NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #73 - POSTED 05/21/93 **************************************************************** * * * * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** * * * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** * * * * **** * **** ***** *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** ***** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** ***** *** * * * **************************************************************** 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 (213) 462-0008, (805) 296-2407, (407) 259-4479, (708) 289-0423, (513) 275-9991, (718) 353-2801, (407) 965-1234 or (206) 368-3969. To provide stories and 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 DJ0QN and many others in the United States and around the globe!!! **************************************************************** [823] PIRATE FINES Three Washington state men have been fined 2,000 each by the FCC for unlicensed operation on 2 meters. Receiving Notices of Apparent Liability for $2,000 were Randy Baxter, Kevin Marilley, and Mark Karuza, all of Bellingham, Washington. The FCC says that it received a complaint from an amateur on November 17, 1992, alleging that people aboard fishing vessels were operating on 144.170 MHz. The agent taking the call was unable to receive adequate signals from the operations and asked for a tape recording from the complainant. After receiving the tape recording, the agency conducted an in depth investigation. It's agents used telephone, marina, and U.S. Coast Guard information to identify the source of the transmissions. They did and the fines were issued. The FCC said that since all three accused men were individuals rather than commercial operations, because of the nature of the violations and the fact they were first offenses, it would set the fines at $2,000 instead of the $8,000. At this time, it is unknown if the three alleged two meter bootleggers plan to file appeals. ***** FAKE SOS BRINGS SENTENCE A former Extra class license holder has been sentenced for making fake distress transmissions on the twenty meter band. Fifty year old Jorge Mestre, who has already surrendered his NS3K license to the FCC in a plea-bargain agreement, has been given one year probation on condition of his serving sixty days of home confinement, was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and to pay an additional fifty dollar assessment. Mestre, of Fairfax, Virginia has pleaded guilty last February to knowingly and willfully communicating false distress signals on 14.313 Mhz on August 7, 1992. At that time Mestre entered into a plea bargain agreement with the government. Under the terms of the agreement, he was to surrender his FCC amateur license, to dispose of his amateur radio equipment within sixty days, and to make immediate restitution in the amount of fifty thousand dollars to the United States Coast Guard. Under current law, Mestre could have received a fine of up to $250,000 and up to six years in jail. ***** LOST FINE A rather interesting announcement from the American Radio Relay League concerning a story it ran in the September 1992 issue of its QST Magazine. Back then, the League reported on an FCC enforcement action taken against James Winstead KK6SM of Redwood City, California. Winstead had admitted causing interference to amateur and commercial communications in the San Francisco Bay area in the time frame from October of 1990 to July of 1991. The story reported that Winstead was hit with a fifteen thousand dollar Notice of Apparent Liability which was issued on May 18th, 1992. The May 1993 QST carries and update to the Winstead matter not previously reported. According to the FCC's David Hartsborn, KK6SM appealed the fine. It was reduced to $2000 in July of 1992. In addition, Winsteads Amateur and Commercial licenses were suspended for a year. ***** BISHOP FINE REDUCED The FCC has reduced a $10,000 fine levied against Don Bishop, N0EA to $8,000. Bishop was cited in April of 1992 for allegedly transmitting for several hours on 7.240 Mhz and 15.050 Mhz while driving in the mid-western United States. The FCC said it took the action to reduce Bishop's fine because of his prior record of compliance with the Commissions rules. ***** ARSENE FAILURE The French ARSENE packet-radio satellite apparently suffered a serious failure immediately after separation from its launch vehicle the first Amateur Radio satellite of 1993 was launched from the Kourou Space Center, French Guiana, on May 12. ARSENE was carried into orbit aboard an Ariane V56A rocket along with an Astra commercial satellite. According to Jean Gruau, president of the Radio Amateur Club de l'Espace, there is a signal coming from ARSENE, but it is extremely weak. Gruau said his group and space officials were attempting to determine the cause of the problem. They speculated that it could be improper antenna orientation or a power-system failure. The commercial ASTRA satellite that was launched with ARSENE is functioning normally. If it can be recovered and brought on line, ARSENE will function as a packet relay, similar to a digipeater. Uplinks and downlinks will utilize standard AX.25 packet protocol. Unlike present pacsats, however, ARSENE will employ FM on both the uplinks and downlinks. ***** LEO REGULATIONS The FCC has allocated approximately four megahertz of existing VHF and UHF spectrum for a low earth orbit mobile satellite service and this new service has a definite Amateur Radio Connection. Specifically, the Commission has allocated the 137.000 to 137.025, 137.175 to 137.815 and 400.150 to 401.000 Mhz bands on a primary basis as downlinks and 148.000 to 150.050 and 399.900 to 400.050 MHz on a primary basis as uplinks. The FCC says that it believes that the Low Earth Orbiting or LEO satellite systems being planned for these frequencies will be able to provide non-voice services as substantial cost savings over existing systems. The FCC has also awarded what they call a pioneers preference for a license to operate a Leo system to the group Volunteers in Technical Assistance. In making its preference choice known, the Commission recognized that VITA was the first organization to demonstrate the utility of these small satellites for civilian communications. Working with AMSAT, it was VITA that assisted in the design and construction of a satellite incorporating a prototype of the Leo technology that was launched into orbit in 1984. ***** RECORD HAMVENTION CROWD 1993 was a record breaking year for the Dayton Hamvention. This according to Hamvention chairman Dave Grubb, KC8CF. He says that 35,186 people walked through the gate at the Hara Arena. This is a ten percent increase over he attendance figure from 1982. Also, manufacturers and distributors of ham gear donated in excess of $115,000 worth of merchandise that was given away as prizes. This figure does not include the prizes and other incentives that individual vendors gave away at their own booths. Needless to say that the 1993 Dayton Hamvention will go down in ham radio history as one of the best shows ever. ***** Ex-FCC CHAIRMAN DIES Word that former FCC Chairman Robert E. Lee has died. Lee was born in Chicago in 1912, and served as an FCC commissioner from 1953 to 1981. He was first appointed by President Eisenhower and then reappointed by Presidents Johnson and Nixon. He served briefly as chairman of the Commission, from February 5th to May 18th of 1981, in the initial days of the Reagan administration. ***** HENDERSON OBIT The ARRL reports that Wireless Institute of Australia President Ron Henderson, VK1RH became a silent key on April 26th. Henderson was known worldwide as an active amateur operator and superlative administrative leader. He attended the full term of WARC-92 as a delegate from Australia and participated in the 1985 conference in Melbourne. His untimely death was the result of cancer. ***** YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR A reminder from the Westlink Report newsletter. It says that its 1993 Young Ham of the Year Award will be presented at the Huntsville Hamfest and ARRL National Convention in Huntsville Alabama the weekend of August 14th and 15th. The Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year is a person who in the view of the judges best epitomizes the accomplishments of youth in amateur radio. Achievements can be in any area of endeavour associated to the hobby service. To qualify, a nominee must be 18 years of age or younger, be attending an accredited school or place of learning and must hold any class of valid United States amateur license. Cutoff date for nominations is June 30th. For a nominating form please send an S.A.S.E. to the 1993 Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year, 28197 Robin Avenue, Saugus, CA 91350. ***** FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP Congratulations to Ron Heise of N4TXR Indiatlantic, Florida. The Indian River Amateur Radio Club Memorial Scholarship Foundation has awarded Ron its $750 Joseph Rubino Memorial scholarship for use at the school of his choice. Ron is a senior at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, holds a Technician class license and comes from al all ham household. His dad is WA4VQD, his mom is WA4OMS, and KD4DHS is his sister. ***** * * * Newsline Copyright 1993 all rights are reserved. * * * -- Allan Courtney KD4DBN Internet: acourt@ncc.uky.edu Lexington, Kentucky AMPRNet: 44.106.2.120