The electronic publication of the Amateur Radio Newsline is distributed with the permission of Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, President and Editor of Newsline. The text is transcribed from the audio service by Dale Cary and is first published on Genie. Editorial comment or news items should be E-mailed to 3241437@mcimail.com or B.PASTERNAK@genie.geis.com. Voice or FAX to +1 805-296-7180. All other information and disclaimers are in the text header below. - - - - - NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #104 - POSTED 12/25/93 ***************************************************************** * * * * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** * * * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** * * * * **** * **** ***** *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** ***** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** ***** *** * * * ***************************************************************** 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. The electronic version of newsline is posted on this CBBS twice monthly. For current information updates, please call Los Angeles............................ (213) 462-0008 Los Angeles (Instant Update Line)...... 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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!!! ***************************************************************** [854] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The following is a QST * * * * Ham radio may not be growing as fast as many of us think * * and a thirteen year old ham from Massachusetts is still * * missing as we go to air on this Christmas Eve 1993 edition * * of Newsline coming your way. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GROWTH IN HAM RADIO MAY NOT BE AS GREAT AS EXPECTED Growth in Amateur Radio may not be anywhere near as great as the numbers currently show. This is because there have been few names purged from the FCC's database in over a decade, and there is really no way right now to know the total number of hams who are alive and taking an active part in the hobby. But come January of 1994 some real idea of just how many hams there are will begin to show up. This, as the first of the ten year ham licenses begin to expire and we see just how many hams renew. By way of background, all licenses issued or renewed during the period of January 1984 to December 1988 were ten year term tickets. As a result there were relatively few renewals filed from January 1989 to the end of this year. There were also no renewals made to existing five year licenses after 1989. All licenses issued from January 1984 to December of 1988 were simply given a bonus of a five year extension. So, the big question for 1994 is what is the real number of living, licensed and active hams. Some insight may come from figures compiled by Fred Maia of the W5YI VEC. Fred figures that at least 4,400 renewal applications should arrive at the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania post box in January. Most trend watchers expect the number to be around half of that and believe that a downward trend will continue as the inactive and deceased hams are weeded out of the FCC database. The Commission says that it is planning to introduce a new and simple mail-back renewal card. In fact the commission had planned to introduce the card in January, but it now does not look it will be available until later in the year. The theory is that anyone who does not renew using such an easy system is either no longer among the living or has decided to drop out of ham radio, permanently. Sometime in March the numbers for January and February should be announced. As soon as they are, we will bring them to you so that we can all know whether the trend is up or down. ***** PIRATE RADIO COURT BATTLE AGAINST FCC A pair of self proclaimed low-power pirate broadcasters are challenging Federal Communications Commission rules that prevent them from using the airwaves. This, by arguing in court that their rights and those of their audience are being oppressed. The two would be micro-broadcasters are William Dougan of Phoenix, Arizona and Tom Reveille who is the former operator of "Radio Free Venice" in Los Angeles. Both are challenging the FCC rules that deny licenses to radio stations of less than 100 watts. They argue that the rule is unnecessary, violates freedom of expression, and allows only the wealthy to use the airwaves. Dougan's attorney is William Piatt. He told the panel of judges in the 9th Circuit Court that there is no evidence his client interfered with anyone by broadcasting over a half-watt transmitter to the 600 residents of his mobile home park. But David Silberman, a lawyer for the FCC, countered that micro-broadcasters have the potential to interfere with police radio, aviation frequencies and national defense broadcasts. He said that to keep the airwaves orderly, Congress gave the FCC the authority to be a radio traffic cop. That it is the FCC's job to administer the limited number of frequencies available so as to best serve all the public. Dougan's station transmitted for about a month in early 1992 before the FCC fined him $17,500. Reveille operated for seven months, eventually expanding to 20 watts and reaching about two square miles of Venice and Santa Monica, before federal agents raided his home and seized his equipment in November 1991. The case is the latest in a running battle between the FCC and small-scale unlicensed broadcasters, many of whom describe themselves as an underground movement challenging media conformity and government authority. Although the commission has won all cases against commercial pirate"stations, these are the first involving non-commercial community broadcasters to reach a federal appellate court. The panel of Judges heard about an hour of arguments in the two cases. They say that they will issue a ruling at a later date. ***** VE INVESTIGATION UPDATE Still with regulatory issues, we have an update on the ongoing government probe of several Volunteer Examiners in the Los Angeles area. Word is that some of the VE's under investigation may still be giving ham radio tests even though they have been suspended by both the ARRL and W5YI VEC's. This is because the FCC apparently never bothered to inform the nations other VEC's of the names and call signs of the suspect examiners. The word on the street is that some of the suspended examiners are simply sliding over into another of their many accreditation and are continuing to administer examinations to prospective newcomers and upgrades. But this may soon change with word that the Westlink Report ham radio newsletter is calling on the FCC to make public the names of those hams it suspects to be in violation of the Part 97 rules regarding the administration of amateur radio examinations. The newsletter also indicates that if the Commission fails to take such a step voluntarily, that it may find a way to publish the information. This, as it's of letting the ham radio community know who the suspected bad VE's really are. Stay tuned. ***** EMISSION LEVEL STANDARDS IN PART 15 Manufacturers of digital devices operating below 1000 MHz applying to the FCC for equipment authorization now have two options, They can show compliance with either the current Part 15 emission standards or they can choose to adopt the newer International RF emission standards that have been developed by the International Special Committee on Radio Interference. Since there are no international emission standards yet established for frequencies above 1000 MHz, the current Part 15 rules will continue to apply. ***** NATHAN TAYLOR, WZ1W (MISSING CHILD) UPDATE Even though two federal agencies are now involved in the hunt, there are still no leads to the whereabouts of Nathan Taylor, WZ1W. Nathan is the thirteen year old ham from Gardner Massachusetts who ran away from home last August 27th. According to the Gardner police, Nathan let on his own, but did so apparently under the influence of people that he had met on a computer bulletin board network. His mother says that the person who allegedly fostered her son's disappearance is a convicted felon with a criminal record. Both the Taylor family and the Gardner police have asked hams from Tennessee to Texas to be on the look-out for Nathan. While he holds an Extra class amateur license, his most recent interest is in computers and computer bulletin boards. If you run into Nathan, you are urged to immediately call City of Gardner Police Detective Bill Grasmuck at area code (508) 632-5600. Even the tiniest thread of information would be welcome by the family, so if you have any information of even a suspicion as to where Nathan Taylor WZ1W might be hiding out, please help to bring him back to his parents this Christmas by calling the Gardner Police at area code (508) 632-5600 and asking for Detective Bill Grasmuck. ***** FCC COMMISSIONER CHOSEN AS NEW PBS CHIEF Some names making news this week include outgoing FCC Commissioner Ervin Duggan. The Public Broadcasting Service has chosen Duggan as its new president to succeed Bruce Christensen, who stepped down last summer to become a dean at Brigham Young University. Although Duggan says he has no specific blueprint for the changes he expected to come at PBS, he said that he is amenable to joint ventures that could include cable television and computer services. PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation that distributes programming and educational services that it buys from producers. It gets its funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and private grants. Duggan will assume his new duties as PBS chief on February 1, 1994. By federal law his annual salary may not exceed $148,400. ***** HAM RADIO HORIZONS NAMED AS FINALIST IN VIDEO COMPETITION Emmy winning TV Producer Rich Moseson, NW2L, may be on his way to another major award. This, with word that his video titled "Ham Radio Horizons" produced for CQ Communications Inc, has been named as a finalist in the New Fork Festivals International Non Broadcast Media Competition for 1993. Moseson's "Ham Radio Horizons" is designed to bring the world of ham radio to life for hams and non hams alike. It was chosen form a field of almost fourteen hundred entries in the competitions non-broadcast categories. Winners of the festival's Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be announced in January 1994. If "Ham Radio Horizons" takes the gold, it will be the second time that a video presentation dealing with Amateur Radio will have attained this honor. In 1987 the ARRL produced "The New World of Amateur Radio" received this highly coveted award. The Gold Medal is been on display at ARRL Headquarters in Newington Connecticut. Ironically, Moseson served as one of the Field Producers on "The New World of Amateur Radio." ***** JOE LYNCH, N6CL NAMED AS QCWA MAGAZINE EDITOR Joe Lynch, N6CL has been named as the new editor of the Quarter Century Wireless Association's news magazine. Joe's tenure as editor of the QCWA Journal begins in January. He will also be continuing on as CQ Magazine's VHF editor and as the ARRL's Oklahoma Section Manager as well. ***** TERRY ESTES, WB4ASZ QUITS SOUTHEASTERN REPEATER ASSOCIATION Terry Estes, WB4ASZ, has tendered his resignation as the Kentucky District Director of the SouthEastern Repeater Association, Inc. Estes assumed the directors seat of the old CVRA, SERA East Kentucky District back in 1985. This, after many months of organizational work on his part to get repeater owners in the area to accept association with the region-wide umbrella coordinating group. WB4ASZ says that a combination of increased family and employment responsibilities is the reason for his decision to step aside. Jeffery Martin, N5KOL, has been named as Estes replacement effective January 1, 1994. ***** SAREX TO FLY AGAIN IN JANUARY '94 The first SAREX flight of 1994 is currently slated for liftoff on January 27th. Several members of the six man crew are currently studying to take their license examinations. One of those scheduled to fly is Mission Specialist Sergi Kirkalev. Kirkalev is a veteran of the Russian Mir space station who has swapped his U5MIR call sign for a more traditional call of UZ3AK. Four schools in the United States and one in Russia have scheduled contacts with the ham radio crew that will be flying STS-60. ***** BOSNIA-HERSZEGOVINA ADDED TO THIRD-PARTY TRAFFIC LIST The FCC has added Bosnia-Herszegovina to its list of counties with which the United States now has a third-party traffic agreement. This means that United States radio amateurs are now free to handle messages to and from that war ravaged nation. ***** RTTY DXCC HONOR ROLL TO BE CREATED In DX, word that the ARRL Awards Committee has voted to accept a DX Advisory Committee recommendation aimed at creating an Honor Roll for RTTY DXCC. Qualification for this new Honor Roll is the same as for mixed mode operation. That being the 318 current countries. On January 1, 1994 Eritrea will be added to the DXCC Countries List, and the level will rise to 319. Contacts made using Baudot, ASCII, Amtor, and other non-CW digital protocols all count for this award. Hams that qualify for the new RTTY Honor Roll will be recognized based on their RTTY DXCC records. No other action is required. ***** NEW YORK CITY MARATHON WRAP-UP Belated but deserved congratulations to ARRL Hudson Division Director Steve Mendelsohn WA2DHF. Once again, Steve successfully assembled a massive communications network that was the backbone of the recent New York City Marathon. Hams were involved in just about every stage of the race's planning and they provided both logistical and emergency communications during the event. Each year there are several out-of-town hams who come to the Big Apple to be a part of the marathon communications effort and this year was no exception. The ARRL Letter reports that one of the out-of-towners who showed up as a volunteer was none other than FCC Private Radio Bureau Chief Ralph Haller, N4RH. ***** For this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at Post Office Box 463 in Pasadena, California 91102. * * * Newsline Copyright 1993 all rights are reserved. * * *