Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1892 - November 815 2013 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1892 with a release date of November 15 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Ham radio responds as Typhoon Haiyan devastates the central Philippines; the ISS Expedition 37 crew brings the Olympic Torch home from space; a New Mexico resident fined $25,000 for interference to police communications; BBC on-line news magazine highlights ham radio and ABC's Last Man Standing now boasts 17 hams on its crew. Find out more are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1892 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) ** RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO FACES TYPHOON HAIYAN Upward of 10,000 or more may have lost their lives when monster Typhoon Haiyan also known as Typhoon Yolanda hit the central Philippines on Friday, November 8th. Numerous others were injured and at least nine million people were affected in some way by the monster storm. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, is in Nelson, New Zealand with a summary of what's known so far about ham radio's part in post typhoon relief: -- For more than a week the aftermath of monster Typhoon Haiyan, rated at Category 5, has seen many lives lost, people injured, widespread damage, despair and desperation. The death toll has been put at 2,000 or so officially, even though estimates have been much higher. A saving grace in the disaster is that the super-storm missed more populated areas like Manila, was fast-moving and authorities were able to evacuate some low lying areas. In its aftermath, priority is being given to the immediate essentials of power, communications, shelter and food. This is followed by clean water, sanitation and disease control. But it's in the area of communications where ham radio is doing its part. Ramon Anquilan, DU1UGZ, of the Philippines Amateur Radio Association or PARA says that in preparation for the typhoon that its Ham Emergency Radio Operator or HERO network was activated early. He reports that HERO stations using High Frequency and VHF have been relaying vital messages helping rescue and relief authorities, and their communities. DU1UGZ says that in every major area hit by the typhoon, and elsewhere in the archipelago, the HERO network was in action. Hams are providing communications at Tacloban, Eastern Samar, Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental islands, Siquijor, Palo, Bantayan, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, Panay, Roxas, and many more places. This includes signals into the capital city of Manila. Primary typhoon emergency relief communications is taking place on the frequency of 7.095 MHz and hams within radio range but not involved in relief efforts are being asked to stay clear of this frequency for the moment. Jim Linton, VK3PC, is the Chairman of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee. He says that these individuals should be commended for their efforts. Quoting VK3PC: "They have transceivers that are mostly basic, and as yet don't seem to have the deserved recognition from the authorities and the non-government aid organizations who used them," This not the first time HERO stations have been involved in providing emergency communications. Over the years there been many disasters in the Philippines, including earthquakes, floods and mudslides, but none on the scale of the current Typhoon Haiyan. Philippines President Benigno Aquino visited Tacloban City where almost all buildings were lost as tidal surges came through its streets. He pledged that local authorities are to house about 45,000 families and give them food. President Aquino said he was lost for words to adequately describe the enormity of disaster affecting 36 provinces. He has declared the situation to be a national calamity. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in Nelson, New Zealand. -- An international relief effort is now under way with rescue workers struggling to reach some remote areas. And once again, the frequency of 7.095 MHz is being used for post typhoon emergency relief and hams world wide are being asked that be kept clear at this time. Also, Google has set up an on-line Person Finder page where you can request information about someone in the typhoons area of leave information about a person that you might have. It's on the web at google.org/personfinder/2013- yolanda. How long this service will be available is not known. (VK3PC, KB7TBT, Published news reports) ** RADIO LAW: INDIA FISHERMEN WANT HAM RADIO AND GPS GEAR The Deccan Chronicle of India says that what are known as traditional fishermen want the right to use amateur radio with both free ham gear and GPS. This as a communications safety net when they venture out to see. The newspaper says that these fishermen have not found any truly affordable and reliable electronic method to send or receive communication while fishing in deep sea, especially when they face severe cyclonic storm. As such, they are forced to rely on what they term as unreliable mobile phones with no guarantee of signals reaching destination or back-up power to keep them operating. A large number of these fishermen venture 200 miles or more from the shore for several days at a time. Their only way to communicate their location or safety to their family are the unreliable mobile telephones they have now. Because of this, fishermen have been demanding the state government provide them with amateur radio gear and GPS equipment at a subsidy as they cannot afford to purchase this equipment on their own. They say that if they are equipped with amateur radio it will help to communicate to get weather updates, find their location at sea and receive directions as to which way they should proceed to avoid impending danger. Currently some 70,000 fishermen from several villages along India's coast are awaiting the response from the government on their demand. The president of the District Fisherman Welfare Association is quoted in the article as saying that when communication network fails during the storm, fishermen find no source of information unless they are equipped with ham radio and GPS to help them reach shore safely. The question of licensing was not touched on in the news article. You can read more at tinyurl.com/india-fishing-ham- radio. (India Deccan Chronicle) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS EXPEDITION 37 BRINGS OLYMPIC TORCH HOME The International Space Station Expedition 37 crew has returned safely to Earth bringing with it the Olympic torch that flew to the ISS with the Expedition 38 crew. Those returning with the torch were Russian Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI; American Astronaut Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP. The torch will be used to light the Olympic flame when the Winter Olympics open in Sochi, Russia. Ironically the three returning space farers made the trip back to Kazakhstan in the same spacecraft that ferried them to the ISS last May. (ON4WF) ** DX UP FRONT: LACCADIVES TO BE ON NOVEMBER 20 TO DECEMBER 10 In DX up front, while short notice, permission has just been granted by India's Ministry of Telecommunications for a nine member team to activate the Laccadive Islands between November 20th and December 10th. The group plans to operate from Agatti Island with the callsign VU7AG with three high power stations running CW, SSB and RTTY. Also the call VU7KA has been issued for demonstration purposes for use on Kavaratti Island. This call will be used only briefly when team members make presentations to the local administration to help to educate them about amateur radio. Given the short notice, the team is working hard in getting things organized and is looking to be on the air for at least fourteen days. More is on the web at vu7ag.info (vu7ag.info) ** DX UP FRONT: K9W WAKE ISLAND APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT Bill Moore, NC1L, at the ARRL Awards Desk reports that the K9W Wake Atoll Commemorative DXpedition has been approved for DXCC credit. More information including QSL card routing can be found on the web at www.wake2013.org and we will have further DX news later on in this weeks report. (NC1L - ARRL Awards Desk) ** BREAK 1 Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the K7CHN repeater serving Seattle Washington. (5 sec pause here) ** WITH NEWSLINE: CURE FOR PROBLEM DOWNLOADING NEWSLINE WITH ITUNES This note to those of you who listen to these newscasts via podcast. According to Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, if you were having issues with iTunes not downloading the newest podcasts of Amateur Radio Newsline the past few weeks, it may be due to a glitch that was discovered by one of our listeners and confirmed at ARNewsline. Thanks to Ed Durrant, VK2JI, we were made aware of the problem affecting some users. It seems that the newest version of iTunes released last week has fixed the issue. If you are having this problem, please update your iTunes installation and the problem will more than likely be resolved. (N5PRE) ** ENFORCEMENT: NEW MEXICO RESIDENT FINED $25,000 FOR INTERFERENCE TO POLICE Operating on a police department frequency without a license is going to cost a New Mexico resident $25,000. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley has the details: -- The FCC has affirmed a $25,000 Forfeiture Order issued to Estevan J. Gutierrez of Las Vegas, New Mexico. This for what the regulatory agency terms his willful and repeated violation of Sections 301 and 333 of the Communications Act by his operation on a frequency without authorization, and his willful and malicious interference with licensed operations by an emergency service. On September 1, 2011, the Enforcement Bureaus San Diego Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars to Gutierrez for operation, without FCC authorization on 159.150 MHz. This is a frequency licensed to the Las Vegas, New Mexico, Police Department. He was also accused of willful and malicious interference with the Police Departments operations on that frequency. In response to the NAL, Gutierrez did not deny the violations. He did however request cancellation or reduction of the forfeiture amount based on his inability to pay. But in its decision to affirm the full $25,000 amount the FCC noted that Guiterrez produced no documentation to support his claim of an inability to pay. As such he was given the customary 30 days from the November 7th release of the forfeiture order to pay the amount in full. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale, Arizona. -- If Gutierrez fails to comply within the allotted time the case may be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for further enforcement. (FCC) ** RADIO LAW: FCC REFORM - WALDEN PRAISES WHEELER House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, W7EQI, of Oregon supports new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's move to study FCC reform proposals by Congress with a report due on his desk by year's end. But the subcommittee chairman still wants action on other bills he has proposed that would implement some of those reforms. In a news release Walden is quoted as saying that he welcomes Chairman Wheeler's openness to looking at ways to improve transparency and accountability for the American people and those that have business before the commission. Walden went on to say that in the meantime, we will continue working to reach bipartisan agreement on the FCC Process Reform Act, and similarly hope that the Senate will soon take up the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act, which was unanimously approved by the House this summer. The Consolidated Reporting Act has supporters on both sides of the aisle. Though it does have some Democratic opponents it is expected to most likely to pass both the House and Senate. As its name suggests, it would consolidate eight FCC annual reports to Congress into a single biennial report. The Process Reform Act prospects are somewhat less bright, although it did pass out of the Energy & Commerce Committee on promises to work with Democrats on some of their issues. This measure would put shot clocks on FCC decisions and would limit the conditions the FCC could put on media mergers. This is an aspect that Democrats are not likely to support. (Media World) ** RADIO LAW: SENATE COMMERCE TO LOOK AT PATENT TROLLS The Senate Commerce Committee is looking into patent trolls. The issue is of interest to radio as several ownership groups are fighting patent infringement allegations from DigiMedia over digital music storage and playback technology. The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance held its hearing for November 7th to examine the impact of demand letters from so-called "patent assertion entities" on small businesses, consumers and tech firms. The hearing w considered whether legislation is needed to provide increased protection for these individuals and groups. Government and other experts estimate that some patent trolls can send upward of thousands of demand letters to businesses with threats of litigation for alleged patent infringement and include a demand for payment. Many small business pay off, even if they haven't violated any patents as doing so is usually less expensive than fighting it out in a court of law. (RW) ** RADIO LAW: SPOKANE RADIO STATION HIT BY COPPER THIEVES Moody Broadcasting station KMBI AM on 1330 kHz in Spokane, Washington has been knocked off the air by copper thieves. The theft was noticed Sunday morning, November 3rd when station employees found that one of the tower monitors was out and called police. Further investigation by an employee revealed numerous cables had been stripped from the tower. News reports quote the Spokane County Sheriff's Office as saying that it would cost the station thousands of dollars to rewire and get back on the air. KMBI has an FM operation on 107.9 MHz that was not affected. (B&C) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: AUTUMN 2013 5 MHZ NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE The autumn 2013 edition of The 5 MHz Newsletter is now available for download at tinyurl.com/ouaalv6. In addition to the latest 5 MHz news, there are also features on emergency communications messaging with an international dimension, the current Radio Society of Great Britain 5 MHz discussion and much more. Also included is news of a television interview with IARU President Emeritus Larry Price, W4RA. In it Price explains the workings of World Radiocommunication Conferences and the International Telecommunications Union. Again you can download this issue free of charge at tinyurl.com/ouaalv6. And less we forget, this edition number eight marks the second anniversary of the 5 MHz Newsletter. We say, congratulations. (Southgate, G4MWO) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: SUCCESSFUL CANADIAN HIGH ALTITIDE BALLOON LAUNCH Radio Amateurs of Canada has congratulated the students, volunteers and educator Robert Streimer VE4SHS at Shaftsbury High School in Winnipeg Manitoba. This for the recent and very successful launch of the SHARP 3.1 helium filled balloon reached an impressive maximum altitude of 117,214 feet. SHARP 3.1 carried a payload consisting of four cameras, a number of electronic sensors, a Geiger counter, a 3 axis accelerometer magnetometer and numerous other sensors. According to Radio Amateurs of Canada, now begins the task of analyzing of the data that was collected during the flight. (VE2MBS/VE2QQ) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: BBC NEWS MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS HAM RADIO The British Broadcasting Corporations on-line program News Magazine has a neat story giving a very positive view of ham radio in the United Kingdom. Titled "The Very Particular World of Amateur Radio" the three and a half minute video report talks about the recent growth in licensing in Great Britain. It also follows the operation of the Chorley and District Amateur Radio Society as it took part in the recent "Castles and Stately Homes On The Air" operating event from Astley Hall in the city of Lancashire. Both the video and the text story that accompanies it are on the web at tinyurl.com/BBC-news-ham-radio. (BBC) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: LAST MAN STANDING NOW BOASTS 17 HAMS ON ITS CREW The hit ABC situation comedy Last Man Standing can now say that it has 17 licensed radio amateurs as a part of its production crew. On Saturday, November 9th the show added 8 new Technician Class operators and had its first General class upgrade. According to the shows producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, that brings the shows total to 14 Technicians, 1 General and 2 Extra class operators. Norm Goodkin, K6YXH, Naomi Goodkin, WB6OHW and Rob Antontonacci, AA6RA, of the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group VEC administered the exam session. NN6JA also notes that the Thanksgiving episode, which airs on Friday, November 22nd features Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, again on his amateur radio station as a part of the scripts plotline. You will also hear the voices of approximately one hundred real hams that sent in audio clips for use in that very special holiday show. Last Man Standing airs on the ABC Television Network on Fridays at 8:00 P.M. Eastern and Pacific and 7:00 P.M. Central time. Please consult local listings for the station broadcasting Last Man Standing in your geographic area. (NN6JA) ** BREAK 2 This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. 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) ** SWL NEWS: FLORIDA SHORTWAVE STATION TO REOPEN Look for a big signal returning to the international shortwave bands. This as one of the United States major transmission facilities comes back to life. Amateur Radio's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details: -- A Florida-based shortwave facility, formerly owned by Family Radio, will soon be back on the air. This following a sales agreement with another United States based international broadcaster that will close its own smaller Florida shortwave transmission site. WYFR in Okeechobee, Florida was founded by evangelist Harold Camping. He used to broadcast Christian programming to an international audience but it turned off its transmitters last June. Now comes word that Family Stations Inc. will sell WYFR to Radio Miami International, which currently operates station WRMI. Once the transaction is completed Family Radio programming for the Caribbean and South America will return to shortwave via the Okeechobee site. Radio Miami's programming currently aired on WRMI will then switch over to the Okeechobee facility. In its announcement WRMI stated that the station will also carry programs for other international broadcasters, including Pan American Broadcasting's Radio Africa network. As a result of this transaction, WRMI's 50 kilowatt transmission site in Miami will close, and its call letters will be moved to Okeechobee. The latter is claimed to be the largest shortwave station in the United States by number of transmitters and antennas, according to the WRMI announcement. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio. -- The exact date for the switchover to the Okeechobee has yet to be announced. (RW) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AO-27 RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUE Attempts to recover the 20 year-old AO-27 ham radio satellite are continuing and now signals have been received on 436.795 MHz Reid Bristor, is W4UPD, in Melbourne, Florida. He reports over the AMSAT Bulletin Board that he heard AO-27 a couple of times on November 10th and 11th. W4UPD says that the telemetry he monitored was good and strong. For the latest information please tale your web browser to tinyurl.com/ao27-rescue-update. (AMSAT-BB, Southgate) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ART AND HAM RADIO IN DEEP SPACE Students at the Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan are planning to send a sculpture called Artsat2 Despatch along with an amateur radio payload into deep space. This to take place sometime in mid 2014. The sculpture, which is 50 by 50 by 45 cm was created at the university using a 3D Printer. The ham radio portion of the payload will consist of a CW beacon in the 435 MHz band using an omni-directional antenna. The sculpture and ham radio gear are planned to launch as a secondary payload along with the primary asteroid explorer Hayabusa 2. Hayabusa 2 will be making a round-trip to the C- type asteroid 1999 JU3 arriving in mid 2018. For hams here on Earth this mission should provide the ultimate in DX reception challenge, especially when at its maximum distance of two million miles from Earth. More about this interesting combined art and science exploration exercise is on the web at tinyurl.com/ARTSAT- DESPATCH, (Artsat-Despatch release) ** RADIO FROM SPACE: ESA GOCE SPACE FERRARI DEORBITS The European Space Agency's GOCE satellite has entered the Earth's atmosphere, on Sunday evening, November 10th U.S. time burning up in the process. Early estimates suggested any surviving debris is likely to have fallen somewhere along its polar flight path through East Asia and the Western Pacific to Antarctica. The GOCE mission was operating in an extremely low orbit of about 140 miles above mother Earth. This was among the lowest of any scientific satellite and required constant use of its novel electric ion engine to stay aloft. In mid- October its fuel reserves were exhausted so its descent into the atmosphere and burn-up was expected. . Dubbed the "Ferrari of Space" because of its streamlined looks, GOCE is the first E-S-A bird to make an uncontrolled re-entry in more than two and a half decades. In its final days on-orbit several news outlets suggested the public track at the demise of GOCE at the n2yo.com website. (ESA, BBC, Published News Reports) ** EXTRATERRESTRIAL HAPPENINGS: COMET ISON UPDATE Looking skyward, the latest photo of comet ISON taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows it to still be intact. Given the fact that ISON's closest approach to the sun is not until November 28th its really not known if ISON will survive this solar encounter or if its nucleus might disintegrate. According to NASA, ISON's solid nucleus is uncertain in its latest image because it is still fairly small. The space agency says that if the nucleus were to disintegrate, the space telescope would probably detect evidence of multiple fragments. In the Hubble photo, the comet's coma currently looks greenish-blue because of gas, while the tail is reddish because of dust flowing off the nucleus. NASA explains that the tail develops as dust particles are forced away from the nucleus by the pressure of sunlight. ISON is also known as the "Christmas Comet" because it will make its closest approach to Earth on December 28th. On that day, ISON will travel within 39.9 million miles of planet Earth. (Science Recorder, NASA) ** PROPAGATION: NEW SOUTH AFRICA ZS6TKS SIXTY METER BEACON A new 60 meter beacon is on the air in South Africa thanks to the Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society . The ZS6KTS propagation study device transmits on 5.250 MHz at 5 minute intervals with PSK-31 as the preferred mode. This is in support of 60 Meter activity weekend. Should you hear the ZS6KTS beacon please send a signal report to beacon (at) zs6kts (dot) co (dot) za. Your assistance in capturing 5MHz propagation data is much appreciated. (Southgate) ** ON THE AIR: SRI LANKA COMMEMORATES COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT On the air, keep an ear open for members of Radio Society of Sri Lanka to be active through November 30th using the special callsign 4S0CGM. This to commemorate the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting being held in the city of Colombo. Operation is on the HF bands. QSL via bureau or direct to RSSL, P.O. Box 907, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Radio Society of Sri Lanka) ** ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS COMMEMORATE THE DISCOVERY OF PUERTO RICO Three amateur radio groups in Puerto Rico will be on the air with special event call signs to commemorate the 520th anniversary of the Discovery of Puerto Rico made by Christopher Columbus on his Second Voyage on November 19th, 1493. The organizations taking part are the Caribbean Amateur Radio Group as N4D through November 19th ; the Western Amateur Radio Group as W4D from November 17 to the 21st and the Borinquen Amateur Radio Club as K4D on November 19th only. There will be a QSL card for individual contacts and a special certificate for those who contact all three stations. QSL as directed on the air. (WP3GW) ** DX In DX, UU5WW will be active stroke 3B8 from Mauritius Island between November 17th and the 30th. Operation will be holiday style using mostly CW on 80 through 10 meters with a possibility of some 160 meter time as well. QSL via K2PF. K7YB will be active from Belize November 20th to the 25th as V31YB. He will be operational on 40, 20, 10 and 6 meters using CW and SSB. QSL direct only via his home call. OH6RX and OH7WV will be operational as AH0K from Tinian Island, in the Northern Mariana Islands for the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest on November 23rd and 24th as a Multi-2 entry. Activity outside the contest will be on the HF bands and possibly 6 meters. QSL via OH6GDX. FG1JD will be operating stroke FS from St. Martin between November 25th to the 30th. Activity will be on 40, 20 and 15 meters using CW, SSB and the some of the digital modes. QSL via his home callsign. Lastly, G0DHZ will be in Tunis for a 4 weeks stay but he recently learned that the rules have been changed and activity during the week is no longer permitted. Therefore he will only be on the air weekends signing 3V8SS. Listen out for him on 80 through 10 meters with an emphasis on 30, 17 and 12 using CW and SSB. QSL direct, via the bureau or electronically using eQSL. (Above from various DX news sources) ** THAT FINAL ITEM: INDIA EXPERIMENTAL APRS BALLOON PAYLOAD RETURNED And finally this week, a follow up to an earlier story regarding a ham radio floater balloon out of India. Here's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW: -- The payload of the Indian amateur radio APRS balloon launched on October 13th has been successfully retrieved. It was returned to Dhruva Space on November 3rd after it was found about 27 miles off the coast of Gangoli, Karnataka on October 15th by the sailors of on a fishing boat. The balloon had been launched from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore and drifted into the Arabian Sea. Ham radio operators in India, the Middle East and Africa were able to track the APRS signal, containing real time location, altitude and other operating conditions of the flight, for over 370 miles. I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW. -- The return of the balloon payload was made possible thanks to the cooperation of hams that tracked its travels from launch to landing. (Southgate) ** 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, TWiT-TV and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) 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, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350 For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD, saying 73 and we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.