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. Notes: 1- The regular transcribed version was not available this week, so I'm doing it myself. Pardon the typos. 2- Because of earthquake related mail delays, this weeks audio report, (860), that this version is made from, was to be aired the previous week. For that reason, one of the stories which was outdated, is not included here. ************************************************************* From around the world, this is NEWSLINE. Amateur Radio's independent, on the air, bulletin service. ************************************************************* Edition #860, Reporter: Roy Neil, K6DUE Closed Circuit Advisory A reminder. The address for the NEWSLINE Support Fund is; Newsline, C/O Dr. Norm Chalfin, K6PGX, Post Office Box 463, Pasadena, CA 91102. Remember, we need your support to keep NEWSLINE, online. ***** Headline The following is a QST Ham Radio ticket, and a court says a Ham does have a right to a tower, and antenna. ***** ARRL Suggests Lifetime Ham License The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to make Amateur Radio operator licenses valid for life. In its petition, the League says that there in nothing in the Communications Act of 1934, that would prevent such a license term for radio amateurs. It wants a lifetime operators license to allow inactive amateurs to return to the service at the same class of license without the necessity of retesting. This proposal would apply only to operator licenses. Amateur radio station licenses would, by law, still be limited to a 10 year term. A person with a lifetime operator license, but no station license, would not be permitted to operate a station of his own, but would be able to operate from the station of another amateur. The League says that nothing in this proposal should have any effect on the FCC's call sign issuance program as it currently exist, or as proposed in the vanity callsign program. The ARRL says at this time it is not proposing to make this rule change retroactive, rather, it suggests the easiest way to implement it, is simply to extend currently held operator licenses from 10 years to life. No rule making number has yet been assigned to this ARRL regulatory change request. ***** ARRL Asks For Vanity Comment-Date Extension Word from Newington, CT., that the ARRL is asking the FCC for an extension to the Comment Cutoff deadline, on the Commission's proposal to establish a Vanity callsign system. The FCC's notice of proposed rule making, known as Personal Radio, Docket: 93-305, was released December 29, 1993, it has a comment deadline of March 7, 1994. The League said that it immediately decide to publish the text of the rule making proposal, in it's entirety, in the Feb. 1994, issue of it's QST ARRL says it also is asking its members to make their views on the matter, made known to their elected representatives, but in its request for an extension of the filing deadline, until April 21st, the ARRL says that because the matter of issuing preferred call signs involves a scarce resource, the question of maintaining fairness in all aspects of the program must be addressed. The League also says that the March 7th comment deadline, simply does not allow enough time for ARRL members to express their views on the proposal. Nor will it let the ARRL board formulate a position, based on membership input, as to what position it should take. It's now up to the FCC to decide on this ARRL time extension request, we'll let you know when the Commission decides. (Reported by David Black, KB4KCH) ***** Court Finds In Favor Of Ham Antenna A federal appeals court has found in favor of a Minnesota ham in the latest round of a 3 year battle to install a tower and antenna. Back in January of 1991, Sylvia Pentel, N0MRW, applied to the city of Medota Heights for a zoning variance for a 68 ft. crank-up tower. At the time she was using a roof mounted vertical, which, she was unaware, violated the city's zoning rules. The city denied her application for a tower, but did grant Pentel a special use permit to allow here to keep the vertical, but that did not satisfy N0MRW. Pentel sued the city in U.S. district court. Her attorney, John B. Bellows Jr., K0QBE, argued that the ordinance restricting her tower and antenna was preempted by federal law. A law known as PRB-1, which requires a reasonable accommodation of radio amateurs. The U.S. Court of Appeals for The 8th Circuit, has ruled that in establishing PRB-1, the FCC was attempting to strike a balance between the interests of municipalities and ham radio operators. The court noted that granting a special use permit for Pentel's vertical was not an acceptable accommodation to the radio amateur under the terms of PRB-1 and ordered the city to try again. The court did put some limit on it's decision. It said the finding does not mean the city must necessarily grant Pentel's application for a tower. Rather it stated the Mendota Heights, MN, must make a reasonable accommodation to insure her interests as a radio amateur are protected. ***** Ham Convicted of Harassing McDonalds Customers A United States district court in Texas has written an end to the story of Terry VanSikle, WB5WXI, by sentencing him to 90 days of home confinement, 3 years probation, fining him $1000, and ordering that he undergo a group counseling program as directed by the probation office. VanSikle is a TV news cameraman at station WFAA who had been accused by the FBI of harassing customers at a McDonalds restaurant drive-through window in the Dallas area. He initially protested his innocence last summer. One newspaper even ran a 2 column feature about VanSikle, quoting him as saying that the frequencies used by McDonalds are posted on computer bulletin boards, and anyone could have been responsible. But on the 18th of October, Terry VanSikle changed his story. He pleaded guilty to one count of violating Title 47, section 333 of the U.S. code by willfully and maliciously interfering with radio communications. Sentencing was set for early January, and that time he faced a maximum term of 1 year in prison and $100,000. fine. The lighter sentence of 90 days home confinement and probation falls under federal sentencing guide lines. It's mitigated by the fact that VanSikle has already has lost some $15,000. worth of scanners, two way radios, and other gear confiscated when he was detained. Still, VanSikle's troubles may not be over. There's a likelihood of FCC administrative action to strip him of any federally issued radio licenses. And also there's the possibility of civil action against him by the McDonalds Corporation to recoup any losses incurred as a result of his jamming their radio system. ***** ARRL Reacts To NJ RF Fee Proposal Officials of the American Radio Relay League have told the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy that a State proposal to register and impose fees on radio transmitters, and other sources of RF, was contrary to federal law; at least as the law is related to radio amateurs. The New Jersey proposal exempted amateur radio stations at this time, but leaves the door open for future regulation of hams and imposition of fees. But ARRL general counsel, Chris Imlay, N3AKD, says that only the FCC has the power to license and regulate radio transmitters. Imlay says that applying the proposed regulations to amateurs would effectively preclude amateur radio communications in New Jersey. The NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection And Energy has extended the deadline for comments on the proposal until February 22nd. Hams in NJ, and the surrounding States, are being encouraged to write the NJ Legislature in opposition to the radio tax proposal. ***** DXpediton In DX, word that the LAMBDA Amateur Radio Club, LARC, will sponsor it's 3rd expedition from March 5th to the 10th. LARC members are planning to operate on HF and OSCAR 13, mode "B" and mode "S" from the Caribbean Island of Anguila in the British West Indies. The operators making the trip will be Jim Kelly - KK3K, Don Bledsoe - WB6LYI, Mark Wilcox - KC3XC, Tom Hendrix - KI4ZN, Howard Wyman - W9BVD, Norm Gray - KF7IK, James Keis - AF9A, and Wayne Shuller - AI9Q. A QSL for all operators is direct to their current call book addresses. This may well be the first OSCAR 13, mode "S" expedition for the record books. ***** Free QRP Info Two QRP nets, located in the Pacific Northwest, are now available to help you meet other low power enthusiasts throughout the country. The Northwest QRP Club meets every Monday evening at 0300 UTC on 10.123 Mhz. The Northwest QRP Club Saturday Morning Net can be found at 0730 UTC on 3.561 Mhz. If you're interested in receiving a free copy of their NWQ newsletter, please send an SASE to Bill Todd, 4153 49th Ave. S.W., Seattle, WA 98116. ***** Exam Dates Set Two ARRL national exam days have been set for 1994, May 14th and October 29th. Details will be in the February Issue of QST ***** Marathon Ham A ham who ran in the New York City Marathon last November, to raise money for Cancer research, will be doing it again soon on the West Coast. Fred Dube, AA8FQ, has announced that he will run in the March 6th Los Angeles Marathon and will be on the air before and during the race. With backing from ICOM America, Dube says that he will hold as many QSO's as he can while running the course. He says he plans to use repeaters on 145.200Mhz, 146.925Mhz, 445.325Mhz, and 447.235Mhz. Fred also will try his luck on the national SIMPLEX calling frequency, 146.52. His frequency coordination is being handled by the Baldwin Hills ARC. If band conditions warrant, he also plans to try some 20 meter remote base operations. Look for him on 14.295Mhz. AA8FQ's participation in the New York City Marathon raised about $2500. that was donated to the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center. This time the proceeds of sponsored miles will benefit the Los Angeles Childrens' Cancer Research Fund. That organization is considered one of leading pediatric cancer research organization in the country. Ham's interested in sponsoring miles to be run by Fred can contact him at (216) 721-2466. Meanwhile we at NEWSLINE wish Fred Dube, AA8FQ good luck in his next run to save lives. ***** 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. * * *