Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1277 – February 1, 2002<p>Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1277 with a release date of Friday,<br />February 1st, 2002 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. <br /> <br />The following is a Q-S-T.<p>The President of the United States speaks to hams in Florida and is ham radio<br />seeing a second Solar Max? These stoies are first on amateur Radio Newsline<br />report number 1277 coming your way right now.<p>(Billboard Cart Here) <br /> <br />**<p>BREAKING NEWS: PRESIDENT BUSH COMES TO HAM RADIO<p>The President of the United States has come to ham radio. Bill Burnett, KT4SB,<br />has the details:<p>--<p>President George W. Bush has taken to the ham radio airwaves. This, to thank<br />the Florida Amateur Radio community for being ready to serve the public when it<br />is needed. <p>The President’s comments were made during a stopover the morning of January<br />31st at the Volusia County Fire Services and Training Center near Daytona. <br />Around 9:15 AM Eastern Time, President Bush checked in to the Northern Florida<br />Amateur Radio Emergency Service Net on 3.950 MHz using a portable station set<br />up John Schmidt, AF4PU. Then the President made these remarks to the 40 or so<br />stations listening to the net:<p>--<p>President George W. Bush: <p>"I want to thank all the volunteers who help make sure that Florida is prepared<br />for any kind of emergency. I also want to assure you that your Federal<br />government is doing everything we can to make sure that there is not an<br />emergency--starting with unleashing the mighty U.S. military overseas to bring<br />evil ones to justice. But should there be a need for a response, I want to<br />thank you all for helping our communities be prepared. And finally, I want to<br />tell you--we are lucky to be Americans and may God continue to bless this great<br />land of ours. Thank you very much."<p>--<p>Needless to say the net members were delighted to have the President of the<br />United States address them. More important, hams nationwide can now be sure<br />that President Bush knows that Amateur Radio operators are ready to serve<br />whenever he, and the nation, needs to call on them for help. <p>In Miami, I’m Bill Burnett, KT4SB, reporting for the Amateur Radio Newsline. <p>--<p>The complete story is on the web at<br />http://firstcoastcommunity.jacksonville.com/northfloridaamateurradiosociet<br />ynofars (Tnx NU4F, CQ Magazine)<p>**<p>HAM RADIO SCIENCE: TWO SOLAR MAXIMUMS THIS SEASON<p>In case you are wondering why the current solar cycle is still providing such<br />amazing VHF and UHF DX, one researcher may have the answer. He says that the<br />current cycle appears to be having a second peak and that this is really not<br />very unusual. Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ, looks at the scientist and his latest<br />data.<p>--<p>The most recent and ongoing Solar Maximum -- or Solar Max -- theoretically<br />crested in mid-2000. Sunspot counts were higher than they had been in 10<br />years, and solar activity was intense. One remarkable eruption on July 14,<br />2000 caused brilliant auroras as far south as Texas. But after that, sunspot<br />counts slowly declined and the Sun was relatively quiet for month-long<br />stretches. Most scientists said that the Solar Max was over. But was it? <p>Now, as 2002 unfolds, the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations solar<br />foorecasters say that it looks as if the Solar Max is back with us again. The<br />Sun is again peppered with spots, eruptions are frequent and hams notice that<br />the VHF DX keeps rolling in.<p>Why is this happening? Well David Hathaway, a solar physicist at the NASA<br />Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama has one theory. Hathaway<br />says that the current solar cycle appears to be double-peaked, and the second<br />peak has arrived.<p>--<br />Hathaway Audio Here<br />In-Q: We have seen other cycles...<br />Out-Q: ...define this maximum<br />--<p>Scientists track solar cycles by counting sunspots and Hathaway is an expert<br />forecaster of sunspot numbers. He says that sunspot counts peaked in 2000 some<br />months earlier than we expected. He says that the subsequent dip toward solar<br />minimum seemed premature and before long, sunspot counts reversed course and<br />began to climb toward a second maximum that now appears to be only a few<br />percent smaller than the first.<p>--<br />Hathaway Audio Here<br />In-Q: Its a bigger than average...<br />Out-Q: ...smaler than 19, 21 and 22.<br />--<p>Hathaway notes that there is a widespread misconception that solar activity<br />varies every eleven years like a pure sinusoidal wave. It isn’t. He says<br />that solar activity is chaotic and there can be more than one peak in any<br />given period. Translated for ham radio: Enjoy the VHF DX while you can.<p>For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ.<p>--<p>Hathaway says that the Solar Max eleven years ago was much the same as this<br />one. The first peak arrived in mid-1989 followed by a smaller maximum in early<br />1991. And if you are interested in hearing more about this interesting<br />phenomena from David Hathaway its as easy as taking your web browser over to<br />www.rainreport.com. Or you can call on the phone to area code 847-827-7246. <br />(NASA, RAIN)<p>**<p>HAM RADIO IN SPACE: HF ANTENNA INSTALLED ON ISS<p>High Frequency ham radio operations from the International Space Station could<br />be on the not to distant horizon. This, after a successful space walk on<br />January 25th to install another antenna on the orbiting outpost. Amateur Radio<br />Newsline’s Roy Neal, K-6-D-U-E, has the details.<p>--<p>The spacewalkers have had another good day in space. On Friday the 25th of<br />January, Cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko, RK3DUO and Astronaut Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, <br />successfully mounted a second ham radio antenna near a docking port amidships<br />on the International Space Station. It is made of flexible tape and is similar<br />to but longer than another antenna installed on January 14th. That one tunes<br />both VHF and UHF frequencies. The new antenna will tune HF frequencies.<p>ARISS Board Chairman Fran Bauer, KA3HDO, says it definitely will work on ten<br />meters and may even be made to work on 15 and 20 meters. BUT right now there<br />is no gear on board to handle those frequencies. Experiments using the lower<br />frequencies are on the list of futures for ARISS but no timetable has been<br />assigned to design and build them.<p>Owen Garriott, W5LFL, the first man to operate ham equipment in space, once <br />prophesied that a five watt transmitter in orbit might well be heard<br />simultaneously world wide. The great number of hams with good stations on the<br />lower frequencies also makes them enticing to ARISS. It's a safe bet that<br />serious consideration now is being given to expedite such a project. Once a<br />station is sent up, the antenna will be waiting.<p><br />The new antenna is the second of four to be installed on board the space<br />station. No timetable has been announced for the final installation. All of<br />these amateur antennas were built by Italy, tested and qualified in the US, to<br />fit ports built by Russia, as befits the international nature of the ISS.<p>For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Roy Neal, K6DUE<p>--<p>Installation of the 2.5-meter long flexible tape antenna involved not only the<br />mechanical deployment but routing cables and establishing the R-F connection as<br />well. (ARISS)<p>**<p>HAM RADIO IN SPACE: THAT ANNOYING SATELLITE IS OFF 2 METERS<p>An annoying mystery satellite transmitting AFSK, frequency modulated Morse on<br />144.100 MHz for several days has been identified. It turned out to be a signal<br />from the MAROC-TUBSAT satellite. This is an Earth-sensing spacecraft owned by<br />a Moroccan government agency called he Royal Center for Remote Sensing. It <br />was placed into a polar orbit by a Russian launcher on December 10, 2001. <p>As soon as he learned of the interference to amateur operations, Professor Udo<br />Renner of the Center had the 144.100 MHz transmitter turned off. He then<br />notified AMSAT Germany that TUBSAT was no longer on two meters.<p>But TUBSAT also has a downlink at 436.075 MHz. This system is only busy over<br />North Africa and Europe and only when the control stations in Rabat and Berlin<br />are activated. It has not been heard elsewhere in the world. (AMSAT-NA)<p>**<p>Break 1<p>From the United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on<br />bulletin stations around the world including the Pentucket Radio Club repeater<br />serving Groveland Massachusetts <p><br />(5 sec pause here)<p>**<p>SPECTRUM PRESERVATION: ARRL SAYS IT WILL FIGHT TO KEEP RFID OFF 70 CM<p>The ARRL says that it will go all the way to protect the 70 centimeter ham band<br />from a threat brought by commercial interests. At issue is a plan from SAVI<br />Technology and already tentatively agreed to by the FCC to deploy unlicensed<br />transient R-F identification tag transmitters operating between 425 and 435<br />MHz. These tags run at much higher field strengths and duty cycles than Part<br />15 rules now permit. <p>According to a League bulletin issued on January 29th, ARRL officials have<br />already met with members of the FCC staff as part of the League's effort to<br />stave off a band threat. The bulletin says that General Counsel Chris Imlay,<br />W3KD, and ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, delivered an ex<br />parte presentation to FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staffers January<br />14th outlining the opposition of the ham radio community. (ARRL)<p>**<p>FCC: CHAIRMAN POWELL HOME AFTER HOSPITAL TESTS<p>Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell was discharged from<br />the hospital on Friday January 25th. This, after a two-night stay in the to<br />undergo tests because of a lingering stomach bug. <br /> <br />Stomach discomfort caused him to cancel appearances at the Consumer Electronics<br />Show in Las Vegas on January 8th and again at the annual conference of the<br />National Association of Television Program Executives on Wednesday January<br />23rd. Doctors advised precautionary tests that required overnight stays at<br />Walter Reed Army Medical Center in suburban Washington. (Published news<br />reports)<p>**<p>ENFORCEMENT: THAT SONG WAS NOT AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT<p>The Federal Communications Commission has dropped an indecency fine against a<br />Colorado radio station. KKMG FM of Colorado Springs had been fined<br />seven-thousand dollars for airing the edited version of Eminem's "The Real Slim<br />Shady." This, after a listener wrote the regulatory agency to complain.<p>At the time the fine was issued federal regulators said the edited version<br />still included some expletives and references to violence and graphic sex. But<br />the FCC now says it has reconsidered. It now says that the lyrics in the<br />edited version didn't violate its rules by being "patently offensive." (FCC)<p>**<p>RESCUE RADIO: BRAZIL RADIO OPERATORS HELP IN POWER OUTAGE CRISIS<p>A major electricity blackout hit at least five Brazilian states on January<br />21st, and it was hobby radio enthusiasts that let people know about it. <p>The blackout, which began at 1:30 p.m., hit hardest in the industrial southeast<br />and the major cities of Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Rio De Janeiro, Goiania,<br />Vitoria and the capital, Brasilia. <br /> <br />According to news reports, Brazil’s National Energy Agency blamed the outage<br />on transmission line failures. The same news report credited Brazilian hobby<br />radio operators as informing authorities that subways in Rio De Janero and Sao<br />Paulo were halted and that traffic lights were out snarling commuters in<br />several areas. <p>The outage was caused by a failure at the Itaipu hydroelectric station in<br />southwestern Brazil. A power-line failure caused thirteen of the dam's<br />eighteen turbines to stop, cutting off nearly 20 percent of the country's<br />energy. Power was restored about three hours later. The news story did not<br />identify the radio operators as being hams. (Various shortwave news reports)<p>**<p>RESCUE RADIO: NEW INTER-JURISDICTION RADIO SYSTEMS BEING INTRODUCED<p>Santa Clara County California, police, fire and emergency medical personnel<br />have never been able to communicate with one another at the scene of a major<br />disaster. This is because each agency uses a separate radio system. That is<br />expected to change this year. <br /> <br />Santa Clara County will be leading the nation in using new digital radio<br />technology to solve the inter-agency communications problem. The new system<br />will allow up to eighteen participating jurisdictions in any county to talk to<br />one another instantly. <p>By way of example, once the system is up and running, officers involved in one<br />of California’s famed high-speed car chase will be able to talk directly to<br />police in the neighboring jurisdiction as the suspect approaches that town.<br />They won't have to switch channels or go through dispatch centers. This means<br />less time wasted and the probability that lives will be saved.<p>While Santa Clara county is at the head of the pack in adopting this new<br />digital communications technology, the same news reports say that and<br />Washington, D-C is not far behind. (Cal-State Info.)<p>**<p>PUBLIC RELATIONS: A CHEAP SATELLITE<p>A Cheap Satellite is the name of an Associated Press item that highlighted the<br />work of the faculty and students at the United States Naval Academy in the<br />development and launch of the P C Sat ham radio satellite. The story tells how<br />the twenty-five pound bird was built using off the shelf products including a<br />tape measure for its antenna and rechargeable double A cell batteries for<br />power. <p>The story was written by Tom Stuckey and moved on the wire on Wednesday January<br />23rd. It noted that PCSat, was the 44th amateur satellite put in orbit. It is<br />one of more than a dozen built by university students around the world. (VHF<br />Reflector)<p>**<p>CONVENTIONS & HAMFESTS: ORLANDO HAMCATION WEAK SIGNAL FORUM<p>The Orlando HamCation will host its first ever Weak Signal VHF and UHF forum. <br />Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday Ferbruary 9th, the one hour session will be<br />moderated by N2CEI, of Down East Microwave. Also, Tom Haddon, K5VH, will be on<br />hand to motivate more Florida hams to become active on the Microwave bands.<p>If you are in the Orlando Florida area on February 8th to the 10th drop in on<br />the Orlando Hamcation. For more details and or advance reservations, go to <br />oarc.org/hamcat.html on the World Wide Web (W2BZY)<p>**<p>CONVENTIONS & HAMFESTS: DATE CHANGE FOR RADIOFEST 2002<p>Brian Broggie, W6FVI, asks that we pass along a date change for RadioFest 2002<br />sponsored by the Naval Post Graduate School Amateur Radio Club in Monterey<br />California. The new date is February 23rd. More information is in cyberspace<br />at k6ly.org/radiofest. (W6FVI)<p>**<p>BREAK 2<p>Here when you need us 52 weeks a year. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, with<br />links to the world from our only official website at www .arnewsline.org.<p>(5 sec pause here)<p>**<p>HAM RADIO SCHOLARSHIPS: THE DARA SCHOLARSHIPS<p>The Dayton Amateur Radio Association is one of three ham radio organizations<br />seeking nominations for its scholarship program for the 2002-2003 academic<br />year. According to DARA, applicants must be graduating high school seniors in<br />2002 and hold any class of an FCC issued mateur Radio license. The <br />scholarship awards run up to $2000, as determined by the scholarship committee.<br /> Money must be used toward tuition at an institution of higher education.<p>To obtain an application, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Dayton<br />Amateur Radio Association Scholarship Program, 9873 Lower Valley Pike, Medway,<br />Ohio 45341. You can also obtain an application by e-mail to n8emo1@msn.com.<br />Completed applications must be postmarked no latter than June 1st to be<br />eligible for this years scholarship program. (DARA)<p>**<p>HAM RADIO SCHOLARSHIPS: THE FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO<p>Another organization offering scholarships to hams id the Foundation For<br />Amateur Radio. The Washington, D.C. area group will administer sixty-two<br />scholarships for the academic year running from 2002 through 2003. Licensed<br />Radio Amateurs may compete for these awards if they plan to pursue a full-time<br />course of studies beyond high school and are enrolled in or have been accepted<br />for enrollment at an accredited university, college or technical school. <br />The awards range from $500 to $2500 with preference given in some cases to<br />residents of specified geographical areas or the pursuit of certain study<br />programs. Additional information and an application form may be requested by<br />letter or QSL card to the FAR Scholarships, Post Office Box 831, Riverdale,<br />Maryland, 20738. (Foundation For Amateur Radio)<p>**<p>INTERNATIONAL - SOUTH AFRICA: SA RADIO AMATEURS OF THE YEAR NAMED<p>Turning to international news, South Africa is honoring two of its own as that<br />nations Radio Amateurs of the Year. Q-News Graham Kemp, VK4BB, brings us the<br />details:<p>--<br />The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust have announced the winners of<br />the 2001 Siemens Radio Amateur of the Year Award. This award is made annually<br />to a Radio Amateur who has made a major contribution to the Amateur Service<br />either on a technical or development basis in ZS land.<p>The award has been bestowed jointly on Bradley Phillips, ZS5BP, and Garth<br />Wilson, ZR6CY. ZS5BP for his work on the introduction of Iphone and the<br />development of the Internet Radio Linked project. ZR6CY for his continuous<br />efforts to develop communication skills amongst the youth. He has to date<br />presented no less than 80 camps for Voortrekkers to learn the Morse code and<br />basic communication skills.<p>For Q-News Australia, I’m Graham Kemp, VK4BB, reporting for the Amateur Radio<br />Newsline.<p>--<p>This award is considered as South Africa’s equivalent to the Dayton awards<br />presented here in the United States. (SARL News, Q-News)<p>**<br />INTERNATIONAL - UK: KENWOOD TROPHY AWARDED TO G3XWH<p>Meantime, over in the U-K, Richard Horton, G3XWH, who chaired the RSGB’s<br />Future Licensing and Examination Forum has been awarded the Kenwood Trophy. <br />This, for his significant contribution to training and development in amateur<br />radio. <p>Horton recently retired from the Radio Society of Great Britain’s Board where<br />he was responsible for amateur radio development. His committee was<br />responsible for much of the work that went into the creation of the new U-K<br />Foundation Class license. (GB2RS)<p>**<br />DX<p>In DX, DJ4KW and DK9GG are currently active from Belize as V31YN and V31GW,<br />respectively, through early February. Activity is on CW, RTTY and PSK 31.<br />(RSGB)<p>And IN3QBR will be active from Vientiane as XW3QBR until the 31st of July. He<br />will be joined, from the 20th of April until the 10th of May by IN3ZNR<br />operating as XW3ZNR. (OPDX)<p>And R1ANF began operations as CE9 slash R1ANF on the 29th of December from a<br />Chilean base in the South Shetland Islands. He is active on 10 to 28MHz with<br />100 watts to an R6000 vertical. For all three QSL as directed on the air. <br />(RSGB)<p>**<br />THAT FINAL ITEM: CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ED CLEGG W2LOY<p>And finally this week, if you were on the VHF bands in the 50's, 60's and 70's<br />then the name Clegg Labs touched your ham radio operations. And as we hear in<br />this report, the family of the man behind the gear is inviting you to help<br />celebrate his life. <p>--<p>Even if you did not own any Clegg gear, the chances are that you talked to<br />someone on the air who did. Whether it was the top of the line Interceptor<br />receiver and Zeus transmitter or the entry level 99'er transceiver, it was easy<br />to spot a Clegg signal by its almost overpowering modulation that seemed just<br />right for the R-F carrier it was on.<p>Almost every product that carried the Clegg label was designed by the company's<br />founder Edward T. Clegg, W2LOY. When he moved the company to Pennsylvania in<br />the 1970's, Ed took the call W3LOY. Likewise, after retiring to Ohio he traded<br />the 3 for an 8, but kept the famed L-O-Y suffix.<p>And regardless of the call area, Ed Clegg was first and foremost a <br />communications designer well ahead of his time. Even more important, he was a<br />positive influence on just about everyone with whom he came in contact.<p>Ed Clegg left us last September at age 80. Now, his wife Martie will be<br />hosting a gathering in March near the Clegg home in Lancaster Ohio. The<br />purpose is to celebrate the life of Edward T. Clegg. And they are asking you<br />to help.<p>Martie, her daughter Linda and Linda's husband Rob MacGuffie, K2HZN, are asking<br />anyone who knew Ed to share in the celebration. They know that most of you<br />won't be able to be in Lancaster Ohio on March 30th. But some of you do have<br />memories, stories, photos and other Ed Clegg memorabilia that would help to<br />make this day even more unforgettable.<p>If you have something to share, please contact Linda and Rob before the end of<br />February. Their address is 70 Province Road, Gilmanton New Hampshire with a<br />zipcode of 03237. Rob's cyperspace address is K2HZN@yahooo.com.<p>For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Cathy Anno, KB0FDU.<p>--<p>By the way, a number of us here at the Amateur Radio Newsline began our ham<br />radio careers using gear designed by Ed Clegg. In fact, our producer Bill<br />Pasternak, WA6ITF, got to know Ed while Bill was still a teenager operating<br />A-M on the 6 meter band. (Clegg family)<p>**<p>NEWSCAST CLOSE<p>With thanks to Alan Labs, Amateur News Weekly, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC<br />Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio<br />Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB and Australia's Q-News, that's all from the Amateur<br />Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is newsline @arnewsline.org. More<br />information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official website<br />located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at <br />Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. <p>For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm ______________<br />saying welcome to the year 2002, 73, and we thank you for listening." Amateur<br />Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.