During that time, members of the Intercon net kept in contact with
Gunner and Gretta to assure them that help was on its way.
It took several hours, but finally the Sail About was spotted by the
rescue ship S V Damarri. Soon other vessels arrived. Gunnar and Greta
were rescued, transferred to M V Belnor and the Sail About was, sadly,
abandoned at sea. (W4QVA)
**
MORSE: NEW SUPPORT FOR A POPULAR OLD MODE
Morse may no longer be a licensing requirement in most nations, but the
mode is very much alive and well. In fact its gaining favor with more
and more hams as witnessed by the large number of clubs that are
springing to life dedicated to preserving that very basic mode. The
latest of these is the Pro C-W Club based in Romania.
The Pro C-W Club is the brain child of Vasile Giurgiu, YO6EX. The
organization is dedicated to the preservation and encouragement of the
art of CW communications. There are two classes of membership and hams
the world over are welcome to join.
No website yet but more information and the dues structure is available
from Vasile Giurgiu, YO6EX, SIBIU-1, RO-550450, Romania. (YO6EX)
**
Break 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Hamvention
repeater, W8BI, serving Dayton, Ohio.
(5 sec pause here)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: HAM RADIO AND THE MINI MARATHON
May in Indianapolis is always a busy time for Central Indiana amateur
radio operators. As drivers prepared for the 91st running of the
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, local runners and amateur radio operators
took to the streets of Indianapolis to set the pace during the annual
Mini-Marathon. Jack Parker W8ISH was at the finish line and filed this
report
--
--
Nat Sound: :N9NIC net control for the Mini-Marathon."
--
Central Indiana hams hit the ground running for the 32nd annual 500
Festival Mini-Marathon. This year over 100 hams provided health and
welfare communications around the 13 point one mile marathon. And,
that's no easy task.
Thirty-five thousand runners and walkers crossed the downtown
starting line on their trek out to, and around the famed two and one
half mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After a slow trip
around the track they headed to the finish line back downtown.
--
Nat Sound: "I need a medical transport at mile marker nine for a
diabetic."
--
That much foot traffic kept the amateur radio operators on their toes
during the seven hour event. Warm morning temperatures and high
humidity took its toll on the runners. According Net coordinator Mike
Palmer, N9FEB, hams posted the yellow warning flag midway through the
event as runners began to fall by the wayside. Thirty participants
were taken to the hospital for treatment. Amateur radio operators
tracked each patient and all other runners that failed to make it to
the finish line.

Reporting from Indianapolis, this is Jack Parker, W8ISH for Amateur
Radio Newsline.
--
The Amateur radio net had six controllers utilizing local repeaters and
several simplex frequencies to handle all the health and welfare
traffic. As usual the ham radio operators finished in first place
for a job well done. (W8ISH)
**
RESCUE RADIO: TEEN HAM HEADS UP DELAWARE COMMUNICATIONS CORPS
Delaware's new Communication Corps coordinator is a 19-year-old college
student and ham radio operator. He also has more experience in
emergency communications than many radio amateurs twice or three times
his age.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency has chosen Justin Kates,
KB3JUV, to head its newly formed Communication Corps. Managers say
that Kates, who is a University of Delaware freshman,, will coordinate
Amateur Radio operators across the state in the event of a terrorist
attack, natural disaster or other emergency.
Kates is believed to be the youngest person in the nation to hold this
level of responsibility in an emergency response organization. The
Delaware Communication Corps program is funded by a Department of
Homeland Security grant.
More about Justin Kates, KB3JUV, and the role he is playing in
Delaware's emergency preparedness is on-line at
http://kb3juv.blogspot.com/2007/05/nineteen.html (eHam, others)
**
RESCUE RADIO: CALIFORNIA CITY GETS HAM RADIO EMCOIMM GRANT
San Rafael, California has received a $23,000 grant for ham radio
operations to help coordinate an emergency response during times of
disaster. San Rafael received the grant to establish an amateur radio
network that will swing into action if phone and radio communications
fail.
The Marin Independent Journal reports that three other Bay Area
organizations received funds from California Volunteers as well. This
is a state-run organization meant to get civilians trained in emergency
response.
The organizations director is Karen Baker. She says that these grants
will help assist local communities and nonprofit organizations to
better prepare Californians for the next disaster. A total of $1
million was handed out across the state. No specific radio clubs or
groups were named in the California Volunteers press release. (Marin
Independent Journal On-Line)
**
RESCUE RADIO: ON-STAR ADVANCED SAFETY
General Motors has announced that its OnStar remote vehicle monitoring
technology will be partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. This, to use data from vehicle crashes to tell paramedics
and doctors how badly passengers might be hurt.
On the vehicle, the OnStar sensors will measure the severity of a
crash, where the vehicle was struck, if airbags deployed and whether
the vehicle has rolled over. Experts will then review the crash data
radioed back from OnStar's Advanced Automatic Crash Notification
technology and notify first response authorities.
Researchers say that this data could help to save lives by helping
first responders get to people who are more seriously injured than they
seem and then send them to the nearest trauma
center.
The partnership between OnStar and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention is funded by a $250,000 grant from OnStar and the General
Motors Foundation. (GM, CDC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: STATION DINGED $15000 FOR PHONE REBROADCAST
A licensed broadcaster has been dinged for $15000 by the FCC. WMGO
Broadcasting Corp., Inc. which operates WMGO A-M radio in Canton,
Mississippi received the fine for recording a telephone conversation
and later broadcasting it without first informing the party on the
phone of its intention to do so. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce
Tennant, K6PZW, reports:
--
According to the FCC, Luke Gordon filed a complaint alleging that on
January 6, 2005, the station recorded a telephone conversation between
him and newsman Jerry Lousteau without notifying him of Lousteaus'
intention to do so. Gordon further charged that the WMGO later
broadcast excerpts of the recorded telephone conversation on January
7th, 10th, and 11th, 2005.
In its defense, the station responded that Lousteau initiated a phone
call to the Gordon to interview him. WMGO claims that Lousteau was
unsuccessful in contacting the Gordon so there was no need and no
opportunity to inform him, in person, of the station's intentions to
record and/or broadcast the conversation.
Shortly after the Commission received the stations response, Gordon
provided the agency with a recording that contained a portion of the
telephone conversation that was aired by WMGO. In light of this
development, the FCC issued a follow-up letter to the radio station.
It directed WMGO to confirm the authenticity of the content of the
recording, and to identify the persons whose voices are heard on the
tape. The FCC also instructed the WMGO to review its initial response
and make any revisions that it believed were necessary.
In responding, WMGO confirmed the authenticity of the audio recording
and identified the two speakers as Lousteau and Gordon. WMGO did not
affirmatively respond to the Commission's question as to whether the
station had informed the Gordon of its intention to record and/or
broadcast the telephone conversation. Instead WMGO stated that because
Gordon had participated in previous telephone interviews that were
recorded and subsequently broadcast by the station. Therefore it could
only surmise that Gordon has always been aware of the taping for
broadcast.
But the FCC says that's not good enough. It says that the purpose of
Section 73.1206 of its rules is to protect the legitimate expectation
of privacy in connection with the broadcast use of telephone
conversations. It says that when Gordon returned the phone call to WMGO
that same day that the station had a legal obligation to inform him
that it intended to record and rebroadcast the conversation but failed
to do so. And that says the FCC warrants the imposition of a $15,000
fine which WMGO Broadcasting has been ordered to pay.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.
--
WMGO Broadcasting was given the usual time to pay the fine or to fine
an appeal. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: CONGRESS MAY ACT TO SAVE INTERNET BROADCASTING
A bill introduced in Congress ton Friday, April 27th, could be the
savior for so-called Internet radio station. Called the Internet Radio
Equality Act, the measure would nullify the new rates set by the
Copyright Royalty Board which advocates say would put webcasters out
of business.
The bi-partisan Internet Radio Equality Act legislation was introduced
by Washington Democrat ay Inslee and Republican representative Don
Manzullo of Illinois. Its purpose is to curtail the imposition of a
highly controversial March 2 decision which forces royalty payments of
a .08 cents per song per listener, retroactively from 2006
Web radio advocates have condemned the Copyright Royalty Board ruling.
They say that it could raise rates between 300 to 1200 per cent for
webcasters and effectively ending the transmission of musical
entertainment over the World-Wide-Web. The Copyright Royalty Board
defends its decision stating that artists are entitled to a fair share
of the profits from the music that they have created.
If passed, Internet Radio Equality Act would set new rates at 7.5 per
cent of the webcaster's revenue. That's the same rate paid by
satellite radio broadcasters. Alternatively, webcasters could decide
to pay 33 cents per hour of sound recordings transmitted to a single
user. The bill would also reset royalty rules for non-profit radio
such as National Public Radio. Such government funded radio operations
would be required present a report to Congress on how it should
determine rates for their internet streaming media. (Published reports)
**
HAM HERITAGE: KEYS 2007 - WORKS OF ART
Keys 2007 - Amateur Radio Works of Art is the first in a multi-part
series depicting some very unique Morse keys appearing in the May issue
of CQ Magazine. In it, author Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, brings you some of
the most beautiful C-W generating devices ever created by the mind of
man. Included is an incredible Roto-Bug that uses a motor generator
system to produce dots and a paddle key crafted from an old Astatic D-
104 microphone. Its true ham radio creativity at its best and it all
begins on page 44 of the May C-Q that's on newsstands right now. (CQ)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: CONGRATS TO LARRY KING - 50 YEARS ON THE AIR
CNN personality Larry King is not a ham, but he has been on the air a
lot longer than most radio amateurs have been licensed. And this year
the master interviewer celebrates his 50th anniversary as a broadcaster.
The Brooklyn, New York born King began his broadcasting career in 1957
after changing from his surname from Zeiger. His first job was as a
disc jockey at Miami's WAHR-AM. The next year, he began a show
originating live from a local restaurant, where he interviewed whatever
folks as they happened by. Now age 73, King joined CNN back in 1985
and has been interviewing the famous and not so famous ever since.
As an aside, King and our producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, have two
things in common. Not only are they both from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
Both also attended Lafayette High School though King had graduated a
few years before Bill arrived.
Kings career has already spanned half a century. We at Amateur Radio
Newsline wish him many more years of success yet to come. (Published
reports)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United
States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the
world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:
(5 sec pause here)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: WRITER DAVE ROSENTHAL, N6TST, - S.K.
The changing of the guard in Amateur Radio continues with word of the
passing of longtime Radio Netherland U-S reporter Dave Rosenthal,
N6TST. A longtime resident of Ridgecrest, California, the 58 year old
Rosenthal passed away on March 16th after battleing a protracted
illness.
We at Newsline first met Dave through the former Radio Netherlands
Media Network program producer Jonathan Marks, G8WGN. And over the
years, Dave was a contributor to a few of our newscasts as well. In
more recent days, N6TST, became a very prolific writer. His articles
in QST Magazine drew much interest and acclaim including the ARRL Cover
Plaque Award for his article, "Polar Bear Portable."
Dave Rosenthal, N6TST, is survived by his wife Donna, KF6ZVE. In lieu
of flowers memorial donations in Dave's name should be sent to the
Wiseman Cancer Research Foundation, 201 S Alvarado St, Suite 321, Los
Angeles, California, 90057. (ARRL)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: ERROR RATES HIGHER WITH FEMALES USING VOICE
RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
Science Daily reports that there is a significantly higher rate of
transcription error in women compared to men when using commercial
voice recognition applications.
According to a recent study ten radiology residents, five male and five
female, were each trained on a commercial speech recognition
application. Each was then asked to dictate a standardized set of ten
radiology reports containing a total of 2,123 words.
The generated reports were then compared with the original reports and
error rates were calculated. The error rate was defined as the sum of
the number of word insertions and deletions divided by the total word
count for a given report. The results showed error rates in the male
population ranged from 0.025 to 0.139 while the error rates in the
females ranged from 0.015 to 0.206. (Science Daily)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: MICROSOFT SUPPOORTS ROBOT DESIGNERS
Microsoft has previewed a set of new software tools that aims to give
developers a simpler way to design robots and to create and test
programs that operate a wide range of machines The group's first
product is called Microsoft Robotics Studio. It is designed for
hobbyists, students or commercial developers, who have had to reinvent
the wheel each time they use different hardware to build a robot.
While the fragmented robotics market is now in its infancy, Microsoft
says that forecasts call for the industry to grow into a multibillion-
dollar market in the next five to 10 years. (Technology Report)

**
WORLDBEAT - SOUTH AFRICA: CALLBOOK BY APRS
The South African Radio League reports that Dick Stratford, ZS6RO, has
set-up a server on APRS which can be used to obtain callbook
information from anywhere in the APRS international network.
It works this way. When querying a local South African callsign, the
South African Radio League database is used. When a D-X callsign is
queried via APRS, the QRZ.COM database is used in real-time. The same
databases are used when querying from the packet radio network.
APRS, the acronym for Automatic Position Reporting System, was
developed by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. The system uses amateur radio to
transmit position reports, weather reports, and messages between users.
(SARL)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: PAPERS SOUGHT FOR AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
AMSAT has put out a call for papers to be presented at its 2007 AMSAT
Space Symposium and Annual Meeting slated for October 25th to the 28th in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Proposals for papers, symposium
presentations, and poster presentations are invited on any topic of
interest to the amateur satellite program. Emphasis for this year is an
educational outreach to middle and high School students with emphasis
on papers dealing with several targeted topics. These include but are
not limited to Students & Education, Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station, satellites AO-51, Phase 3 E and Eagle along with other
satellite-related topics.
A one-page abstract is required by June 1st. Camera ready copy on
paper or in electronic form will be due by September 1st for inclusion
in the printed symposium proceedings. Papers received after this date
will not be included in the printed proceedings.
Abstracts and papers should be sent to Daniel Schultz N8FGV by e-mail
to: n8fgv@amsat.org. (AMSAT)
**
WORLDBEAT - UK: TV SHOWS THE EARLY DAYS OF UK EMCOMMS
A television show about the early days of Amateur Radio emergency
communications in England was recently broadcast on the U-K TV station
Channel 4 . This, as a part of the stations ongoing '3 Minute Wonder'
series.
The program was called "Preparing for the Worst" was hosted by Pat
Gowen G3IOR. It discussed one of the first ever mobile emergency
communications operations ever in the U-K. Also in the show is Terry
Owen, G4PSH and references are made to Rafars & Raynet of the city of
Norfolk.
Preparing for the Worst can be seen on the YouTube video service. Just
take your web browser to www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLfsr-Q3m0o
(Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT - UK: NEW UK HAM RADIO WEBSITE
A new British website at www.RadioDXer.co.uk, has been launched. This
to create an online community for United Kingdom based amateurs and
other radio enthusiasts where they can participate in discussion on
anything to do with radio as a hobby.

Graeme Stoker, M0EUK, the man behind the new cyberspace global village.
He believes that there are a number of similar American-based forums,
but until now nothing really with a U-K focus. (Southgate)
**
DX
DL6LAU has informed the OPDX newsletter that DL8OBQ, DJ8NK and himself
will now be active as PJ2/homecall from the island of Curacao (July 9-
16th. They plan to participate in the IARU HF Contest
(July 14-15th) as PJ2HQ, and as a Multi-Multi entry. QSL via their home
callsigns. QSL PJ2HQ via N9AG or LoTW.
IW2NEF, will be active as portable HI7 from Bayahibe, in the Dominican
Republic from June 3-9th. Activity will be limited to no more than 1 or
2 hours a day on HF, on 40-10 meters and VHF 6 meters E-skip. He will
use a Yaesu FT-857D w/100 watts max power into a vertical "9M WIRE" for
HF and a J pole for the 6M band. QSL via IW2NEF.
(From various DX news sources)
**
THAR FINAL ITEM: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF PROTEINS
And finally this week, word that biologists have converted protein
sequences into another form of communications. Classical music. This
they say is an attempt to help vision-impaired scientists and boost the
popularity of genomic biology.
New research published in the open access journal Genome Biology
describes how researchers have found a way to present human proteins as
musical notes. Doctors Rie Takahashi and Jeffrey H. Miller from the
University of California, Los Angeles, USA, have so far transcribed
segments of two human proteins into music. But to make their melodies
more pleasing on the ear, they had first to overcome a few problems --
how to incorporate rhythm, and how to cram the 20 standard amino acids
into just 13 notes.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The two researchers
focused on codons which are sets of three adjacent bases that code for
particular amino acids. They decided to include four different note
durations with codons that appear more frequently transcribed into
longer notes than those which appear less often. Individual amino acids
are expressed as chords, in which similar amino acids are paired. For
example, the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine are both assigned a
G major chord, but they can be distinguished because the notes in the
chord are arranged differently. This means the resulting music has a 20
note range spanning over 2 octaves, but with just 13 base notes.
The team find their music more melodic and less 'jumpy' than previous
attempts, which have focussed on DNA sequences and protein folding, and
hence closer to the musical depth of popular compositions. They are
currently piloting a computer program, written by a collaborator Frank
Pettit, which uses their translation rules to convert amino acids into
music and hope it will speed up the translation of large segments of
genomes. (BioMed Central via Science OnLine)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain,
the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all
from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is
newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur
Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.
You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, P.O.
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066.
Two reminders before we go. First we have a new poll for the month of
May. This one asks the question now that the Morse exam is part of ham
radio history, do you plan to upgrade or remain the license class you
are right now. Of coarse this is unfair to Extra class licensees
because they cannot go any higher so this poll kind of leaves them out
in the cold. To compensate, we added a third possible answer, but you
will have to go to our website at www.arnewsline.org to see what it is.
Also, the nominating season for this years Amateur Radio Newsline Young
Ham of the Year Award closes on May 30th. That's less than 2 weeks
away. Any nominations received after that date will not qualify for
this years award program.
The Young Ham of the Year Award is open to any radio amateur age 18 or
younger residing in all 50 United States, plus Puerto Rico and all 13
Canadian Provinces can qualify. Full details and nominating forms are
on our special website at www,yhoty.org. Also see the Vertex-Standard
sponsored ad on page 8 of the March issue of QST Magazine.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Bon
Wilbanks, AE5DW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1552 - May 11, 2007

Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1552 - May 11, 2007Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1552 with a release date of Friday, April May 11th, 2007 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a Q-S-T. Ham radio aids residents of a Kansas town destroyed by a killer tornado, Motorola leaves the Access B-P-L business and some big news about the Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program. Find out the details on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1552 coming your way right now.(Billboard Cart Here) **RESCUE RADIO: HAMS ON THE SCENE AFTER GREENSBERG TORNADOHam radio is once again a communications lifeline. This, after an strong tornado tore apart the town of Greensburg, Kansas on Friday night, May 4th. Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, reports:--The storm has been classified by the National Weather Service as an F-5 which is the most severe on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The twister cut a 22 mile long track that was one-point-seven miles wide. Winds were estimated at 205 miles per hour. Authorities say about 95 percent of Greensburg was destroyed and at least 8 people lost their lives. According to news reports, all wire-line and cellular telephone communications into the southwestern Kansas town of 1500 was destroyed by the twister. A group of ham radio operators identified as being from the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service were sent into the area early on Saturday May 5th to set up an emergency communications network. Media stories did not identify the hams by name but did praise their efforts while noting that they were entering an area of total devastation. A later report posted to the ARRL website said the team was under the direction of District 6 Emergency Coordinator Godfrey Flax, KC0AUH.What they found when they arrived was an area of total devastation. More than 90 percent of Greensburg was destroyed or heavily damaged. Most buildings were blown off their foundations and blown away. The ARRL says that other hams involved in disaster relief were monitoring 3.920 MHz early Saturday morning in case there was a need for them to act.
Meantime President Bush has declared all Kiowa County, Kansas, a major disaster area, making federal aid available to residents affected by the storm. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, reporting from Lima, Ohio. --The last tornado of that strength was in Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999. That twister killed 36 people and left several hundred without homes. (ARNewsline(tm), ARRL, others)**THE BPL FIGHT: MOTOROLA SUSPENDS POWERLINE LV BPL DEVELOPMENTLess than two years after announcing its Powerline LV Access B-P-L product, Motorola has decided to suspend development and to devote its resources to more promising markets. Motorola reportedly has decided to focus on a product called Powerline MU, which is for use within multiple-unit dwellings. According to the ARRL Letter, the decision to stop work on its Access BPL product reflects declining interest in residential broadband service delivery among utilities. This, coupled with the more immediate demand for in-building BPL systems would provide Motorola a more lucrative market. Powerline LV united Motorola's Canopy wireless broadband Internet platform with enhanced ham band-notching HomePlug technology, drastically reducing BPL interference potential. This, by restricting the application of high-frequency RF to the low-voltage side of the power transformers serving customers' homes, not the medium-voltage wires that line many residential streets. As a result, Powerline LV avoided the system architecture that poses the greatest risk of BPL interference to radio communication -- radiation from the medium-voltage power lines. Measurements and subjective listening tests on the ham bands showed that Powerline LV was Amateur Radio-friendly.Powerline LV was developed by Motorola researcher Richard Illman, AH6EZ of St. Charles, Illinois. As a result he was selected for the Dayton Hamvention 2006 Technical Excellence Award. (ARRL)**HAM RADIOS DIGITAL FUTURE: IRA FIELDS DIGITAL MIGRATION PLAN FOR REPEATERSThe Illinois Repeater Association now has a proposed digital repeater plan. Titled "The Digital Migration - A Proposed Path," the strategy was developed by Robert Shepard, KA9FLX, who serves as the organizations Technical Committee Chairman.Shepard indicates that the plan was crafted so as to serve the needs of tomorrows digital relay systems in such a way as to minimize impact on to existing analog systems. It also takes into account how to integrate digital systems into the existing analog environment, utilize spectrum efficiently and plan for the future. In other words, nobody will be displaced when and if its implemented. Rather, its goal is to make it possible for analog and digital to share opectrum with minimal impact on one another. This is believed to be the very first analog to digital repeater bandplan developed anywhere in the world. Shepard has posted it on the Illinois Repeater Associations website as both a .pdf file as well as a full Power Point presentation. You can find it on-line at www.ira.net. (Via e-mail)**HAM RADIOS DIGITAL FUTURE: NEW VERSION OF WSJT RELEASEDStill with digital ram radio news, word that a new version of WSJT program designated version 5.9.7 has been developed by Joe Taylor K1JT. This new rendition contains 8 updates from the latest past release version that appear to make the program a bit more friendly to use. For those not aware, WSJT is a computer program for VHF and UHF communication using state of the art digital techniques. It can decode fraction-of-a-second signals reflected from ionized meteor trails, as well as steady signals more than 10 dB weaker than those required for conventional C-W. One of its operating modes is particularly well optimized for amateur Earth-Moon-Earth communications. WSJT is open source software licensed under the GNU General Public License and is free for any ham to use. You can download it at: http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT597.EXE (VHF Reflector)**ENFORCEMENT: STOP USING THAT ANTENNAA northern California resident has been issued an Official Citation by the FCC. This, for using one of those self oscillating Weingard amplified TV antennas that we have reported on in the past. The FCC claims that an investigation by the Enforcement Bureau's San Francisco Office revealed that on April 3, 2007, one William Cooley of Yuba City, California operated a defective Winegard antenna, which caused interference to the licensee of station KZF952.The San Francisco Office says that it received the complaint of interference on several frequencies used by the Sutter County Sheriff Department communications system. On April 3rd, an FCC investigator confirmed that a radio signal was drifting around 459.28 MHz was coming from a Winegard antenna mounted to a motor home parked in the side yard of Cooley's Yuba City residence. The agent conducted an on-off test of the antenna's power supply to verify the source of interference.The FCC citation to Cooley notes that these Winegard antenna amplifiers have been the source of radio frequency interference in a number of cases. As a result of this interference, Winegard has agreed to replace the defective units at no charge. Cooley was advised to contact Weingard to make the exchange. He was also requested to send the defective antenna to the FCC for inspection. (FCC)**Break 1From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the NS9RC repeater serving Highland Park, Illinois.(5 sec pause here)**HAM RADIO EDUCATION: QCWA TO CO SPONSOR ROY NEAL, K6DUE, AMATEUR RADIO MENTORING PROGRAMThe Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program is expanding with the potential of up to 10,000 new teachers. This as the Quarter Century Wireless Association's Board of Directors votes to have that organization become a co-sponsor of the three year old post licensing educational program created by Amateur Radio Newsline. David Black, KB4KCH, is at our South-East bureau with the details:--In a joint statement issued by the leadership of Quarter Century Wireless Association and that of the Amateur Radio Newsline, the two have announced that QCWA has become a co-sponsor of the Newsline created Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program. This is a post-licensing educational service created by Amateur Radio Newsline in January 2004 and designed to pair new hams with veteran amateurs in hopes that some of the established ham operator skills can be passed down to new generations. The program is loosely based on a similar program created by Broadway choreographer and performer Ann Reinking through her own educational foundation, the Broadway Theater Project. This is a Florida based training program connecting students with seasoned theater professionals. If we may quote Ms. Reinking:"Its sort of an un-written law or rule in the world of dance that you pass on what you know. This particular craft is at its best when its passed from one person's hands to the next."According to ARNewsline Producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, what Ann Reinking says about "dance" applies equally to the world of Amateur Radio:--Pasternak: That's true and maybe more so for all of us... That's because, for decades the knowledge and tradition of our hobby/service was passed down from seasoned operators to newcomers, one on one. I know that's how I got my start thanks to the late K2IXN at his TV repair store back in Brooklyn."--According to Pasternak, the success of the program has been such that the number of people seeking post licensing assistance has risen far faster than the number of available mentors. This has meant long delays for some who have placed requests. The addition of the member base of the QCWA makes available close to 10,000 highly skilled radio amateurs as potential mentors, each with a minimum of twenty-five years of experience in the hobby. "This is a good deal for all of Amateur Radio," says Q-C-W-A President John B. Johnston, W3BE. Johnston, a retired career FCC employee and Dayton Radio Amateur of the Year award winner believes that it is important to keep ham radio traditions alive. He says that we in the QCWA are the elder statesmen and stateswomen of Amateur Radio. That they are the people who have spent a sizeable chunk of our lives learning the artistry that goes with being a radio amateur. We know how a radio works. We know how an antenna works. He says that most of all they know that Amateur Radio can only survive if it passes its combined knowledge on to the next generation of radio amateurs. Under the agreement, ARNewslineT will continue to solicit those looking for assistance and maintain the database that matches those desiring assistance with a mentor willing to assist. Willing members of the QCWA will be asked to register by e-mail to mentor@arnewsline.org stating their name, call, location, contact information and area of expertise. As request for assistance are received the person asking will be referred to the person closest to him/her who holds the qualifications and knowledge to assist. John Johnston believes this to be a program that all in QCWA should be a part of:QCWA Prtesident Johnston says that: "this is a chance for each of us to leave our own personal legacy within ham radio. If we do so, we assure the service of another generation of skilled and caring operators who will be a true asset to the service. I urge all of you to sign on."Two large pools of Amateurs are needed to make mentoring work. First, there must be a group of volunteers who have a skill and are willing to share their time. The second group is made up of the large number of beginners who want to learn.Newsline and QCWA are now seeking applicants for both groups. To sign up, send an e-mail mentor@arnewsline.org. Tell us your name, call letters, address with zipcode, phone number, when we can call and whether you want to be a student or a mentor. Again, that e-mail address is mentor@arnewsline.org and I'm David Black, KB4KCH, at the South-East Bureau in Birmingham, Alabama.--The project's namesake, Roy Neal, K6DUE, was himself a prominent mentor. Aside from being the dean of aerospace commentators for the Nation Broadcasting Company, K6DUE is generally credited with bringing manned Amateur Radio into space. This by convincing NASA to let astronaut hams take their gear on shuttle flights and to the International Space Station through the SAREX and ARISS educational programs. He also produced a half dozen ham radio educational videos dealing with Amateur Radio and manned ham radio on-orbit. More about the Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program is on-line at www.arnrewsline.org (ARNewslineT)**RESCUE RADIO: A NEW GENERATOR FOR EMCOMMSHutchinson, Minnesota Crow River Area Amateur Radio Club of has acquired a portable generator from Cummins Power Generation of Minneapolis. The generator, valued at almost $3,000, will be modified to support emergency communications by local Amateur Radio operators in times of disaster and to assist in McLeod County Skywarn operations. The first full demonstration of how the generator will be integrated into the club's emergency communications capability will take place Field Day weekend June 23 and 24 at the Hutchinson Municipal Airport. (Hutchinson-Leader)**RADIO SAFETY: LOWER YOUR POWER PLEASEA Seattle radio station has lowered its transmit power after it was discovered that its new location was a possible safety hazard to a near-by oil refinery. After losing its lease on a transmitter site on Harbor Island, KKOL AM which is operated by Salem Communications spent several years broadcasting from a ship moored off-shore with a low-power signal that hindered its reach across the region. Eventually it found a new site and had signed a 10-year lease with the Port of Tacoma.Late last year it announced it had gone to full power. That prompted U.S. Oil & Refining Co. to file a complaint with the FCC claiming that KKOL's transmitter has created a series of problems at its refinery less than a mile away. Of particular concern, U.S. Oil claims that an electrical charge produced by the transmitter creates a safety hazard at the refinery's docks when crude oil is unloaded from tankers. The Coast Guard has also weighed in, calling for the FCC to order KKOL to change operations to eliminate the risk of a spark causing an explosion.Salem, which operates its Seattle stations as Inspiration Media proposed lowering its power to 47,000 watts at times when U.S. Oil is unloading oil tanker ships. The FCC in turn asked that KKOL operate at 25,000 watts during the day and 47,000 at night until the issue is resolved. Late word is that Salem said it has voluntarily complied with that request. (CGC, SEATTLE POST)**NAMES IN THE NEWS: NY HAMS HONORED FOR PUBLIC SERVICEMembers of New Yorks' Oswego County Emergency Communicators were recently honored by the Oswego County Legislature's Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee and County Emergency Management Office staff. This, when Emergency Management Director Patricia Egan presented the first-ever RACES Service Award to Brien Mathews, KA2AON. Mathews is Oswego County's Skywarn coordinator. He has also been a member of the Oswego County Emergency Communicators group since 1980. Public Safety Committee chair Tom Bullard, District 14, and vice chairman Milferd Potter, District 2, joined Egan in congratulating Mathews and presented a certificate of appreciation to RACES Radio Officer John Darling, K2QQY. (Palladium-Times.com)**NAMES IN THE NEWS: G3STG AWARDED RSGB RAYNET CUPThe Radio Society of Great Britain's Raynet Cup has been presented to Geoff Griffiths, G3STG. Griffiths joined United Kingdom emergency communications service in 1957 and received the award in recognition of his long-standing service to RAYNET. In his 50 years working with the group he has served as chairman of both the RSGB National RAYNET Committee and the Network's Committee of Management. (GB2RS)**BREAK 2This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:(5 sec pause here)**COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH: NYC SUBWAY RIDERS PERIL HEARINGRiding the New York City subway system can adversely affect your long term hearing. That's the just of a new report by researchers who have been looking at hearing loss among those who use the rapid transit system to get around the city. In a new survey of noise levels throughout the system, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that exposure to noise levels in subways have the potential to exceed recommended guidelines of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the research, as little as 30 minutes of exposure to decibel levels measured in the New York City transit system per day has the potential to result in hearing loss. The findings were published in the September issue of the Journal of Urban Health. This is a publication of the New York Academy of Medicine. (Journal of Urban Health)**HAM RADIO IN SPACE: KD5PLA TO REPLACE KD5PLB ON THE ISS NASA has announced that astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, will succeed Suni Williams, KD5PLB, as International Space Station Expedition 15 Flight Engineer later this spring. According to NASA News, Anderson will arrive aboard the ISS aboard the shuttle Atlantis which is set to launch on 8th June. The same shuttle mission will carry Williams back to Earth. Suni Williams has been in space since early December. During her ISS stay, she set a record for spacewalks by a female astronaut, conducting four excursions for a total of 29 hours and 17 minutes. Upon her return, she will have accumulated more time in space than any other woman. She has also logged numerous school contacts during her on-orbit stay. (ARISS)**HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SSETI-ESO LAUNCH DELAYED A YEARThe launch date for SSeti ESEO, a European Space Agency led student satellite project intended for geostationary transfer orbit has been delayed by approximately one year. It had originally been hoped that this satellite would be a secondary payload on Ariane launch in late November of 2008 but it now seems that opportunity will not be available. (ANS)**RADIO IN SPACE: EU RADIO FROM SPACEAn advanced in-car multimedia system that could use recycled television satellites coming to the end of their working lives has been unveiled in Europe. The prototype system was developed by the European Space Agency. It is Said to offer high-quality radio, video and data. If commercialized, the system would offer the first in-car satellite radio service available to Europeans. (Southgate)**WORLDBEAT - IRELAND: ON THE AIR CELEBRATING FLIGHTIrelands Limerick Radio Club has been invited by the Foynes Flying Boat Museum to operate a special Amateur Radio Station. This, in conjunction with the commemorative Transatlantic Re-Enactment Flight 1937 from Newfoundland Canada to Foynes Ireland.The special event callsign has been issued to the club to operate as EI70FOY. The station will be on the air from the July 6th to the 8th. On the High Frequency bands operation will be on 80 through 10 meters. EI70FOY will also operate on VHF / UHF as well.A special QSL card, commemorating the flight reenactment will be sent to all stations worked over the three-day event. All inbound QSL cards should be sent to the Club's QSL Manager Alan Cronin E-I-8-E-M at his callbook address. More is on-line at www.qsl.net/ei4lrc. (IRTS)**DXIn D-X, A52SW will be on the air from Thimpu, Bhutan, from May 17th to the 22nd. The operator is Steve Herman, W7VOA who will be on 80 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and, possibly, PSK, as well as 10-meter FM. Steve is a news correspondent based in India covering South Asia. He says this will be the first of numerous trips he plans to make to Bhutan over the next several years as A52SW. The QSL manager for A52SW will be K2AU.Also, word that DB5YB will be active as portable OZ from Bornholm Island, through the 18th May. He plans to operate SSB on 20, 17 and 15 meters. QSL via his home call.And Special event station IR1ALP will be active from Cuneo, Italy through May 31st. A special postage stamp will be affixed on the cards confirming QSOs made on 12th and 13th May, during the 80th Italian Alpine troops gathering. QSL via QSL via IK1AAS.Also, special event station ON50EU is active until December 31st. This, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. QSL as directed on the air.Lastly, some DX from space. WA7IRW says that he will be operating from the British Virgin Islands as VP2V and WA7IRW through May 18th. He expects to try AO-51 ops typically in the afternoon and evening hours passes using an FT857 and an aArrow antenna from the sail boat. QSL direct to WA7IRW.(Above from various DX news sources)**THAT FINAL ITEM: CB DOWN UNDERAnd finally this week, we all know the story of how Class D, C-B at 27 MHz in the United States was created from the old 11 meter ham band. But other nations have their story of how C-B came about and in some cases the tale is very similar. Only the timeline differs. Jim Linton, VK3PC, reports:--Rewind, a look back at history On a recent ABC radio program quiz segment this question was put: 'In what year was Citizens Band Radio legalized in Australia?" It was 1977, in fact July the 1st of that year after a Federal Government inquiry that received a large number of submissions in favor of the move, and intense lobbying by a number of CB radio groups. Initially CB was 18 channels at 27MHz, requiring operators to have a government issued callsign, pay an annual license fee and use type-approved equipment. The big plan was that 27MHz, the amateur 11 meter band, was only to be a temporary allocation and all CB'ers would move to UHF in five years. However, 27MHz was retained and expanded in 1982, and the UHF band continues today. Gone has the licensing requirement too, with CB radio now covered in 2002 by a fee-free Radiocommunications Citizen Band Radio Stations Class License. So radio amateurs can commemorate the loss of their 11 meter band, while CB operators can mark the 30th or Pearl anniversary of legalized CB in Australia. I'm Jim Linton VK3PC for the Amateur Radio Newsline. --Sounds like a rather familiar story, but this time that's a big 10-4 from down-under. (WIA News)**NEWSCAST CLOSEWith thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. Two reminders before we go. First we have a new poll for the month of May. This one asks the question now that the Morse exam is part of ham radio history, do you plan to upgrade or remain the license class you are right now. Of coarse this is unfair to Extra class licensees because they cannot go any higher so this poll kind of leaves them out in the cold. To compensate, we added a third possible answer, but you will have to go to our website at www.arnewsline.org to see what it is.Also, the nominating season for this years Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award closes on May 30th. That's less than 3 weeks away. Any nominations received after that date will not qualify for this years award program.The Young Ham of the Year Award is open to any radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in all 50 United States, plus Puerto Rico and all 13 Canadian Provinces can qualify. Full details and nominating forms are on our special website at www,yhoty.org. Also see the Vertex-Standard sponsored ad on page 8 of the March issue of QST Magazine. For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW and I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.