The electronic publication of the Amateur Radio Newsline is distributed with the permission of Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, President and Editor of Newsline. The text version is edited from the original scripts and transcribed from the audio reports by Dale Cary, WD0AKO, and is first published in The Radio & Electronics Round Table on the Genie Online System. If you have any comment, suggestion, or news item you would like to submit, send them via E-Mail to 3241437@mcimail.com or B.PASTERNAK@genie.geis.com. You can contact Newsline at +1 805-296-7180. It is a combination answering and FAX machine, if you have a FAX to send, wait for the voice prompt and press your fax-send button. All other information and disclaimers are in the text header below. - - - - - Sorry for the delay in getting Newsline this week. My wife Kay went into labor before I had it fully transcribed! I am proud to announce that we have a happy, healthy and very hungry baby girl named Jamie Alexis Kay Cary who was 7 lb 2 oz and 18.5 inches. After 13 hours of labor we didn't get much else done. Sincerly, Dale Cary - WD0AKO NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #125 - POSTED 05/26/94 (***************************************************************) (* *) (* * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** *) (* ** * * * * * * * ** * * *) (* * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** *) (* * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * *) (* * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** *) (* *) (* **** * **** ***** *** *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* **** ***** * * * * * *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* * * * * **** ***** *** *) (* *) (***************************************************************) The following is late news about Amateur Radio for Radio Amateurs as prepared from NEWSLINE RADIO scripts by the staff of the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, INC. -- formerly the WESTLINK RADIO NETWORK. For current information updates, please call Audio Version of Newsline ========================= Los Angeles............................ (213) 462-0008 Los Angeles (Instant Update Line)...... (805) 296-2407 Seattle................................ (206) 368-3969 Seattle................................ (206) 281-8455 Tacoma................................. (206) 927-7373 Louisville............................. (502) 894-8559 Dayton................................. (513) 275-9991 Chicago................................ (708) 289-0423 New York City.......................... (718) 353-2801 Melbourne, FL.......................... (407) 259-4479 Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline ======================================= GEnie (RTC Bulletin Board)............. m345;1 GEnie (File Library)................... m345;3 Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... (214) 492-7573 In bulletin number 36 The Midwest Connection BBS............. (701) 239-2440 In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference Delphi................................. In the ham radio conference Internet............................... In the rec.radio.info newsgroup FTP: oak.oakland.edu, file: pub/hamradio/docs/newsline Fidonet, RIME, Intellec, I-Link........ In the Ham Radio conferences on those networks For the latest breaking info call the Instant Update Line listed above. To provide information please call (805) 296-7180. This line answers automatically and will accept up to 30 minutes of material. Check with your local amateur radio club to see if NEWSLINE can be heard weekly on the air in your area. Articles may be reproduced if printed in their entirety and credit is given to AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE as being the source. For further information about the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, please write to us with an SASE at P.O. Box 463, Pasadena, CA 91102. Thank You NEWSLINE (**************************************************************** Some of the hams of NEWSLINE RADIO... WA6ITF WB6MQV WB6FDF K6DUE W6RCL N6AHU N6AWE N6TCQ K6PGX N6PNY KU8R N8DTN W9JUV KC9RP K9XI KB5KCH KC5UD KC0HF G8AUU WD0AKO DJ0QN and many others in the United States and around the globe!!! (**************************************************************** [875] (* * * * C L O S E D C I R C U I T A D V I S O R Y * * * * (* * (* The following is a closed circuit advisory and is not * (* for air over amateur radio. Repeat, not for broadcast. This * (* is just a reminder that the address for the Newsline Support * (* Fund is Newsline, in care of Dr. Norm Chalfin, K6PGX, Post * (* Office Box 463, Pasadena, California 91102. Again, and as * (* always, we thank you. That ends the closed circuit with * (* Newsline report number 875 for release on Friday, May 20, * (* 1994 to follow. * (* * (* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The following is a QST The FCC says that some spectrum is now up for sale, but the ham bands are not included. Also a fifteen year old from Louisville, Kentucky has been chosen as 1994 Young Ham of The Year. Meet Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP on Newsline Report number 875 coming your way right now! (***** FCC TO HOLD SPECTRUM AUCTIONS THIS YEAR The radio spectrum is now officially up for sale. At least a part of it is, according to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt. Hundt says that his regulatory agency will hold frequency spectrum auctions this summer and fall. The frequencies up for grabs are to be used to expand mobile communications. The FCC Chairman says that this emerging industry has the potential to become one of the biggest in the United States with an estimated 87 million customers or more by the end of the century. In a related matter, Chairman Hundt told the Washington Post that he wants the FCC to promote competition in the communications industry, especially for cable TV. In that way he says the agency could eliminate rate regulation almost entirely. At this time the auctioning of spectrum by the FCC does not appear to hold the potential to impact on ham radio. But with the ham bands considered a valuable commodity by many non-amateur business interests, this is a situation that will have to be watched carefully for the future. (***** 2300 MHz COMMENTS The FCC has issued a Notice of Inquiry on the reallocation of spectrum from federal government use and has designated the proceeding as ET Docket 94-32. If approved, some 50 MHz of band space would be transferred to private sector use, possibly as early as this summer. The reallocation is called for under the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993. It requires the Department of Commerce to identify 200 MHz of spectrum below 5 GHz to be reallocated within the next 15 years. The spectrum recognized for immediate reallocation is at 2390 to 2400 MHz, 2402 to 2417 MHz, and 4660 to 4685 MHz. Amateurs share the first two ranges. The Commission said that there are a number of factors associated with existing allocations of the bands that will affect their potential for private sector use. It is specifically asking for input on whether the proposed reallocations would adversely affect amateur operations, especially amateur satellites. The Commission says that the Department of Commerce expects that the amateur service community can satisfy the majority of its spectrum requirements in the remaining 35 MHz left after the proposed reallocation. It also believes that current use of the 13 cm band by amateur stations is light compared to use of bands lower in the spectrum, but it notes that use may increase for amateur-satellite, high-speed computer data links, amateur TV, and other wide-band applications. The Department of Commerce says that it excluded the 2400-2402 MHz band from consideration for reallocation in order to protect existing amateur satellite operations. The FCC has set a comment deadline is June 15th to file on ET Docket 94-32. (***** SLOW CODE Slow-code, the name given to an Amateur Radio Industry Group proposal to lower the General class code speed requirement to 10 words per minute is gaining far more support than criticism in ham radio circles. Most of the packet radio postings on slow-code have praised the industry groups leadership in this area. Some even say that the proposed lowering of the code speed does not go anywhere far enough with five words per minute being suggested instead. Hams who favor the five words per minute morse code say that this will allow some sixty to seventy thousand technician class operators, licensed prior to the Novice Enhancement action of the mid 1980's to buy high frequency radios and immediately go on the air. This is because any Tech licensed prior to Novice Enhancement as already passed the General Class theory test and a five word per minute code exam. A five word per minute General class code speed would also do well for the sagging ham radio support industry and the nations economy. This, since it could conceivably generate an instant sixty to one hundred million dollars in sales of transceivers, antennas and associated equipment. With the continually shrinking dollar to yen exchange ratio, slow-code might even stimulate the creation of new ham radio manufacturing plants here in the United States and create thousands of new jobs. Slow code is also getting support from users of various public bulletin boards. An unofficial poll being conducted on America Online by Newsline is so far five to one in favor of the Amateur Radio Industry Group's Slow-Code proposal. The Amateur Radio Industry Group has not announced any firm date as to when it plans to file its slow-code rule making request before the FCC. Nor has there yet been any reaction to this proposal from either the American Radio Relay League or the National Amateur Radio Association. (***** RUSSIAN MAIL THIEVES If you have been waiting a long time for a QSL from Russia and have not received it, this might be the reason. According to Ed Kritsky, NT2X, a recent article in a Russian newspaper has announced arrest of several alleged mail thieves at Moscow's Central Post Office. Four suspects would pick up mail at Sheremetyevo International airport near Moscow then drive their trucks to a nearby woods. There they reportedly opened the bags and rip envelopes open, seeking valuable enclosures such as foreign currencies and IRCs. The piles of torn envelopes were then dumped on the spot, as trash. The four were caught only when they became careless and started opening mail at the Post Office warehouse. The newspaper report says that Russian Postal Service security people was helpless to combat the thievery. In fact, they pretty much missed the whole thing. So you might want to mail out another QSL in case its been over a year since you sent out the first. (***** YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR 1994 Sometimes its a lot of little things in life that really pay off. If you don't believe us just ask Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP of Louisville, Kentucky. On Thursday May 12th, -- on her fifteenth birthday -- Allison found out that she had been selected to receive the 1994 Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year Award. Newsline was listening in when Allison found out the news. "Let's say I said to you right now, and really meant it, congratulations, Happy Birthday and you ARE the Young Ham of the Year, how would you feel?" Westlink. "I would be very excited." Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP. "Well you better be excited, congratulations you're the winner!" Westlink. "Are you serious?" Allison Zettwock, KD4CKP. "I'm as serious as I can be. Congratulations Allison, you are the 1994 WestLink Report Young Ham of the Year." Westlink. "Thank you!" Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP. Allison Zettwoch was chosen as 1994 Young Ham of the Year because of a lot of little things. She took it upon herself to become a ham after reading about the hobby in a youth magazine. Then she took out after her parents, and in short order her father Larry -- a 757 pilot for US Air was sporting the call sign KR4IF and her mother Daneen became known as KD4FNO. Only her younger brother Evan is still not hooked and Allison says she is working on him. But Allisons recruiting efforts go well past family ties. She is credited with being the inspiration that lead to the licensing of the Zettwoch's closest friends. Their becoming hams has truly made this a multi family affair. "There's another family here we do, that we work with, that are best friends, there's like three hams in the family. We may be on different sides of town, but we coordinate to pick up each others kids and things like that. I mean it's very useful device there, not just, you know for friends type talking, but if I'm on this side of town I'll pick up your kid if you'll pick mine up over there. Sometimes it's three o'clock you'll here the Metcalfs and the Zettwochs coordinating who is picking up who and will you feed the dog today because we didn't make it home." Larry Zettwoch explains. According to John Embry, KR4RL who nominated her, Allison continues to be a motivating force among the young people in ham radio in and around the Louisville area. Embry says that two of the youngsters that she recruited into the hobby have become true ham radio leaders in their own right. One of them, Shannon Metcalf, KD4RER, is already serving on the board of Directors of a major Amateur Radio club. Embry also says that Allison continues her activities of recruiting young scouts into the ranks of ham radio. At the recent South Louisville Community Festival, she actively discussed ham radio with every person with ventured by the station and display. "We live in the south end of our city. And we have different groups like we have the Corvette Club come and we had the police there with the talking police car and everything. I set up an amateur radio station to demonstrate to the community what amateur radio is." Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP. "Whose idea was it?" Westlink. "Mine!" Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP. In addition to all of this, Allison Zettwoch still manages to maintain a remarkable 4.0 grade point average. She is already taking ground school instruction in anticipation of getting a private pilots license as soon as she turns 16. KD4CKP says that she loves scuba diving and will be going to China this coming summer as a part of a special school sponsored event. And least we forget, Allison has just assumed the duty of Editor of Watts New, the official newsletter of the Amateur Radio Transmitting Society of Louisville. She says that she does all of the ham radio volunteer work because: "I enjoy helping people get into the hobby." Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP. Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP will receive her award the evening of Saturday, June the 4th at the Sea Pac convention banquet in Seaside, Oregon. On hand to make the presentation will be Westlink Report Editor - Publisher Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, Yaesu USA's Kevin Karamanos, WD6DIH and Newsline Producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. It was Pasternak who created the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year Award program back in 1986. Yaesu USA has served as corporate underwriter ever since. (***** GENIE TO HOME INTERNET NEWSGROUPS Two items from the ham radio area on the General Electric Consumer Information Service better known as GEnie. First, as an experiment, the GEnie Radio and Electronics BBS will be bringing its users the radio-related Newsgroups from Internet. If you are a Genie subscriber you will soon see several new topics in categories 4, 6, 7 and 16 that are in reality the text of messages from some of the Internet Newsgroups. GEnie says that its users will be able to send and receive messages between its posted topics and the respective newsgroups. They add that this is purely experimental at this time. (***** NA5E QUITS AS GENIE SYSOP Also, effective June 1st, the Genie Radio Roundtable will be under new management. After nearly seven years as sysop, Larry Ledlow, NA5E has decided to step down to pursue a number of writing and education projects. Larry's replacement is Glen Johnson, currently sysop of the GEnie Sports Roundtable. Johnson is described as an active ham with an extensive knowledge of the GEnie system. NA5E says that he will remain on-line and will continue to visit the Radio Roundtable as time permits. (***** ANNE RINALDO Anne Rinaldo, the wife of ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI has died. Mrs Rinaldo passed away at 5:45 AM Eastern time on Tuesday, May 17th after an accidental fall and head injury that she suffered almost a week ago. A memorial service was scheduled for today, Friday, May 20th in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. Other arrangements are pending. Our prayers go out to the Rinaldo family on their tragic loss. (***** DXAC VOTES In DX, and by unanimous vote, the ARRL DX Advisory Committee has passed a recommendation to delete Walvis Bay and Penguin Islands from DXCC accreditation. The DXAC says that these two entities no longer meet the DXCC criteria following their turnover to Namibia by South Africa. This recommendation has been sent to the Awards Committee along with a suggested retroactive effective date of March 1, 1994. And In another ballot, the DXAC has voted down a proposal to add additional single band awards to the DXCC program. The committee also decided against adding a 10-Meter DXCC Honor Roll being sought primarily by no-code Techs. Committee members instead expressed support for the mode-specific Honor Rolls that now exist. (***** CAROL PERRY RECOVERING As regular Dayton Hamvention goers know, two of the highlights of that event are the Educators and Youth Forums hosted by New York City teacher Carole Perry, WB2MGP. Over the past several years these have become among the best attended of the Hamvention forums. But only days before Hamvention '94, Carol Perry had to inform the Hamvention planners that she would not be there because the doctor had told her that she needed immediate spinal surgery. Bob Grove, WA4YPQ of Monitoring Times Magazine and our own Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF stepped in to share duties at the Educators gathering. Former Hamvention General Chairman Noel Mc Kewon, WB8QQC picked up the reins for the standing room only Youth Forum. But the Hamvention still wanted Carol to be a part of this years festivities. So it arranged for Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ of ATT would go to Carole's home and videotape introductions to each of her sessions. A telephone line was also installed at the Hara Arena to permit Carole to listen in on the forums if she felt that she had the strength. We will let Carole tell you the rest of the story from here: "Arrangements have been made to telephone my hospital room on Saturday at a quarter to eleven in the morning when the Youth Forum began so that I could say hello to the people and welcome them and feel as though I was part of the forum. But unbeknownst to us at ten o'clock that morning, I had to vacate the room and the phone was disconnected. And I was discharged that morning from the hospital and a friend came to pick me up along with my daughter and pulled the car up in front of the hospital. By a quarter to eleven we were seated in the car, but it really bothered me that that phone call was going to be missed. And that nobody would understand why I was not there to receive it. So what I did was I borrowed my friends cellular telephone from the car and made several calls to try to get through to the arena in Dayton. Finally I was connected to somebody that was in the forum room. At which point I expressed my regrets that I wouldn't be able to participate in the teleconference call because the obvious reasons and that I wished everybody well. But in true ham tradition I was told to hang on the line and the next thing I know I was listening on my portable telephone to people coming in and sitting down at the forum at Dayton. Noel Mc Kewon and Bill Pasternak were there, I was able to say hi to them. My voice was evidently being projected through the PA system there so that the folks in the room who were now assembled and knew what was going on could hear me. I not only got to hear the people coming in and sitting down and wishing me well, but in addition I was given the incredible opportunity from the car right outside the hospital talking through the cellular telephone to be able to welcome the people to the forum, to thank the children for participating and for expressing my desire, that since this is the forum that is nearest and dearest to my heart, that I do all year. That everybody support the children and look to bring more youngsters to the forum next year. And to thank everybody who was involved in letting me do that. So it was a spectacular experience for me and as I retell it to other hams, they just shake their head, because probably only hams could arrange to do something like this. I was really a super super thing and it started part of me on the right road to recovery." Carole Perry, WB2MGP. We are glad to tell you that the surgery appears to have been a complete success. Carole is recuperating at home. Get well wishes can be sent to WB2MGP at Post Office Box 131646, Staten Island, New York 10314. (***** And for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at Post Office Box 463, Pasadena, CA 91102. (* * * Newsline Copyright 1994 all rights are reserved. * * *