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N9PMO > LETTER 26.12.15 15:48l 558 Lines 25450 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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North Korea on the Air for First Time in More Than a Decade
FCC Proposes to Penalize California Licensee $25,000 for Causing
Intentional Interference
Philippine Radio Amateurs Respond to Typhoon Threat
Preliminary CQ World Wide Survey Results Suggest Contesters Trending
Older
US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process
AO-85 Slow Scan TV Image Likely a Prank, Not a Test
Straight Key Night is a New Year's Day Tradition
RTTY Roundup is a Good Way to Kick Off the 2016 Contest Calendar
Kids Day is Sunday, January 3
International DX Association Announces Humanitarian Fund
Radio Broadcasting Remote Pickup Pioneer George Marti, W5GLJ, SK
In Brief...
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Headquarters Closing Early on Christmas Eve, Closed on Christmas
Day, New Year's Day: ARRL Headquarters will close at 3 PM Eastern Time
on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, and it will remain closed
until Monday, December 28, at 8 AM Eastern Time. In addition, ARRL
Headquarters will be closed on New Year's Day, Friday, January 1,
2016. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice on December 24,
25, or January 1, and no ARRL Audio News on December 25. There will be
no editions of The ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News on December
31/January 1. Both will return on January 7, 2016. We wish everyone a
safe and enjoyable holiday season and a happy new year!
North Korea on the Air for First Time in More Than a Decade
In an unexpected turn of events, Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, who
visited North Korea -- officially the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) -- this month in advance of a planned Amateur Radio
operation early next year, showed up on the air from the most-wanted
DXCC entity around 0000 on December 20. During a "demonstration" for
North Korean officials, P5/3Z9DX made nearly 800 DXers -- most of them
in Asia -- very happy over the couple of days he was on the air. Grzyb
operated mostly on 15 meters with some excursions on 20 and 10 meters,
SSB only. The P5/3Z9DX preview was the first from North Korea since
the 2001-2002 operation by Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN.
Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The surprise appearance of P5/3Z9DZ on the air coincided with some of
the worst HF conditions in days, if not weeks, no thanks to a
geomagnetic storm. Grzyb's visit to Pyongyang this month had been
scheduled to iron out the details of his 2016 operation. The radio
equipment he took to North Korea remained behind in government hands,
as agreed beforehand. A P5/3Z9DX operation from North Korea now is
poised to take place in February.
While operating from North Korea, P5/3Z9DX was running 100 W to a
vertical antenna mounted on a metal fencepost some 7 feet above the
ground among government high-rise buildings. He also was handicapped
by high ambient noise levels. During the brief on-the-air stint,
government officials came and went, apparently to keep a close watch
on things. Grzyb told DX-World on December 20 that his "real" DX
operation in February might take place from a different location. --
Thanks to The Daily DX and DX-World.net
FCC Proposes to Penalize California Licensee $25,000 for Causing
Intentional Interference
The FCC Enforcement Bureau has proposed fining William F. Crowell,
W6WBJ (ex-N6AYJ), of Diamond Springs, California, $25,000 for
intentionally interfering with other Amateur Radio operators and
transmitting prohibited communications, including music. FCC San
Francisco District Director David K. Hartshorn released a Notice of
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALF) on December 18, detailing the
allegations.
"Deliberate interference undermines the utility of the Amateur Radio
Service by preventing communications among licensed users that comply
with the Commission's rules," the FCC said in its NALF. "Mr Crowell's
deliberate interference to other users, using voice, noises, and
music, directly contravenes the Amateur Radio service's fundamental
purpose as a voluntary noncommercial communications service..."
An Advanced class licensee, Crowell is no stranger to the Enforcement
Bureau, which warned him as far back as 2000 about intentional
interference. In 2008 the FCC designated his current license renewal
application for hearing, alleging that he had caused intentional
interference, interrupted others' communications, transmitted music,
and made one-way transmissions, including some containing "indecent
language," the FCC said. His license, which expired in 2007, has not
been renewed, but Crowell may continue to operate while his
application is pending. Prompting the December 18 NALF were complaints
earlier this year by members of the Western Amateur Radio Friendship
Association (WARFA), which conducts nets three times a week on 75
meters.
The Enforcement Bureau recounted that its agents and the High
Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) Center monitored Crowell's
transmissions during the WARFA Net on 3908 kHz on August 25 and August
27. As the agents and the HFDF Center listened, Crowell "repeatedly
interrupted other amateurs using noises, recordings, and music, in
addition to talking over amateurs affiliated with the WARFA Net, so as
no not allow them to transmit on the frequency," the FCC said in its
NALF. "His transmissions and recordings included racial, ethnic, and
sexual slurs and epithets." According to the NALF, the interference
continued until the net shut down. Read more.
Philippine Radio Amateurs Respond to Typhoon Threat
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) activated its Ham
Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) on December 12 as Typhoon Melor --
locally called Typhoon Nona -- threatened the Philippine archipelago.
The storm boasted winds up to and slightly in excess of 100 MPH.
National Traffic System Chairman Jojo Vicencio, DU1VHY, announced the
activation during the early-morning DU NET. HERO used 7.095 MHz for
emergency traffic, and other hams in the region cooperated in keeping
the frequency clear.
Stations from the Eastern Visayas area hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan in
2013 as well as various emergency communication groups and clubs
checked into the net. Melor made its first landfall between Catarman,
Northern Samar, and Sorsogon, Southern Luzon. Stations in Eastern
Samar and Tacloban City were on alert. Some hams embedded with local
disaster risk reduction and management councils/offices.
The eye of Typhoon Melor made a second landfall over Bulusan,
Sorsogon. The province of Albay declared a state of imminent
emergency. Workers and students were sent home, and stores and shops
closed. Pre-emptive evacuations were undertaken in coastal towns in
danger of dangerous storm surges, as reported by HERO stations. As the
storm progressed through the Bicol region, PARA members continued to
give reports on 7.095 using emergency power.
The typhoon abruptly weakened into a tropical storm on December 16.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) forecasters lifted high-level storm warnings,
as winds dropped to between 75 and 90 MPH. -- Thanks to Ramon J.
Anquilan, DU1UGZ, via IARU Region 1 News
Preliminary CQ World Wide Survey Results Suggest Contesters Trending
Older
The CQ World Wide Contest Committee has posted the preliminary results
of its September survey of CQ WW participants. The committee received
5117 responses from contesters around the world, the greatest number
-- nearly 2600 -- from Europe. An analysis of the results showed that
most survey participants were in the older age brackets and that there
were not many youth participants.
The distribution by age among North American CQ WW survey respondents.
[CQ graphic by Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q]
"This is especially true when we look at the age distribution in North
America," said the analysis, prepared by Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q. "There is
very little survey participation in North America from those under 40
years of age." More than 900 of the nearly 1500 respondents from North
America were at least 60 years old, according to the survey.
CQ said the situation in Europe was "a little more optimistic," where
the age curve trended about 10 years younger overall.
"While the missing young people could be a symptom of the survey
methodology, any look around a ham radio club meeting [or] convention
reveals similar findings," the survey commentary said. "Should we be
concerned about the future of radiosport (and Amateur Radio)? What can
we do to encourage more young people to participate?" it went on to
ask.
The CQ WW Contest Committee analysis concluded that older-skewing
operators may lead to lower operating times, increased multioperator
entries, or eventual less overall activity.
Contesting at K3CR in 2014.
CW was far and away the most popular operating mode, at least among
participants age 40 or older. Nearly 62 percent of those participating
in the CQ WW survey indicated they were either serious contesters or
part-timers trying for the best score.
"It was very gratifying to receive so many survey responses in such a
short time," the CQ WW Contest Committee said in summary. "The CQ WW
community is passionate and engaged -- both on the air and in
considering the future of the event." Other summary highlights:
Europe is the leader for contest activity.
Contesters are getting older.
There is a wide range of interest levels.
CW is the favorite operating mode.
The CQ WW Contest Committee said that a future blog post would discuss
the results of questions related to possible rule changes.
US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced
that the proposals of 17 schools and organizations submitted during
the recent application window will move forward into the next stage of
planning to host Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members. Once
scheduled, the contacts will take place between July and December
2016.
"This is a significant step in ARISS' continuing effort to engage
young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
activities and raise their awareness of space exploration, space
communications, and related areas of study and career possibilities,"
the ARISS announcement said.
The 17 schools/organizations now must complete acceptable equipment
plans that demonstrate the ability to execute a contact. Once the
ARISS technical team approves equipment plans, the final selected
schools/organizations will be matched up with contact opportunities
offered by NASA.
The schools and organizations are Boca Raton Christian School, Boca
Raton, Florida; The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana;
Frontiers of Flight Museum's "Moon Day 2016," Dallas, Texas; Howell L.
Watkins Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; iSPACE,
Cincinnati, Ohio; John Glenn Middle School, Maplewood, Minnesota, and
Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, New York.
Also, Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Kansas; Museum of Innovation
and Science, Schenectady, New York; Northland Preparatory Academy,
Flagstaff, Arizona; Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, Illinois;
University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha, Nebraska;
South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut; Space Jam 10, Rantoul,
Illinois; United Space School, Seabrook, Texas; US Space & Rocket
Center, Huntsville, Alabama, and World Genesis Foundation, Goodyear,
Arizona.
ARISS is a cooperative venture of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA in the US, and
other international space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations
around the world. Its primary purpose is to organize Amateur Radio
contacts between ISS crew members and classrooms or informal education
venues.
AO-85 Slow Scan TV Image Likely a Prank, Not a Test
A Slow Scan TV (SSTV) image that a Brazilian radio amateur reported
receiving on December 13 from Fox-1A (AO-85) was most likely a prank,
not any sort of official test of the satellite's SSTV capabilities.
AMSAT Vice President for Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said the
Robot 36 image, which depicted a cartoon fox and the legend "Testing
Fox-1A/AO-85 AMSAT satellite," was of terrestrial origin and
transmitted via the AO-85 satellite's transponder.
The SSTV image transmitted via AO-85 and received by a Brazilian radio
amateur.
"I can tell you that in South America, they are having some fun, and
that our analog-to-digital to analog IHU processing of the audio seems
to work very well at SSTV frequencies!" Buxton told ARRL. "I don't
know who uplinked the signal, but it was a ground-satellite-ground
contact, nothing that originated on AO-85." Buxton called the prank
"just a very good demonstration of the capability of the FM repeater
on the Fox-1 series satellites." The FM satellite uplink is at 435.170
MHz (67 Hz CTCSS tone required). The downlink is at 145.978 MHz. Both
frequencies are subject to Doppler shift.
While transmitting SSTV images via satellites is not recommended, the
South American "experiment" did not appear to interfere with other
transmissions. "At some point we will set up a period to try it over
the US, but until then please refrain from repeating this experiment,"
AMSAT VP of Operations Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA said. -- Thanks to Jerry
Buxton, N0JY, and Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
Straight Key Night is a New Year's Day Tradition
Every day is a good day to operate on CW, but set some time aside on
New Year's Eve and Day to enjoy Straight Key Night (SKN). The annual
event gets under way a 000 UTC on January 1 (New Year's Eve in US time
zones). The 24-hour event is not a contest but a day dedicated to
celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the
air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW contacts, preferably
using a straight (hand) key or a semi-automatic key (bug). Activity
traditionally centers on CW segments in the HF bands. There are no
points or obligatory exchange. The only requirement is just to have
fun!
Send your SKN list of stations work and your votes for "Best Fist" and
"Most Interesting QSO" by January 31.
Concurrent with the ARRL Straight Key Night, AMSAT will hold its own
SKN on OSCAR 2015, this year dedicated to the memory of Ben Stevenson,
W2BXA, who died in 2011. No log is necessary, but AMSAT also asks for
"Best Fist" nominees via e-mail to Ray Soifer, W2RS.
Stevenson, who was licensed in 1929, was one of the world's top DXers
on HF and satellites and held Satellite DXCC No 1. He was the founding
president of the North Jersey DX Association.
RTTY Roundup is a Good Way to Kick Off the 2016 Contest Calendar
The ARRL RTTY Roundup over the January 2-3 weekend is a veritable
digital festival, so dust off those keyboards! In addition to
conventional Baudot, RTTY Roundup ops may use ASCII, AMTOR, PSK31, and
Packet (attended). It's very easy to get on RTTY and other digital
modes, and some late-model transceivers even have RTTY and other
digital capabilities built right into the radio. Participation in this
annual operating event has grown along with the enthusiasm for digital
modes, and newcomers are always welcome to join the fray.
The 2015 ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800 UTC Saturday, January 2
through 2359 UTC Sunday, January 3, with operation on 80, 40, 20, 15,
and 10 meters. Participants may operate 24 of the 30 available hours.
US and Canadian stations send a signal report and state/province,
while DX stations send a signal report and consecutive serial number,
starting with 001.
Submit Cabrillo logs via e-mail or by using the web applet. Send paper
logs to ARRL RTTY Roundup, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All logs
must be postmarked no later than 2359 UTC Tuesday, February 2, 2015.
Contact the ARRL Contest Branch for more information.
Kids Day is Sunday, January 3
The next Kids Day will be Sunday, January 3, 2016, from 1800 to 2400
UTC. The twice-yearly event, sponsored by the ARRL and The Boring
(Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, is an excellent opportunity to showcase
Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio satellites to youngsters and even to
hand over the keys so they can get some hands-on experience. Share the
excitement with your own children or grandkids or youngsters in the
neighborhood! For youngsters, their positive ham radio experience may
foster an interest that leads them to get licensed one day. For
veteran radio amateurs, it's a chance to share their stations and
affection for Amateur Radio with the next generation.
To solicit contacts call "CQ Kids Day." The suggested exchange is
name, age, location, and favorite color. There is no limit on
operating time, and stations may work each other more than once if the
operator has changed. Repeater contacts (with permission of the
repeater's sponsor) are okay too, and satellite contacts may provide a
real thrill. Observe third-party traffic restrictions when making DX
contacts.
All participants are encouraged to post stories and photos to the Kids
Day Soapbox page and are eligible to receive a colorful certificate.
You can download the free certificate, customized with the youngsters'
names, after filling out the Kids Day Survey found on the same page as
the certificate generator. Alternatively, you can send a 9 × 12 SASE
to Kids Day Certificate Request, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT
06111.
International DX Association Announces Humanitarian Fund
The International DX Association (INDEXA) has announced the formation
of a fund -- "Hams with Hearts" -- to support humanitarian projects
carried out by DXpedition teams. Thanks to an initial contribution by
Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, INDEXA will be able to begin humanitarian
support grants beginning in mid-January 2016, the announcement said.
"To qualify for humanitarian grants, DXpeditions must present a clear
plan for a humanitarian project to coincide with their DXpedition,"
the announcement said. "The project must provide direct, physical
benefit to the local population and go beyond leaving behind ham
equipment, making a video, or giving a class in Amateur Radio."
INDEXA said acceptable projects might include such things as providing
school supplies, clothing, medical supplies, first aid equipment, or
water purification supplies. The INDEXA board will review the plans
and decide whether or not to fund the project.
"In the early years of this fund, it is likely that grants will be
modest," INDEXA allowed. "We therefore will be seeking low-cost but
high-impact projects. As this fund grows it may be possible to
encourage DXpeditions to conduct humanitarian projects by supporting
both the DXpedition itself and the humanitarian project it carries
out. We are grateful to Zorro for his generosity and acknowledge the
many humanitarian projects he has carried out on a personal level.
With this new fund we hope to benefit humanity and enhance the image
of Amateur Radio around the world."
Radio Broadcasting Remote Pickup Pioneer George Marti, W5GLJ, SK
George Marti, W5GLJ, who pioneered and manufactured remote pick-up
(RPU) technology to allow radio stations to originate broadcasts away
from the studio wirelessly -- and lobbied the FCC to authorize its use
-- died on December 13 at age 95. Marti lived in Cleburne, Texas,
where he had served as mayor for 12 years.
George Marti, W5GLJ.
A radio station owner himself, he developed his first RPU unit to
broadcast local high school football games back to the studio,
bypassing the use of expensive and sometimes unreliable telephone
lines. His company, Marti Electronics, also developed and sold
studio-transmitter link (STL) equipment. An early Marti RPU is on
display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
A radio amateur since his teens and a US Marines veteran, Marti also
was a cattle fancier, banker, and philanthropist. He sold Marti
Electronics in 1994 to Broadcast Electronics. In 1991, the National
Association of Broadcasters honored Marti with its Radio Engineering
Achievement Award. In 2010, the Texas Association of Broadcasters
awarded Marti its Lifetime Achievement Award; he also was inducted in
2002 into the Texas Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
In Brief...
ARISS Postpones Anniversary SSTV Event: The Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) Slow-Scan TV event set for
December 26-27 has been postponed due to "complications in planning,"
ARISS has announced. ARISS now is targeting mid-January as the next
possible opportunity. This year marks the 15th anniversary of
continuous Amateur Radio operations on the International Space
Station. The first ISS crew conducted its inaugural ham radio contact
from NA1SS in November 2000. The first Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) school contact took place the
following month. ARISS will post more information as it becomes
available.
Digital Communications Conference Presentations Available Online Some
of the presentations from the 2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications
Conference now are available on YouTube, courtesy of Gary Pearce,
KN4AQ, of "HamRadioNow." He also has produced audio podcasts. To
subscribe to the "HamRadioNow" podcast, enter this URL manually into a
podcast app: http://HamRadioNow.tv/hrn/hrnrss.xml.
Boston Marathon Seeks Amateur Radio Volunteers with Technical Skills:
Preparations are under way for the 120th running of the Boston
Athletic Association's Boston Marathon, which takes place on Patriots'
Day, April 18, 2016. Nearly 300 trained Amateur Radio volunteers staff
the event each spring, providing vital communication services over the
entire 26-mile course. Volunteers are recruited, selected, and managed
by the BAA's Communications Committee, now in its second year. "A
major initiative of the Committee this year is to bolster the
technology we use on Marathon Monday," said Communications Committee
member Matthew Forman, K6MCF. "To do so, we're forming a Technical
Infrastructure Subcommittee (TIS) and seeking amateurs who can offer
current skills in analog and/or digital modes (UHF/VHF), repeaters,
and infrastructure. We'd like to have the TIS consist of one
technically seasoned member from Amateur Radio clubs in Massachusetts,
Southern New Hampshire, and the northern parts of Connecticut and
Rhode Island." Committee member Mark Richards, K1MGY, will assist in
representing the TIS to clubs and other interests. Contact Richards
for more information.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
December 26 -- DARC Christmas Contest (CW, phone)
December 26-27 -- World Wide Iron Ham Contest (CW, phone, digital)
December 27 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
December 27 -- RAEM Contest (CW)
January 1 -- ARRL Straight Key Night
January 1 -- AGB New Year Snowball Contest (CW, phone, digital)
January 1 -- SARTG New Year RTTY Contest
January 1 -- AGCW Happy New Year Contest (CW)
January 1 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
January 1 -- QRP ARCI New Years Sprint (CW)
January 2 -- PODXS 070 Club PSK Fest
January 2-3 -- WW PMC Contest (CW, phone)
January 2-3 -- Original QRP Contest (CW)
January 2-3 -- ARRL RTTY Roundup
January 2-3 -- EUCW 160 Meter Contest (CW)
January 3 -- Kids Day (phone)
January 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
January 6 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (phone)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile e-mail preferences.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
January 9 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia
January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage,
New York
January 15-16 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers,
Florida
January 15-16 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
January 17-23 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention, N. Charleston, South
Carolina
February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond,
Virginia
February 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia
February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida
February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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