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. - - - - - NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #884 - POSTED 07/22/94 (***************************************************************) (* *) (* * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** *) (* ** * * * * * * * ** * * *) (* * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** *) (* * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * *) (* * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** *) (* *) (* **** * **** ***** *** *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* **** ***** * * * * * *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* * * * * **** ***** *** *) (* *) (***************************************************************) 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)...... 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In the rec.radio.info newsgroup FTP: oak.oakland.edu, archive: 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!!! (**************************************************************** [884] (* * * * 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 TRANSMISSION over AMATEUR RADIO. 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 883 for release on Friday, July 22, 1994 to * (* follow. * (* * (* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [Publishers Note] Hello fellow Newsline readers. When I took over the hardcopy publishing of Newsline from Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, I continued the number from where he left off, which was #24 as I recall. Starting with this issue we are realigning the numbering scheme on the Hardcopy version of Newsline to that of the Audio version. That being #884 for this week of July 22nd. This should help to eliminate the confusion that has happened from time to time. Thanks for your patience. If I can be of any assistance you can contact me at: <****************************************************************> < > < Dale Cary - WD0AKO Phone (218) 236-6324 > < 3012 18th St. S. > < Moorhead, MN Internet E-mail: D.CARY@GENIE.GEIS.COM > < 56560-5204 > < > <****************************************************************> The following is a QST The FCC orders more retests as its probe of possible fraud in the All Volunteer ham radio testing program continues. President Bill Clinton's motorcade is jammed in Naples, Italy and SAREX STS-65 is on orbit and on the air. These stories and more on Newsline report number 884 coming your way right now! (***** MORE RETESTS IN CAL VE FRAUD CASE Some fifty nine people previously tested by a group of suspect volunteer examiners have been ordered to be retested or face administrative sanctions. This is the latest word coming from the FCC in the wake of its ongoing probe into alleged fraud and corruption in ham radio testing in California. Word of the retests was announced by FCC Personal Radio Branch Chief John B. Johnston, W3BE. Speaking at the annual meeting with the nations Volunteer Examination Coordinators on June 24th, Johnston said that twenty examines have had their examination credits totally invalidated in addition to the fifty nine ordered to retest. W3BE told the VEC's that there was definite evidence that at twenty five California test session the commission knows about so far, applicants were given answers to the Morse Code test message prior to testing. As a result the retesting was ordered. As we go to air only three people who have been re-examined have received passing grades. Johnston has also made public a few other pieces of evidence collected in the probe. According to John, one Volunteer Examiner allegedly administered examinations at two different locations on the same day, and traveling as much as seventy miles one-way between test sessions. W3BE says that the FCC has determined beyond any doubt that one of the sessions never actually took place. Even more incriminating, the FCC appears to have solid evidence that only seven people were actually examined at the second session even though the VE's proctoring the test claimed the number tested on site was twenty-two. This lends a lot of credibility to our report two weeks ago that much of the alleged fraud was accomplished by manipulating the paperwork going to the various VEC's. About the only thing not yet made public are the names and call signs of the suspect VE's, but this too may soon change. At least one major ham radio publication is known to have a copy of the list of VE's that are under government scrutiny. We hear that entire list plus the names of some suspect applicants may be appearing in print worldwide within the next few weeks. (***** MORE TESTING FRAUD ANNOUNCED California is not the only place where ham radio testing fraud is taking place. In a related matter, Johnston also told the VEC Conference that government investigators have cracked two other licensing cheating cases. In a Texas incident a non ham actually assumed the identity of a deceased radio amateur to certify test results for applicants who never even attended a test session. In that case the Contact VE -- that's the person who sets up test sessions in a given region -- the Contact VE has already surrendered his license to the FCC. Twenty four applicants at the test session have had their fraudulently obtained licenses canceled as well. Also, an Technician Class ham in Kansas has had his license suspended for a year. This, after the FCC found that he had tried to bribe a Volunteer Examination Coordinator in order to obtain an upgrade. At airtime, the FCC has not yet released this hams call sign or name. (***** PRESIDENT CLINTON JAMMED IN ITALY Radio communications for a Naples Italy motorcade for President Bill Clinton have been maliciously jammed. According to news reports, the incident occurred when President Clinton arrived for the Group of Seven summit in the port city of Naples on Thursday night July 7th. The Italian news agency ANSA quoted police sources as saying that while Clinton's motorcade was traveling from the airport to his waterfront hotel, an unknown voice repeatedly broke into police radio communications with what it authorities called "vulgar expressions." The sources said the jammer interrupted communications between Italian and U.S. security agents to express his views on the Americans and the police. No details of the insults was given but the news agency noted that Clinton did not hear them. Naples authorities also admit that they have little or no hope of finding out who the foul mouthed jammer is. (***** CHECK YOUR LICENSE DATE The American Radio Relay League advises that amateurs receiving new or modified FCC licenses dated June 8th or later should carefully note their expiration date. This is because only new, first licenses or specific renewals now carry a full 10-year term. With new computer software recently installed, the FCC is now processing amateur permits to conform with to the way in which it processes all other Private Radio Service licenses. As a result, Amateur license upgrades, changes of address, call sign, or name changes are processed with the original expiration date intact. That is, they are not automatically extended for another 10 years as has been the case in years past. The FCC currently recommends that amateurs submit license renewal applications 60 to 90 days before their expiration date. The Commission says that it intends eventually to mail license expiration notices to amateurs but that program is not yet in place. In the meantime, the ARRL is sending license expiration notices to its members, along with an FCC Form 610 and a return envelope to the FCC's licensing division in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The W5YI VEC is doing the same for the general ham public but does charge a nominal fee for filing paperwork back to the FCC. (***** INTERFERENCE FROM CORPS OF ENGINEERS The FCC reports that its San Francisco Office recently received a call from the Veteran's Administration Hospital in nearby Martinez complaining of interference to hospital security communications. At the same time, they received a complaint that a similar pulse noise was interrupting communications at the U.S. Customs Service Office on Mt. Taltamalpais, CA. So FCC engineers using their mobile direction finding equipment went out and tracked the source of interference. And guess what they found. The culprit was a geographic positioning transmitter used by the Corps of Engineers in a dredging operation that no government authorization to operate. It was ordered to cease its operation immediately. It did. Case closed. (***** US-RUSSIA SHUTTLE PACT Word that Russian and American amateurs who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery on last winters STS-60 mission benefited from temporary third party and reciprocal operating agreements finalized just before lift-off. On February 3 the US Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications each approved the temporary arrangements, which allowed cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, to contact, on February 6, the House of Science and Technology for Youth, in Moscow. The contact was retransmitted in Russia on HF and VHF, according to the ARRL SAREX Working Group. After the Russian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and the US State Department approved the arrangements, it still was necessary to obtain a Special Temporary Authorization from the FCC. The ARRL contacted the FCC's Personal Radio Branch, and the STA was granted on February 4th. Permanent reciprocal operating and third party agreements between the US and Russia have been in negotiations for several years. (***** HAITI As reported in many D-X newsletters, two hams were recently in Haiti on assignment for various news agencies. One of them was Alan Kaul, W6RCL of NBC Network News. This is the same W6RCL who for many years anchored Newsline. Alan operated with an Icom high frequency transceiver, antenna tuner and all-band long wire antenna. The other ham in Haiti was Bill Howard, N4MU of CNN, who was also running 100 watts on SSB. (***** UK HAMS SAY NO TO NO CODE British Amateurs are opposed to a code-free amateur license with High Frequency operating privileges. This according to a recent informal survey of United Kingdom hams. By way of background, the current UK Class B license, with privileges only on 50 MHz and above, is code-free while the Class A license requires a 12 wpm Morse Code exam. In 1992 the British Radiocommunications Agency asked the Radio Society of Great Britain to conduct a "consultation exercise," a survey. Through articles in its journal, Radio Communications, and other British Amateur Radio publications, readers were asked to express their opinion on the subject. Out of 60,000 U.K. licensed amateurs, 1,413 responded, including 86 from "overseas". By a 2 to 1 margin the respondents opposed a code-free HF license. The RSGB said that with the world-wide amateur community expanding at some 7 percent per year, some method is needed to restrict access to the HF bands, which they say are already are very crowded and unlikely to expand. British hams also say if the current method of restriction, the Morse Code, is eliminated for High Frequency operation then some other "filter" to limit numbers of operators should be found. (***** AMSAT CALLS FOR PAPERS The 1994 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium will be held October 7 to 9, in Orlando, Florida. AMSAT is seeking papers for the symposium and can provide authors with help in editing and graphics if needed. Papers are welcome even if the author is unable to attend the symposium. Topics for all amateur satellite disciplines are sought, including introductory tutorials, satellite operations, Phase IIID design and development, and new applications and techniques. Final drafts are requested on or about August 26. Direct inquiries to Steve Park, WB9OEP, 12122 99th Ave North, Seminole, Florida 34642. (***** SW CONVENTION On the convention scene, word that the 1994 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention will be held in San Diego, California on August 26th to the 28th at Town & Country Convention Center. For a registration form, please send a self addressed stamped envelope to Bob Boehme, W6RHV, Registration Chairman, 10340 Everell Place, Santee, California 92071. The event is sponsored by SANDARC, INC. in association with the San Diego County Amateur Radio Council. (***** DX-SCARBOROUGH REEF In DX, after being delayed a day due to bad weather, the Scarborough Reef BS7H DXpedition hit the air waves on June 25th. Several sources in Japan say the DXpedition was only active from 09:00 to 23:00 UTC and then went QRT. They made around 2000 QSO's in which none of the contacts were made on CW because they did not bring a keyer. In a related matter, New England Division DXAC Representative Bill Shipp, KC1AG, reports that DK9KX has withdrawn his petition for new country status for Scarborough Reef. No reason was given. (***** PETER I VIDEO Also, another new ham radio video on DXing has been announced. "Journey to Peter I Island: Close to the Edge" is a 30 minute documentary on this dangerous and exciting DXpedition through the Falkland Islands, the Drake Passage and onto Peter I Island. The video shows enormous icebergs, animal and marine life, massive Antarctic storms and how the DXpedition team was able to make almost 60,000 QSOs. The documentary was produced professionally from 12 hours of videotape shot by Terry Dubson, W6MHB. A donation to obtain the show is required. Those that are interested in this documentary can contact Jerry Branson, AA6BB, 93787 Dorsey Lane, Junction City, Oregon, 97448. (***** NEW FCC COMMISSIONER SEES LITTLE BUT C-SPAN The new FCC commissioner Susan Ness has described herself as a "C-SPAN junkie" who does not regularly watch commercial TV. Ness, speaking to reporters at an informal briefing in her office, said there is "nothing that I watch specifically every week" on commercial TV. Nevertheless, she said the Federal Communications Commission needs to insist that broadcasters "strive for better programming" so long as the First Amendment rights of station owners are protected. Ness' disinterest in commercial TV fare stands in stark contrast to Rachel Chong, the other new FCC member who is a confessed "Star Trek" addict. (***** And for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at Post Office Box 463, Pasadena, California 91102. (* * * Newsline Copyright 1994 all rights are reserved. * * *