Document 6496108

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDLY REPEATER W2PQG WWW.10-70.ORG
VOLUME XVIII
JUNE 2005
NUMBER 6
FD2K5, FCC ENFORCEMENT, BPL, CW/TXT, more!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
In the recent weeks of the ‘day job,’
I’ve had the very enlightening
experience of trying to locate RF
spectrum for some rather large
systems we’re proposing. I have
seen first hand just how tight
available spectrum is right now. Yes,
Nextel & that crowd are working on
some re-banding, and once HD &
Digital Broadcasting kick in, a few
large chunks of RF will reopen for
Public Safety, Land-Mobile, SMR
and the rest. Although that is a ways
off,
allot
of
that
spectrum
authorization has already been
auctioned to the highest bidders.
Amateur Radio sits on some very
valuable RF Real Estate. I often
disagree with positions taken by the
ARRL, but spectrum defense is a
very real and very important part of
what the League does. Tower Bills
which favor hams are great, but
they’d be meaningless without RF
Spectrum.
When Amateur Radio is at its most
average, with the HF bands
crowded with contests, the chirps of
PSK, etc., and even when the bands
shut down or some foole tunes up
over rare DX, and the other lids
appear, it’s still allot better than what
I’ve had to put up with from the
internet over that last two months.
Between the kids & something I did
(which I *still* can’t quite figure
out…), every PC in the house has
been infected with about every
spybot, adware, malware, Trojan
and whatever known to man or
machine. I didn’t know there WERE
“PowerPoint” viruses… it seems as
if there is a chunk of malicious code
out there for EVERY program ever
to come out of Redmond Wa.
The kids’ machines are needed for
school, so I didn’t waste allot of time.
I tried recommended anti-stuff, but
nothing seemed to work. K2MIS’s
laptop to be ‘nuked, and re-built.
Booted it into DOS 6.21, and used an
old utility I had to kill the existing disk
partition info. Rebooted from the
manufacturer’s CD, and re-installed
everything from ground-zero. Had to
do the same thing to Amanda’s
desktop. My PC became another
story. This thing would be a cyberforensics
specialist’s
Dream
Machine. I decided to ‘accept’ the
challenge to conquer all the invaders
and thus reclaim my machine & my
ego. I did give McAffee & Symantec a
fair shot, along with a bunch of antiadware and other tools. It took allot of
dips
into
the
Microsoft
Knowledgebase, far too many handedits to the Registry, and literally
DAYS of running the various antithis-that-and-the-other-scan-sweeprecover utilities in Safe Mode which I
test drove or bought outright.
I think I may finally have it licked, as
no pop-ups or alarms have gone off
in a week. Long ago I shut off my
home e-mail, and it remains that way.
Besides my fear of having some
mailing zombie in there, spreading
the bad stuff to other innocents, I was
getting far too much SPAM. (You can
laugh with me here – the spammers
seem to think I’m a hermaphrodite,
and NONE of my body parts are
acceptable. I’m getting all sorts of
invitations to try Viagra & Cialis,
along with $19.95 “Free” offers to try
certain “famous” European breast
enhancement
creams
and
Menopause aids.) The laptop from
work no long is used to read ‘home’
e-mails. We use Outlook at the office,
and despite running various blockers,
we still get smacked now & then. It’s
just too risky.
Now, to e-mail this to WB2AWQ, and
hope I don’t infect him… 73 de Paul,
kc2cjw (he didn’t!…//HH)
NEXT MEETING
7:30 PM WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 1, 2005
VFW HALL VALLEY RD
CLIFTON
THIS MONTH:
ADVANCED
SPECIALTIES and
FD2K05 finalizing
IMPORTANT DATES
June 21…Take Your HT to Work Day
(flyer to follow, don’t miss this!)
June 18…...….…..10-70 VE Session
Paramus Cong. Church
June 25-26………….ARRL Field Day
TABLE OF CONTENTS
President’s Message….……….…....1
About This Issue………………..…...2
Watt’s New……………………………2
Hudson Div Awards………………….2
Hamfest calendar..…………………..2
Swap-N-Shop………………………..3
Welcome New Members……………3
FD 2005 Shirts and Pins……………3
SKYWARN at 10-70 Field Day……..3
Talk to NHC and NWS………………4
This Does My Heart Good………….4
BPL Update…………………………..5
FCC Enforcement……………………6
USS Ling Update…………………….6
May Minutes…………………….…7/8
10-70 REPEATER ASSN. INC.
235 Van Emburgh Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450-2918
www.10-70.org
OFFICERS
President:
Vice Pres:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Paul Beshlian KC2CJW
Joyce Birmingham KA2ANF
Matthew Ryffel K2NUD
George Sabbi KC2GLG
COMMITTEES
Activities:
Membership/Awards:
Joyce Birmingham KA2ANF
Technical:
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
Repeater Trustee:
Stan Sears W2PQG
N2SE Callsign Trustee:
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
NX2ND Callsign Trustee:
Bill Stagg KC2BLN
Publications:
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
Web Master:
Database Manager:
George Sabbi KC2GLG
PublicityChairman:
Mike Adams WA2MWT
Executive Assistant/Historian
RichardShafer N2CFD
Education Committee:
Paul Beshlian KC2CJW
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATORS
Field Day:
Fox Hunts:
VE Liaison:
NTS Liaison:
SKYWARN:
OEM Liaison:
USS Ling:
Bill Stagg KC2BLN
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
Joyce Birmingham KA2ANF
Herb VanDen Houten N2OPJ
George Sabbi KC2GLG
Mike Adams WA2MWT
Bill Stagg
KC2BLN
Howie Holden WB2AWQ
The 10-70 Repeater Association, Inc. Is a
non-profit corporation dedicated to the
promotion and enhancement of Amateur
Radio. Permission is hereby granted for the
reprinting of articles and quotations in this
newsletter provided full credit is given to the
“10-70 Repeater Assn. Newsletter” and the
author of the article. .Deadline for
submissions is the seventh day of the
preceding month. Send submission to:
Howard Holden, WB2AWQ 28 Molinari Dr.
Wanaque, NJ 07465
e-mail: [email protected]
All material sent to the 10-70 Newsletter
becomes the property of the 10-70 Repeater
Assn. Inc..Opinions expressed in the
newsletter are not necessarily those of the
10-70 Repeater Association, its officers, or
editorial staff.
Copyright 2005, 10-70 Repeater
Association, Inc.
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Hard to believe – Summer’s almost
here, and with it, Field Day.
Unfortunately this year I will miss it
due to other obligations, but you can
be sure, as always 10-70’s Field Day
will be one of the best. Even with the
sunspot cycle being near the bottom,
activity should still be high, especially
on 80 40 and 20 meters. And 10 and
15 should show some daytime and
early evening activity as well. Of
particular interest should be 6
meters, and possibly 2 meters, with
the
always
possible,
rarely
predictable, summertime ducting and
E-skip. Those are the bands to
watch! BE THERE!
Even though we take the summer
months off, there is still radio life after
(and before) FD. Check out
KC2GLG’s articles on SKYWARN
and related weather activities in
June. Then be sure and hit the
Ramapo ARC hamfest in August.
While it is a smallish one, I have
found many a treasure there over the
years, and for the most part, no one
is trying to charge e-Pay prices. Also
in July is the Sussex ARC hamfest.
Yours truly will be spending some
quality time this summer in 80-90
degree, almost-always-sunny, breezy
Aruba, hopefully learning to scuba.
No radios, no HT, just sun, water,
sand, delightful beach sights, and
some of the best-eating fish
anywhere.
Whatever your summer plans, enjoy,
be safe, and we’ll see you all in
September……..Howie WB2AWQ
WATTS NEW
10-70 Badges are available for $8.50
(prepaid). These are the red and
white badges that you’ve seen on just
about every member of 10-70. See
Joyce, KA2ANF to order one!
The 10-70 Repeater Association,
Inc. will sponsor an ARRL VE test
session on Saturday, June 18, 2005
at the Paramus Congregational
Church, 205 Spring Valley Road,
Paramus, New Jersey. Tests will be
given from 9am to 12 noon.
Information is available on the
website: www.10-70.org
The Hudson Division Awards
Nominations are being sought for the
categories, Grand Old Ham, Amateur
of
the
Year
and
Technical
Achievement.
Please consider
making a nomination this year. The
forms are available on the Hudson
Division Website:
http:// www.hudson.arrl.org Please
return completed applications to
Joyce Birmingham,
KA2ANF – Hudson Division Vice
Director, 235 Van Emburgh Avenue,
Ridgewood, NJ 07450-2918.
A
seven member committee comprised
of Assistant Directors in each section
of the division will meet in May to
select the winners. The deadline for
submission is May 15, 2005.
A dinner honoring the recipients will
be held on November 12, 2005 in
Northern New Jersey. This is a fun
and exciting time for all of us in the
Division. Please plan to join us this
year!
More information on the
location will be forthcoming.
Keep up to date! Visit the 10-70
Website for important news
regarding the Repeater changes
and updates and the upcoming
events sponsored by YOUR club;
The 10-70 Repeater Association,
Inc.
HAMFEST CALENDAR
Hall of Science: Sunday, June 5,
2005 (fall date: Sunday, October 2,
2005) in Flushing Meadows, Corona
Park, Queens, NY from 9AM to 2PM.
Admission is $5.00 for buyers/$10.00
for vendors. More information on
their website: www.hosarc.org
Raritan Valley Radio Club (WQ2W
Hamfest) on Saturday, June 18,
2005 at the Piscataway High School,
100 Behmer Road in Piscataway, NJ.
More information: www.w2qw.org
Talk in: 146.625 and 442.50 both
with PL 141.3
ARRL FIELD DAY 2005 AT
CAMPGAW
SKI
AREA
IN
MAHWAH, NJ. COME OUT AND
SUPPORT 10-70!!! Saturday, June
25, Sunday June 26, 2005
Sussex County ARC will be hosting
it’s annual Hamfest on Sunday, July
10, 2005 at the Sussex County
Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ. More
information:
www.sussexhamfest.org
Ramapo ARC will hold it’s annual
Hamfest on Saturday, August 20,
2005 at the American Legion on
Oak Street in Oakland, NJ. Contact
info: Tony Cassera (N2KDZ)is the
Chairperson (973-839-3564)
SWAP-N-SHOP
K2YOF
FOR SALE: Hustler G7-144, fixedstation vertical (stacked colinears)
for
2M. 15' tall, 7 dbd gain, rated up to
600w. Uses type-N connector. VG
condition.
$70
picked
up.
FOR SALE: Cushcraft 124WB
Boomer, 4-element broadband 2M
yagi.
Forward
gain = 10.2 dbd, F/B ratio = 19 db.
Uses T-match & coax balun. Can be
end
mounted or turned w/rotor. Like new
condition,
$35
picked
up.
Bud, K2YOF - [email protected]
WA2HHE
Henry
Lehmann
49
Leonard
Avenue, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Henry, WA2HHE has been in
Tenafly since 1968. He is moving to
an Assisted Living Facility and can
not take any ham equipment with
him. All the below are in working
condition and can be tested at his
place. ALL Transactions are cash
and carry and ALL sales are final.
Ask for List and no reasonable offer
will be refused.
1. E. Z. Way Tower Mod. RBS
40.2 with 2 –20’ Sectional
Pieces, including:
Ham IV rotator system, A 3
band 3 element YAGI from
Cushcraft for 10/15/20 meters.
A 2 meter Antenna on top of
the beam. The tower is earth
mounted and has a 4 inch
cement collar on top of the
grass.
2. Linear Amplifier Mod. S.B.
200 wired for 220, not used
in the past 3 years.
3. HF Transceiver - Kenwood
Mod. TS 530S.
4. HT VHF/FM Transceiver
Mod. VX150 – Hardly used
like new.
5. Kenwood Power meter SWR
Mod. SW2000
6. Kenwood Phone Patch, PC
1A Absolutely MINT, never
connected
7. Heathkit Electronic Keyer
Mod. SB-610
8. Heathkit Monitor Scope Mod.
SB-6 10
9. Heathkit Power Meter Mod.
HM102
10. Heathkit Dummy Load Mod.
HN31 – have original factory
instruction books for most
items.
11. HF Tuner – AT 200 from
AMP Supply Co. from 1.8 to
30 mHZ.
Highest offer will win…NOTHING
will be shipped.
WELCOME NEW MEMBER
Helena Epstein – KC2OAC
2005 FIELD DAY SHIRTS AND
PINS
2005 Field Day T-shirts – we will be
placing an order through the club.
The charge will be $14.00 for the
shirt and $6.00 for the pin. This will
allow us to save on shipping if we
submit one order.
Everyone should have received a
form regarding Field Day. If you are
participating this year we need to
hear from you and if you wish to
order a T-shirt and pin, please, fill out
this form and return it to the 10-70
Field Day Committee or to the Field
Day Chairman, Bill Stagg – KC2BLN.
SKYWARN Activities At 10-70’s
Field Day 2005
Local SKYWARN Coordinators will
setup, staff and operate a complete
Weather Center and Amateur Radio
Station at the 10-70 Repeater
Association's Field Day 2005. The
weather center will be staffed and
operational
in
the
Campgaw
Mountain Ski Lodge located in
Mahwah, Bergen County NJ starting
at 11:00 am, Saturday, June 25,
2005 with operations continuing as
needed thru 2:00 PM on Sunday,
June 26, 2005 EDT.
Included as part of the fully
operational Weather Center will be
an Amateur Radio APRS (Automatic
Packet Reporting System) setup that
will show live digital weather data
available via Amateur Radio on the
National APRS frequency (144.390
Mhz).
The 10-70's Field Day Weather
Center will also include a live, fulltime wireless connection to the
NWS's
EMWIN
(Emergency
Managers
Weather
Information
Network) DataStream. The EMWIN
connection will be used by the
Coordinators
to
receive
NWS
Forecasts, Advisories, Watches and
Warnings for Bergen and Passaic
Counties in NJ within minutes of
their being issued. All relevant NWS
Weather Products for the Field Day
site will be posted for all to read in
the Weather Center throughout the
event.
Several other weather related items
will also be on operational display.
These include a live and continually
updated datafeed of Level III NWS
88D Doppler Radar images, images
from the GOES Satellite system and
a complete and operational BUFKIT
setup. BUFKIT is a forecast profile
visualization and analysis tool kit
developed by the NWS Buffalo NY
and the NWS's Warning Decision
Training Branch (WDTB) in Norman,
OK. It is used by many NWS
Forecasting
Offices
and
the
Department
of
Defense
for
graphically displaying the output of
several key Weather Forecasting
Models
Should the NWS in Upton NY
activate SKYWARN for either Bergen
and/or Passaic Counties, during Field
Day 2005, and should the need arise
for a Bergen-Passaic SKYWARN Net
in conjunction with that activation,
Net Control Operations will take
place from the Weather Center at the
10-70's Field Day site. For more
information on the SKYWARN
Program, or SKYWARN activities at
the 10-70 Repeater Association's
Field Day 2005, visit the Bergen-
Passaic SKYWARN Website at:
http://www.bergenskywarn.org
How To Talk To The National
Hurricane Center
And The NWS Upton NY On
Amateur Radio
(And Get a QSL Card or
Certificate)
The 2005 Test of the Amateur Radio
Station (WX4NHC) located at the
National Hurricane Center in Miami
FL will take place on Saturday, June
4 2005. Plans are to use SSB, CW,
PSK31, EchoLink and IRLP as well
as local Repeaters in the Miami
area. The Test will run from 9:00 AM
to 6:00 PM EDT. Report your
Callsign, Signal Report, Location
and name and give a Short Weather
Report ("Sunny", or "Rain", etc.).
Approximate frequencies include:
7.268, 14.325, 21.325 and 28.525
MHz on SSB , 14.035, 21.035 and
28.035 MHz on CW, 14.070 MHz on
PSK31, WX4NHC also plans to be
on the VoIP Hurricane Net 17001900 UTC on IRLP Node 9219 and
The
EchoLink
WX-TALK
Conference
This Test is undertaken each year to
test the Amateur Radio equipment
permanently installed at the National
Hurricane Center, which is used
during Hurricane Watch Nets
associated with major Tropical
Weather Events. The Test will verify
that all radio equipment, computers
and antennas is in proper working
order using as many modes and
frequencies as possible. RFI
monitoring is also done to NOAA &
NHC equipment. While this is not a
Contest, QSL Cards are available
via W4VBQ. Please S.A.S.E.
On a more local note, the NWS
Upton NY will hold its Open House
on Sunday, July 10 2005 from 10:00
AM to 3:00 PM. As part of this
event, WX2OKX, the Amateur Radio
Station permanently setup inside the
Forecast Office will be on the air as
a Special Event Station. This
Special Event Station will be
promoting the partnership between
the NWS and Amateur Radio in the
Tri-State SKYWARN Program.
Plans include operations on HF SSB
and possibly other modes and
frequencies.
Approximate
SSB
contact frequencies will be: 28.320
Mhz, 21.320 Mhz, 14.320 Mhz and
7.250 Mhz. Certificates will be
available for those who contact
WX2OKX. Please send a businesssized SASE to: NOAA's National
Weather Service Attn: WX2OKX 175
Brookhaven Avenue, Building NWS-1
Upton, NY 11973.
The NWS Upton NY is located on the
grounds of Brookhaven National
Laboratories on Long Island NY. The
general public is invited to attend the
NWS’s Open House and tour the
facilities firsthand. Driving Directions
and Maps are available. (Note: an
On-line Tour from the 2001 Open
House, including pictures of a
Weather Balloon launch, is available
here). For more information on either
of these events contact any of the
Bergen
or
Passaic
County
SKYWARN Coordinators.
WINNER OF THE “THIS DOES MY
HEART GOOD” CONTEST---Even if you aren’t a real CW buff, this
is a hoot: From the ARRL Letter Vol
24, no 20:
CW OPS WHIP
WHIPPERSNAPPER TEXT
MESSENGERS ON NATIONAL TV
It may have been Friday the
Thirteenth, but it was a lucky day for
Morse code--and particularly for
veteran CW contest ops Chip
Margelli, K7JA, and Ken Miller,
K6CTW.
During
a
May
13
appearance on NBC's The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno, the pair was
able to pass a message using good
old fashioned Morse code more
rapidly than a pair of teenaged text
messengers
equipped
with
modern cell phones. The victory,
which replicated a similar challenge
that took place recently in Australia,
has
provided
immense
encouragement to Amateur Radio's
community of CW operators, who
been ballyhooed the achievement all
over the Internet. The text messaging
team consisted of world textmessaging champ Ben Cook of Utah
and his friend Jason. Miller
said afterward in a reflector posting
that the CW team won fairly handily.
"Ben was just getting ready to start
entering the last two words when I
was done," he said on the Elecraft
reflector in response to various
questions he's received following the
TV appearance. "I already knew that
28-30 WPM would easily keep us in
front of even the current world [text
messaging] record holder, and also it
is the fastest speed that I can make
nice readable copy on paper with a
'stick' [pencil]." Miller said it was
decided he'd be on the receiving end
because he wasn't distracted by the
noise
in
the
studio.
Margelli recalls that he was sending
at 29 WPM. "I believe the goods were
suitably delivered," he told ARRL.
"CW
and
old
guys
rule!"
What the viewing public didn't know
was that Margelli and Miller had, in
Miller's words, "smoked 'em every
time" during three pre-program
rehearsals. Even so, during the real
thing, when Miller raised his hand to
signal he'd copied the CW message
successfully, Jason's jaw dropped.
None of the players had any idea of
the text they'd be sending, Miller
noted. The message? "I just saved a
bunch of money on my car
insurance."
As with many Tonight Show bits, this
one involved a member of the
audience, a young woman named
Jennifer who predicted--incorrectly as
it turned out--that text messaging
definitely would top 170-year-old
Morse code. She walked away with a
gift of restaurant tickets anyway.
Margelli says the CW team used
Yaesu FT-817 transceivers--one of
his own and another owned by Dan
Dankert, N6PEQ. Backup units--not
needed--were provided by HRO;
Margelli's wife Janet,
KL7MF,
manages an HRO store. They ended
up using 432.200 MHz as an
operating frequency in order to avoid
RFI from the plethora of TV
equipment in the studio and to avoid
interfering with NBC's gear. They ran
the little transceivers at their lowest
power level and with the antennas
disconnected--although they were
mounted on the back of each unit--no
problem given the close proximity
involved. Margelli sent with a
Bencher
paddle.
To add a little atmosphere to the
affair, NBC producers attired
Margelli and Miller to look like 19thcentury-era Western Union or
railroad Morse telegraphers. The
costumes came complete with green
visors, white shirts, sleeve garters,
vests and bow ties. The teenaged
SMSers
wore
T-shirts
and
jeans.
Cook told Leno that he'd managed
to send a 160-letter message to his
friend using his cell phone's short
message system (SMS)--the formal
term for text messaging--in 57
seconds.
A member of the Morse Telegraph
Club and a QRP enthusiast, Miller
said he'd been using CW for 38
years. Margelli told Leno he'd been
using Morse "for 43 years in ham
radio," a phrase Leno echoed. That
was the only plug Amateur
Radio got during the appearance on
the show's "Dinner for 4" segment.
Miller says that during rehearsal, the
pair had come up with a few lines to
promote ham radio and telegraphy,
but they were cut during the final
dress rehearsal in the interest of
making the segment fit its allotted
time
slot.
During the Australian competition in
April, a Morse team consisting of
93-year-old former post office
telegrapher
Gordon
Hill--the
sender—and
82-year-old
Jack
Gibson--the receiver--topped 13year-old SMSer Brittany Devlin. In
that event, Hill spelled out the
message in full, while Devlin
used text-messaging shorthand. In
that competition, held at the
Powerhouse Museum in Sydney,
Hill took 90 seconds to send the
message, 18 seconds faster than
Devlin's message took to reach her
friend's
cell
phone.
Miller encouraged all who enjoyed
the CW-vs-text messaging segment
on NBC to contact The Tonight
Show to let the producers know
about it--with an eye toward having
the network schedule a more
elaborate segment "next time."
"Thanks for the kind comments from
all," Miller concluded, advising "let's
keep on having fun!--It is a hobby
after
all."
Commented Margelli to ARRL: "I
completely agree with my fantastic
teammate, Ken Miller. It was a lot of
fun, just like ham radio, and the show
also delivered an important, if subtle,
message about the benefits of the
'basic' communication infrastructure
that Amateur Radio provides."
BPL UPDATE
ARLB012 Resolution Calls on FCC
To Evaluate BPL Interference,
Review
Rules
Rep Michael Ross, WD5DVR, of
Arkansas,
has
introduced
a
resolution in the US House of
Representatives calling on the FCC
to "conduct a full and complete
analysis" of radio interference from
broadband over power line (BPL).
The resolution, H. Res 230, says the
Commission should comprehensively
evaluate BPL's interference potential
incorporating "extensive public review
and comment," and--in light of that
analysis--to "reconsider and review"
its new BPL rules, adopted last
October. If approved by the full
House, the non-binding resolution,
introduced April 21, would express
the requests as "the sense of the
House
of
Representatives."
"We are grateful to Congressman
Ross and his staff for taking a
leadership position in recognizing
that the BPL interference issue
deserves more careful consideration
than the FCC was willing to give
it under former Chairman Powell,"
said ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ. The resolution has been
referred to the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, on which
Ross
serves.
The resolution's prime focus is on
BPL's potential to disrupt critical
public safety radiocommunication. It
cites National Telecommunications
and
Information
Administration
(NTIA) studies that "have determined
that broadband over power line
creates a 'high risk' of radio wave
interference, and that harmful
interference to public safety mobile
radio receivers can be expected at
distances of 75 meters from the
power line where broadband over
power line is in operation, and at
distances of up to 460 meters from
fixed stations, such as VHF police or
fire
dispatch
communications
facilities."
The resolution notes that the same
NTIA study determined that BPL
interference to aeronautical and
airline
travel
communications
"could be expected at distances up to
40 kilometers from the center
of the broadband over power line
system, and that interference to
outer marker beacons for airline
instrument landing systems could be
expected at great distances as well."
Many public safety agencies and
support
services,
including
emergency medical services, fire,
and
law
enforcement,
utilize
Low-Band VHF (30-50 MHz), the
resolution points out. According to
the resolution, at least 13 states-California,
Connecticut,
Florida,
Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
and Wyoming—use the band for
state police operations. It's the
primary public safety radio band in
nine
states.
The resolution further notes that the
Association
of
Public
Safety
Communications
Officials
Inc
(APCO), and the National Public
Safety Telecommunications Council
(NPSTC), have urged the FCC to
withhold final action in the BPL
proceeding for at least a year,
pending a "conclusive determination"
of BPL's potential to interfere with
public safety and other licensed radio
systems
operating
below
80
MHz. It also cites comments filed by
the
Missouri
State
Highway
Patrol, which uses a statewide radio
system with more than 1400
Low-Band VHF users. The Missouri
State Highway Patrol commented
that the overall effect of BPL
implementation
would
be
"a
potentially significant increase in
interference to the mission of critical
public safety communications," the
resolution
says.
The resolution recounts that the
FCC has struggled for years to
resolve widespread harmful radio
interference to first responders on
800 MHz and "should not have
proceeded with introduction of a
technology which appears to have
substantial potential to cause
destructive interference to police,
fire, emergency medical services,
and other public safety radio
systems" without first conducting a
comprehensive
evaluation.
A copy of HRes 230 is available on
the ARRL Web site in .PDF format
at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/
filings/hres230/HRes230.pdf.
See
the
ARRL
Web
site,
http://www.arrl.org,
for
more
information.
NNNN
FCC ENFORCEMENT STUFF
Just to show that the FCC CAN get
tough on those who don’t follow the
rules…from the ARRL Letter Vol 24,
No 20:
GERRITSEN
RELEASED
ON
BOND, REMAINS UNDER HOUSE
ARREST
Reputed Los Angeles-area radio
jammer Jack Gerritsen reportedly
has satisfied the requirements of a
$250,000 cash or property bond and
has been released from a federal
lockup. The US Bureau of Prisons
indicates that Gerritsen got out of jail
May 17, although he reportedly
remains under house arrest at his
home
in
Bell.
Acting on a criminal complaint, FBI
special agents, accompanied by
personnel from the FCC Los
Angeles Field Office, arrested the
69-year-old
Gerritsen
without
incident early May 5 at his home.
Federal agents also seized his
radio equipment. According to terms
spelled out by the US Attorney for
the
Central District of California after he
was taken into custody, Gerritsen
will be subject to monitored home
detention
and
barred
from
possessing or using any radio
equipment. Additionally, Gerritsen's
residence remains subject to
search. Unconfirmed reports say
Gerritsen's passport has been taken
as
well.
were asked if we could help them out
with a recording of the real McCoy.
The criminal complaint said an FCC
investigation revealed that Gerritsen
"often transmits his prerecorded
political messages and real-time
harassment and profanity for hours at
a time, often making it impossible for
licensed radio operators to use the
public
frequencies."
Larry Zeiglmeyer KA2NRW joined us
one Saturday to test out a new
antenna idea he has been working
on. While the test did not go well, the
probable fixes were determined, and
he is well on his way to having a
very neat, easily portable and wellconstructed vertical antenna system.
I am assuming Larry will make his
plans available to us once he has
perfected the design. This type of
antenna is useful in many situations,
including
temporary
operations
aboard our favorite boat.
The FCC already has affirmed a
$10,000 fine against Gerritsen for
operating without a license. It has
proposed
another
$42,000
in
forfeitures for alleged interferencerelated
infractions.
Five years ago, Gerritsen was
convicted in a California court of
interfering
with
police
radio
transmissions and sentenced to 38
months in prison. After his release,
he applied for a Technician class
amateur
license
and
was
granted KG6IRO. The FCC promptly
rescinded the grant when it learned
of his earlier conviction, however.
USS LING UPDATE
Well the April Submarines-on-the-Air
event was a bust, at least as far as
we were concerned. For openers,
while on vacation out in Las Vegas
the week before, I was put out of
action by some nerve problems in my
back and leg (and no, it was NOT
from carrying bags of money, either
before or after winning/losing!), and
thus I was not able to be there. Bill
KC2BLN was the only one who
showed up, and, disappointed, he left
around 11:30.
Otherwise, things have been going
forward. We added some more
speakers in the engine room making
the diesel engine sound byte even
more realistic, and we made a
recording of the Ling’s General
Quarters and Collision alarms, which,
by the way, happen to come from the
original WW2 electronic alarm
generator. We sent the recording on
the the group aboard the WW2 craft
USS LST-325, which is making a
voyage from Mobile, Alabama to
Massachusetts and back the end of
May/beginning of June. They do not
have a real alarm generator, and we
I DIDN’T KNOW…..
It is amazing how many people don’t
read (or maybe just don’t retain what
they read) the newsletter, or much
else involving Amateur Radio.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Subs on the Air event just didn’t pan
out this year for us, I have had
several members say they were not
aware of it in the first place. Now this
event was mentioned in TWO issues
(or was it three?) of this newsletter,
plus QST. And this is not the only
time this kind of thing has happened.
As Amateurs we have numerous
sources of news available to us.
There’s QST, the ARRL Letter,
W1AW bulletins (both on the air and
over the net), the Hudson Division
Beacon, and our own club website,
all in addition to the newsletter and
other bulletins we send out from time
to time, and lots more. There’s just
no excuse for not knowing what’s
happening in our hobby, and it takes
so little effort to stay informed! A few
of the URLs for the above are shown
here…enjoy!
…//HH
http://www.arrl.org/join.html
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html#email
http://www.hudson.arrl.org
http://www.10-70.org
If you have read this far,
congratulations! Now, send me an email, no text, just “I got it, I read it” in
the subject line to:
[email protected]
We’ll see how many responses I get!
Howie WB2AWQ Editor
MINUTES OF THE 10-70 REPEATER ASSOCIATION GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING MAY 4, 2005
Veterans of Foreign War Post, Valley Road, Clifton, NJ
Vice President Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF, called the meeting to order at 7:52PM
Secretary’s Report
The Vice President called for a motion to accept the Secretary’s report for the April, 2005 meeting as published in the
May, 2005 newsletter.
Motion to accept by: Jerry NO2T Seconded by: Mike W2MLS The report was accepted by the Membership.
Treasurer’s Report
Reported by: KC2GLG, George
Cash on hand: Checking: Savings: Total:
Motion to accept by: Bob, N2SU Seconded by: Nathaniel, W2NAF The report was accepted by the membership.
Health & Welfare
Lou Janicek, N2CYY is in physical therapy for his shoulder and is doing well.
Stan, W2PQG, is doing well.
Henry, WA2HHE, is now 96 years old and is moving into a retirement home. He will no longer be able to get on the air, so
he is selling his equipment. The club wishes him well.
Membership and Awards
Mike, W2MLS, is still looking for Maine and Massachusetts to complete his “Worked All States” award.
Prospective Members
The following new member was voted in by acclamation:
Helena Epstein, KC2OAC
Technical Committee
A reminder from the technical committee; that the repeater was programmed with the new 2005 codes. Please see your
membership renewal information for the codes.
Activities / Announcements
-We will be showing Dan Roman’s Field Day Video after our potluck dinner.
-The 10-70 club is promoting the ARRL’s “Take your HT to work day” which will be held on June 21. 2005. Info on our
website.
-Field Day T-Shirts and Pins are on sale; please order now to save the club shipping fees.
-Please sign up for Field Day; the club needs to know who is showing up.
-The BARA Hamfest is Saturday May 28th at the Westwood Regional High School, in Washington Township, NJ.
-BARA has invited all members of the 10-70 Club to participate in a Foxhunt to be followed by a BBQ or get together
afterwards. Date is Sunday May 15th, at the Sony parking lot in Woodcliff Lake, NJ
-There is a resolution in the House of Representatives sponsored by Ross on Broadband over Power lines, BPL;
House Resolution 230 urges the FCC to evaluate BPL and the interference it will cause other licensed radio
services. There is a sample letter available and we urge you to write, fax, or drop e-mail to Scott Garrett. Please
check the ARRL website for links to his site and more information on this resolution.
-N2FF, Frank Fallon, will be at the BPL Grassroots lobbying effort at the Dayton, ARRL National Convention, May
20-22
-The Empire State Games in Poukeepsie, NY on July 27-31 is looking for public service workers. Frank Stone the
DEC is looking to sign up people for this event. You can attend the games for free if you sign up.
-There is a bandwidth proposal by the ARRL. Please read up on their website and then present questions and
your feeling sensibly to them.
-Hudson Division Awards Nominations are due by May 10th. Dinner is sponsored by the NJDXA in northern New
Jersey and it will be held on November 12th.
VE Sessions
The next VE session will be Saturday May 7 at the church in Paramus from 9AM to noon. There will be a garage sale that
day so please do not park in the church lot. There will also be a session during June on Saturday the 18th.
Nathaniel, W2NAF, talked about teaching a class and having 6 people take tests at his college, Montclair State.
USS Ling
Due to Howie, WB2AWQ, not feeling well the sub-on-the-air event at the ling did not happen. We hope Howie is feeling
better soon.
Field Day
80-CW, 75-Phone, 15-CW, 10-CW, Talk in station, Public Information Table, and Site Coordinator positions are still
open. Please sign up for a position for our field day.
Old Business
W2INS is operating /EI4 in Ireland, he sends his wishes and will be back for the June Meeting.
ARES/RACES
-David, K2DBK, talked about appointing two EC’s, Matthew-K2NUD, and Jim-WB2HBZ who will be helping him build up
Bergen County ARES along with Mike WA2MWT.
-Tim, KC2KET, talked about the Passaic County ARES/RACES repeater now on the 440.950 repeater, PL 97.4
-Jerry, NO2T, Talked about the TOPOFF-3 exercise and that FEMA did not come to inspect his RACES station. The Red
Cross was more active than RACES during this drill.
Skywarn
Next Wednesday is the Advanced Class; please see www.bergenskywarn.org for more information. Hudson County is
rebuilding their Skywarn program; please feel free to join them on Thursdays at 8:00PM on 441.250 MHZ, +5, PL-127.3.
50/50 Raffle
Larry, KA2NRW, won on this month’s 50/50 raffle.
Meeting Close
Being no further business before the membership, the Vice President requested a motion to close the meeting at 8:47PM
Motion to close the meeting by: Janice, KC2JPA
Seconded by: Mike, W2MLS
Submitted,
Matthew Ryffel, K2NUD,
Secretary, 10-70 Repeater Association
Registered attendance for the meeting was 20 members and 1guest.