***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 42
October 22, 2004
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +ARRL Executive Committee focuses on digital petition, BPL
* +League repeats call for Arizona BPL system shutdown
* +Business decision forces end to California BPL pilot
* +ARRL hopes toy drive will brighten holidays for Florida kids
* +"SuitSat" is focus of ARISS International discussions
* +FCC affirms $10,000 fine in California interference case
* +League welcomes new Community Education Program Coordinator
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration
Amateurs support hospital communications during telecommunications
outage
Radio amateurs aid in tornado response
+Oldest US ham, ARRL Member Bill Diaper, KJ6KQ, SK
+Available on ARRL Audio News
===========================================================
==>DRAFT BANDWIDTH PETITION, BPL FOCUS OF ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
Meeting October 16 in Dallas, Texas, the ARRL Executive Committee (EC)
devoted much of its fall session to a discussion of comments received on
ARRL's draft FCC petition seeking regulation of subbands by bandwidth
rather than by emission mode. The EC also authorized the filing of a
Petition for Reconsideration in response to the BPL Report and Order (R&O)
in ET Docket 04-37, which the FCC adopted October 14. Drafting and filing
the petition must await release of the actual R&O, which should happen in
a few weeks. Responding to a synopsis of the bandwidth petition and
proposed rule changes posted on the ARRL Web site, several hundred League
members and others in the ham radio community offered comments and
suggestions.
"The Executive Committee found considerable support for the concept of the
petition," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, "along with constructive
suggestions to reduce both the impact of the changes on current amateur
operations, as well as possible unintended consequences." Sumner's "It
Seems to Us . . ." editorial, "Regulation by Bandwidth," in September QST
addressed the bandwidth petition.
Earlier this year, the EC decided to make a synopsis and explanation of
the petition available to ARRL members before filing it with the FCC. At
this month's meeting, the EC agreed to submit several recommended
amendments to the proposed rules changes to the ARRL Board of Directors
for its consideration in January. These include:
* Retention of rules permitting automatically controlled digital stations
(packet and other digital modes) in narrow HF subbands. The draft petition
had proposed dropping these provisions.
* A rule prohibiting so-called semi-automatic digital operation (automatic
control in response to a communication initiated by a live operator) on
frequencies below 28 MHz where phone is permitted. This addressed a
concern that "robot" digital stations might take over the phone bands.
* A segment for 3 kHz bandwidth (no phone) emissions at 10.135-10.150 MHz
to accommodate existing and planned digital operations.
* Deletion of the word "continuous" from the description of test
transmissions authorized on most frequencies above 51 MHz.
* Simplification of proposed changes to §97.309 to clarify that
FCC-licensed amateur stations may use any published digital code as long
as other rules are observed.
"These recommendations are not intended to be the final word on the draft
petition, but are intended to address the major issues raised to date,"
Sumner emphasized.
The draft bandwidth proposals take into account the ARRL's prior "Novice
refarming" petition to expand some HF phone bands, included in the
"omnibus" FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making in WT Docket 04-140.
The EC also authorized ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, to "prepare
to pursue other available remedies as to procedural and substantive
defects" in the BPL proceeding.
==>ARRL REPEATS CALL FOR SHUTDOWN OF ARIZONA BPL FIELD TRIAL
The ARRL again has asked the FCC to immediately shut down a broadband over
power line (BPL) field trial in the Cottonwood, Arizona, area that it says
is interfering with Amateur Radio communication. The League's second
shutdown request, sent October 11, accuses the FCC of doing "absolutely
nothing" to enforce its rules or to protect licensed services from
interference. In an accompanying 12-page technical analysis, the ARRL also
cast serious doubt on the accuracy--and possibly the integrity--of the BPL
system's FCC-required six-month report, filed more than two months late.
Its review of the report from system operator Electric Broadband LLC (EB),
the League said, indicated inconsistent test results demonstrating that
ambient noise conditions at the test sites "were clearly misstated."
"To be blunt, as can be easily determined from the EB report itself," ARRL
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, wrote in a cover letter to the ARRL's
technical analysis, "one of two things occurred: either (1) EB altered the
data to suit its false conclusion that the system is operating in
accordance with FCC rules; or (2) its technical consultants were not
qualified to conduct the tests and glaringly misinterpreted, among other
things, the source of noise generated internally in their own test
equipment."
Imlay called the EB test results "completely compromised" and said they
can't be used to determine whether or not the system is operating legally.
"ARRL has previously established that the system is operating
substantially in violation of Part 15 rules," he said, "and is causing
actual interference" on ham bands.
The ARRL said that EB's report further indicates that in the low-VHF
Public Safety allocation at 30-50 MHz, "the BPL system is operating at
radiated emission levels significantly in excess" of Part 15 limits.
In its report EB claimed to have spent "significant time and effort"
looking into interference complaints from hams, running tests and "taking
steps to mitigate any possible interference" the system was causing. It
even invited the FCC to come and see for itself.
EB and utility APS have been operating the BPL experiment at two Yavapai
County, Arizona, sites since June under a Special Temporary Authorization
(STA) the FCC granted EB in March. The League pointed out that the STA now
has expired "but the system apparently continues to operate nevertheless."
In its technical analysis, the ARRL said EB continues to deny any
interference issues associated with its system, despite continuing
complaints and "detailed and accurate" technical showings submitted by
Cottonwood-area amateur licensees. Testing done in early September shows
clearly "that BPL signals were present at various sites on frequencies
where APS and EB claim it was not," the ARRL analysis asserted. The League
also charges that EB's test methodology was flawed and not up to industry
or regulatory standards.
The FCC prompted release of EB's six-month report in a September 1 letter
that took note of "several complaints" alleging interference to amateur
operations from the experimental system. It also mentioned ARRL's August
request, filed on behalf of Cottonwood-area amateurs, that the FCC shut
down the system, revoke its STA and fine the system's operators.
The first Amateur Radio complaint, filed in June, cited testing by the
Verde Valley Amateur Radio Association (VVARA) in the 1.8-30 MHz range. It
asserted that BPL interference makes attempts at ham radio communication
useless. VVARA submitted a comprehensive report to the two companies and
the FCC in late July detailing interference issues.
In late September, the VVARA BPL Interference Committee met with
representatives of APS and Mountain Telecommunications (MTIO, which
handles system operations. According to VVARA, APS and MTI indicated that
the BPL system operators had decided to proceed with "notching" amateur HF
frequencies. A representative from Electric Broadband was not at the
meeting, VVARA says.
==>AT&T, PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC DISSOLVE BPL PARTNERSHIP
A BPL field trial in Menlo Park, California, where FCC Chairman Michael K.
Powell had extolled the technology's virtues earlier this year, has been
aborted before getting very far off the ground. The demonstration of BPL
technology was co-sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and
AT&T. ARRL learned this week that AT&T has decided to direct its business
energies elsewhere, however, and pole-mounted BPL equipment has been
dismantled. PG&E Director of Business Development Toby Tyler confirmed
that his company and AT&T no longer were involved in the Menlo Park BPL
pilot.
"AT&T pulled out as a result of their strategic shift away from consumer
markets," Tyler told ARRL. "Without a telecom partner, it didn't make
business sense for PG&E to continue with a trial."
AT&T spokesperson Michael Dickman said his company had "redirected its
focus on serving enterprise customers," and, under the circumstances, has
"limited involvement with BPL."
When Powell visited the Menlo Park BPL pilot project in July, he applauded
AT&T and PG&E for "leading the way for this innovative technology" that he
claimed "holds the great promise to bring high-speed Internet access to
every power outlet in America." The chairman reiterated those sentiments
October 14, when the FCC adopted new Part 15 rules to govern the
deployment of BPL.
ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Official Observer Coordinator Andy Korsak,
KR6DD, told ARRL that AT&T pulled down the Main.net BPL boxes that he and
his team had been monitoring in Menlo Park. "We heard only sparse Geiger
counter-like clicks, indicating only perhaps system housekeeping between
the four Main.net boxes I identified up on power poles," Korsak said.
When Powell spoke at Menlo Park this past summer, he said the future was
bright for BPL. His optimism, at least in the case of the PG&E-AT&T BPL
partnership, now appears to have been ill-advised.
==>ARRL ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE FOR FLORIDA YOUNGSTERS
The ARRL is coming to the aid of children in Florida displaced or left
homeless in the wake of three hurricanes, by sponsoring a nationwide
holiday toy drive. Clubs and individuals from across the US already have
indicated they'll be taking part.
Joanne Ramsey, KB1KWJ, one of the hurricane relief/recovery volunteers
working in Central Florida, saw the devastation and the need following
Hurricane Ivan.
"This is really going to make a difference for those children," she said.
"I still see the images of hungry little faces I was not able to feed. The
sadness in their eyes was very hard for me to deal with."
Thousands of families are without a permanent place to live, and that
situation could well extend into the holiday season.
"For a child suddenly living out of a tent, or car, or someone else's
home, the 2004 holiday season will be anything but jolly," said ARRL
Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "But hams across the country
are coming to their rescue in a second new way through the League's
program."
Between now and Thanksgiving, hams radio operators throughout the US are
invited to send new children's toys, accompanied by a QSL card, to Ham
Radio, The United Way White Dove Project, 50 Kindred St - Suite 207,
Stuart, FL 34994.
Carol Hodnett, of Martin County United Way, said the hurricanes and their
aftermath have been especially traumatic for children. "In addition to the
frightening experience of going through the hurricanes," she pointed out,
"youngsters are coping with a great deal of stress felt within their
families and at school." Martin County United Way will handle the
distribution end of the program. Pitts said the focus is on Central
Florida communities because they took the brunt of the three storms.
Additional details about the Hams for Toys program are on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/pio>.
==>ARISS INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES PONDER "SUITSAT" POSSIBILITIES
If plans come together in time, an outdated Russian spacesuit could become
the most unusual Amateur Radio satellite ever put into orbit. Being called
"SuitSat" for now, the idea--from ARISS-Russia's Sergei Samburov,
RV3DR--sparked wide-ranging discussion among delegates to the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team
meeting October 11-13 in Alexandria, Virginia. With diminishing stowage
space aboard the ISS, several Orlan spacesuits used for space walks have
been declared surplus. Samburov's notion is to have an ISS crew equip one
of them as an Amateur Radio satellite--possibly including a camera in the
helmet area--and launch it during a space walk. ARISS International
Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, says the project is on a fast track because
it must be ready to roll in less than a year.
"It is on a very short schedule," Bauer said. "They're talking about
launching in November of 2005, and to launch then, it really has to be
ready in June of next year. It's going to be a big challenge," Bauer said.
A second Orlan suit is expected to be available in 2007.
Bauer says the fact that SuitSat will have to be integrated in orbit by
cosmonauts adds even more to the complexity. And after all that, SuitSat
might float in space just a month or two before deorbiting. As a result,
delegates tried to keep the "KISS" principle in mind during their
brainstorming on how to equip SuitSat. "We've got to keep it simple, and
we've got to keep the costs down," Bauer commented.
In addition to an onboard camera and a downlink transmitter, other ideas
floated included the installation of temperature and radiation sensors, a
beacon, a text-to-speech voice synthesizer so SuitSat could "speak" to
students from data uplinked via packet, a full-duplex repeater and a GPS
receiver to track SuitSat as it orbits Earth. The Orlan suits are
pressurized and thermally protected, and have ample room inside.
"I think we're doing a good job of engineering this thing on the fly,"
Bauer remarked during the discussions. "This has excited a lot of people."
ARISS delegates agreed that the project might pique the interest of
students, teachers and the news media. The ARISS Project Selection and Use
Committee is studying the proposal, and ARISS is soliciting ideas from the
Amateur Radio community on what to include.
The ARISS delegates also heard updates on ISS hardware projects already in
the pipeline, including launch of a multiband, multimode Yaesu FT-100D
transceiver and a slow-scan TV system to the ISS, possibly within the next
year.
Re-elected during the session were Bauer as ARISS International Chairman,
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, as Vice Chairman, and Rosalie White, K1STO, as
Secretary-Treasurer. Following the meeting, Bauer said he was pleased to
see the ARISS team--now in its eighth year--"on the same page" and working
smoothly.
"Every time we have an ARISS meeting, the camaraderie, the teamwork
internationally get better and better," he said.
Samburov offered similar sentiments. "It seems to me we have become more
than just colleagues," he said. "We have become friends, with a great deal
of trust among ourselves."
==>FCC AFFIRMS FINE FOR FORMER CALIFORNIA AMATEUR LICENSEE
In an October 5 Forfeiture Order, the FCC has affirmed a $10,000 fine it
proposed earlier this year to levy on Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO, of Bell,
California. The FCC asserts that Gerritsen doesn't have an Amateur Radio
license but continues to operate. The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau (WTB) promptly rescinded its 2001 Amateur Radio license grant to
Gerritsen after learning of his California court conviction a year earlier
for interfering with police communications. The fine is the next step in a
case that eventually could lead to criminal prosecution.
Responding to a July FCC Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL), Gerritsen
maintained that he still has a ham ticket. He asserted that the NAL failed
to show that his interference conviction is under appeal, that the
set-aside of his amateur license was unfounded and is only a claim made by
Commission personnel; that he holds a valid license and that any possible
suspension of his license is pending a hearing, making the NAL moot until
a suspension actually occurs.
Not so, said the FCC, citing chapter and verse to back up its Forfeiture
Order. Section 1.113(a) of its rules gives the WTB 30 days from
publication to modify or set aside an action, such as a license grant, on
its own motion. As a result, the FCC said, Gerritsen's amateur application
has reverted to pending status, and no license exists.
Gerritsen also argued that he preserved his license by seeking a hearing
under §1.85 of the FCC's rules and, further, that he'd been told by FCC
personnel that he would get a hearing. Wrong again, the FCC concluded. The
Commission pointed out that §1.85 spells out when the FCC may suspend an
operator license, but since Gerritsen has no license, just a pending
application, there is no license to suspend, and §1.85 doesn't apply. A
Hearing Designation Order for Gerritsen is said to be working its way
through the FCC bureaucracy.
Reports from Los Angeles area hams indicate that Gerritsen continues to
use KG6IRO, although the call sign appears in the FCC's Universal
Licensing System as "terminated." Recent letters have implored the ARRL to
somehow intervene in the situation.
"Imagine BPL--a million times worse," one radio amateur recently wrote the
League. For some time now, repeater owners have been shutting down their
machines rather than let an unlicensed user transmit through them.
The FCC said in its Forfeiture Order that agents who tracked transmissions
to Gerritsen's house and interviewed him said he admitted to transmitting
on various Amateur radio frequencies as well as on various business radio
frequencies.
In a handwritten letter Gerritsen wrote while in jail last March on a
federal trespassing conviction to the president of one repeater
association, he suggested that repeater owners should tolerate his
commentaries "a few times a day."
==>ARRL WELCOMES W1WJB AS COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Bill Barrett, W1WJB, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is the newest member of
the ARRL Headquarters family. He joined the ARRL Field and Educational
Services (F&ES) staff October 18 as ARRL Community Education Program
Coordinator. In that position, he'll execute a pilot program to enlighten
a dozen US localities about the value of Amateur Radio to community safety
and security. And he'll be exploring the best ways Amateur Radio can work
with Citizen Corps councils to show them what ham radio can do. Barrett
plans to make the most of his experience as an ARES District Emergency
Coordinator, more than 40 years of Amateur Radio experience, and his work
producing video and film projects for corporate clients.
"I enjoy bringing a message to groups that expands their capabilities,"
Barrett said. As an emergency coordinator, he developed a PowerPoint
presentation that local officials could view right at their desks. "A new
presentation will grow out of that, with a lot of new material better
suited to the new audience," he added.
The one-year position Barrett is filling is new at ARRL HQ. Both the
position and the program are funded by a grant from the Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS). The funding of nearly $90,000 will
enable the League to develop the Community Education Project (CEP) and
carry ham radio's message to communities.
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says now that more
amateur licensees have been trained in how to handle emergency
communications, they have some educating to do. "Hams can contribute so
much to Citizen Corps council members," she said, "not just to served
agencies like the Red Cross and The Salvation Army, but also when
communication problems confront grassroots community institutions such as
hospitals, utilities, blood banks, shelters and even schools."
F&ES Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, says Amateur Radio is fortunate that
many hams newly trained in emergency communications are getting involved
in ARES groups and ARRL-affiliated clubs. "ARES groups and affiliated
clubs and Citizen Corps councils haven't necessarily started working
together in many US communities," she said. "The new CEP hopes to start
connecting the dots."
Barrett said his plan is to share the message about ham radio and
emergency communications with community leaders, and have local ARES and
ARRL-affiliated club members demonstrate their expertise to Citizen Corps
councils.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Propagation maven Tad "Sunrise, Sunset" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Solar activity made a comeback this week. Average daily sunspot
numbers from last week to this week rose nearly 45 points, and solar flux
was up by more than 6 points.
The solar flux Wednesday, October 20, was 111. The next day it was 112 and
through the October 22-24 weekend, it is predicted to be 115, 120 and 115.
Less than two weeks ago the sunspot count was zero for two days straight,
but on October 20 it stood at 129.
Sunspot numbers for October 14 through 20 were 38, 26, 43, 51, 86, 86 and
129, with a mean of 65.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 90.7, 89.2, 91.7, 91.9,
96.2, 99.1 and 111.3, with a mean of 95.7. Estimated planetary A indices
were 27, 9, 5, 3, 4, 4 and 12, with a mean of 9.1. Estimated mid-latitude
A indices were 12, 6, 3, 0, 4, 3 and 9, with a mean of 5.3.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The ARCI Fall QSO Party, the W/VE Islands QSO
Party, the 50 MHz Fall Sprint and the FISTS Coast to Coast Contest are the
weekend of October 23-24. The CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB) and the 10-10
International Fall Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 30-31. JUST
AHEAD: The ARS Spartan Sprint is November 2. The ARRL November Sweepstakes
(CW), the North American Collegiate Amateur Radio Club Championship (CW),
the IPARC Contest (CW/SSB), the Ukrainian DX Contest, the High Speed Club
CW Contest and the DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest are the weekend of
November 6-7. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL HF Digital Communication (EC-005), Technician
Licensing (EC-010) and VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses
remains open through Sunday, October 24. Classes begin Friday November 5.
HF Digital Communication students will learn to use a variety of HF
digital modes. With the assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn
everything they need to know to pass the FCC Technician license
examination. Students participating in VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater
(EC-008) will explore some of the lesser-used and more intriguing aspects
of VHF/UHF operation. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/ > or contact the
ARRL CCE department, cce@arrl.org.
*Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Seats are
still available for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
III on-line course (EC-003). Registration will remains open through the
October 23-24 weekend. Amateurs aged 55 and older are strongly encouraged
to participate. Class begins Friday, November 5. Thanks to our grant
sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the
United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon
enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members
on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
* Amateurs support hospital communications during telecommunications
outage: When construction equipment accidentally severed two
telecommunications trunk lines serving Tustin Hospital and Medical Center
(THMC) in California on October 6, the hospital knew just whom to call.
Members of the Orange County Hospital Disaster Support Communication
System (HDSCS) responded promptly to fill in, as the 177-bed facility
suddenly found itself without telephone, e-mail, fax, fire alarms or
paging service. The initial seven HDSCS responders eventually grew to two
dozen over the course of the 16-hour outage that began in the late
afternoon and continued until the following morning. April Moell, WA6OPS,
and two other fixed-stations handled incoming and outgoing telephone calls
on behalf of THMC. Message traffic began to flow as soon as HDSCS
operators got to their assigned stations, and hospital staffers
re-established links with patients' physicians on the outside. "Although
we have participated in numerous drills at THMC in the past, some newer
employees were unfamiliar with Amateur Radio's capability," said Moell,
who founded the 80-member ARES group in 1980. "They seemed amazed that
HDSCS support has been completely free of cost to them. It's a true
community service." HDSCS has agreements to provide backup communication
to 34 acute-care medical facilities in Orange County. This month's
activation marked the 85th in HDSCS' history for a hospital communication
failure and the fifth emergency activation this year.
* Radio amateurs aid in tornado response: After severe weather rumbled
through the Missouri Bootheel October 18, radio amateurs from three states
rushed to help however they could. More than 60 possible tornadoes were
reported to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Memphis,
Tennessee. Pemiscot County Emergency Coordinator Loyd Avis, KC0MWU,
reports three people died near the small community of Cooter, when a
tornado destroyed their homes. Dunklin County also suffered storm damage,
while hail and high winds were reported elsewhere. A tornado touched down
in extreme southeastern Missouri then jumped the Mississippi River into
Dyer County, Tennessee, causing considerable damage there. Throughout the
storm period, Missouri District E Emergency Coordinator Larry Anthony,
WB0VAM, supplied information on hail, damage to homes and power outages to
public service operators in the Missouri Bootheel and in northeastern
Arkansas as well as to local broadcasters.
* Oldest US ham, ARRL Member Bill Diaper, KJ6KQ, SK: William F. "Bill"
Diaper, KJ6KQ, of Union City, California, died October 10. He was 104 and
apparently the oldest radio amateur in the US--if not the world--as well
as the oldest member of the ARRL. A native of Great Britain, Diaper had
been living in a long-term care facility and occasionally was able to get
on the air from a ham shack in the facility's basement. ARRL Pacific
Division officials had invited Diaper to attend Pacificon--the Pacific
Division convention--this past weekend. "The response was 'ill and unable
to travel,'" said Pacific Division Vice Director Andy Oppel, N6AJO. "We
had planned to offer a toast in his honor at the convention banquet."
Instead, Oppel said, he asked those attending the ARRL Forum to remember
and honor all of the seniors in Amateur Radio. An acquaintance, Thomas
"Fergy" Ferguson, N6SSQ, said Diaper had been a radio amateur for a
relatively short time, first becoming licensed when he was around 75 years
old and upgrading to Advanced when he was in his early 90s. Robert
Galbasin, W0MHN, of Lakewood, Colorado, apparently succeeds Diaper as the
oldest ham in the US. He will turn 104 on December 27.
===========================================================
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