SB RAC @ CANADA < VA3RAC $RAC_9411.24 RAC NEWS BULLETIN 09-94 INTERNET EDITION - 15 NOVEMBER 1994 Issued at RAC Administrative Office P.O. Box 356 Kingston, ON, K7L 4W2 Internet Editor: Cam Inglis VE3UXN Internet Transmission: Steve Cutway VE3GRS IN THIS BULLETIN EDITOR'S NOTE ELECTION FOR SECTION MANAGER IN SASKATCHEWAN 2GHZ TRIALS FOR POCKET-SIZED PHONES SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR EARLY DECEMBER DSP SEEN AS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER TOY TELEPHONE AND ELECTRICAL GROUNDING RED CROSS WEEKLY NET TOWER POLICY DUE THIS FALL COMPUTERIZED KNOWLEDGE BASE TO AID RADIO INTERFERENCE INSPECTORS KEEP REPEATER SITES CONFIDENTIAL WE GET LETTERS, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM JAPAN ANTENNA MEASURING DAY A CLUB EVENT INTERESTED IN EME? EMCAB-2 ISN'T GOING ANY PLACE MICHIGAN STATE RULES REGARDING VHF MOBILE EQUIPMENT SCANNER DISTRIBUTOR FINED HEAVILY BY FCC PACKET HUMOUR WHERE IS THE HIGHEST REPEATER IN CANADA? NO CHANGE ON CW REQUIREMENT CW ONLY RELIABLE MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE POLE ARES MESSAGE HANDLING SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FROM THE INTERFERENCE DEPARTMENT UPCOMING IN YOUR DECEMBER TCA UPCOMING EVENTS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT EDITOR'S NOTE The lateness of this bulletin is completely my fault. I have been ill since last Friday (November 18th) with a strep infection that I can tell you has not been fun! But with each passing day, I feel a little better. ELECTION FOR SECTION MANAGER IN SASKATCHEWAN RAC members in Saskatchewan should watch the mail for ballots for the upcoming election for Section Manager. Two people have submitted their nomination papers: Bruce Donovan VE5ND of Nipawin, and Joan Lloyd VE5JML of Regina. The ballots and accompanying information will be in the mail on or before December 1, and the return deadline is January 20, 1995. The successful candidate will assume the duties of the position immediately after the ballot count is complete. We urge all eligible RAC members in the region to exercise their rights and cast a vote for the candidate of their choice. 2GHZ TRIALS FOR POCKET-SIZED PHONES Industry Canada will issue a call for licences in the second quarter of 1995 and expects to award licences to companies wishing to use the two-gigahertz band by the end of next year. Experimental licences to test pocket-sized cordless phones that will operate in the band have already been issued, according to reports. TeleZone Corp. of Toronto announced recently that it has received a licence to run a 2GHz trial. The new small cordless phones could lead to competition for the $1-billion-a-year cellular phone business. The cellular phone business is one of the fastest growing segments of the telecommunications industry. The pocket sized phones are seen as ideal for users who want communications through buildings and public areas, but they are not suited for high-speed mobile users. SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR EARLY DECEMBER The first Summit of the Americas in 27 years will be held in Miami, Florida on December 8 and 9, 1994. Heads of State from more than thirty countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and North America will be attending. US President Bill Clinton will host the Summit. More than 6,000 are expected to attend. The Dade Radio Club of Miami will be operating its Amateur radio club station W4NVU from the Summit. Commemorative certificates will be issued. The station will operate from 0000 EST December 8, to 2400 EST December 10, 1994. Check the following frequencies: 14.250, 21.325, 28.325 (phone), and 21.125 (CW). For a certificate, send a QSL card and a 9"x12" SASE or IRC with envelope to: Dade Radio Club of Miami, P.O. Box 350641, Miami, FL 33135. DSP SEEN AS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER TOY Have you heard about the new device called a DSP or digital signal processor? It was reviewed in the October QST. Mike Cook VE3ZMC, writing in the London Amateur Radio Club bulletin, says he's tried it and "it's more than just a toy." He is using a version manufactured by Timewave. The device takes the audio output of the radio rig from the external speaker or phone jack as its input, and sends its output to a speaker or phones. Before it outputs a signal, the device works a series of minor miracles on the audio that can end up making the 80M ONTARS net sound like an FM repeater. The DSP drops the background noise by 20-30 dB, according to Mike. That's enough to make a real difference in ease of listening, he says. With the DSP on line, weak signals can be heard easily. It also allows electronic filters to be selected so that a passband appropriate for the SSB or CW signal can be established. On CW, the passband can be as narrow as 25 Hz, so the ability to isolate one station is excellent. Because of the way noise reduction is handled, be it CW or phone, the signal is hardly affected compared to the noise, so the signal to noise ratio is increased. "Just using it for a while has convinced me that this technology is the way to go", comments Mike. TELEPHONE AND ELECTRICAL GROUNDING It is common practice in England to signal a telephone subscriber by signalling with 90 volts across one side of the two wire circuit and ground. When the subscriber answers the phone, it switches to the two wire circuit for the conversation. This method allows two parties on the same line to be signalled without disturbing each other. One elderly subscriber called the telephone company to say that her phone sometimes failed to ring when her friends called. When it did ring, her dog always barked first. A telephone serviceman was sent to locate the problem. Climbing a nearby telephone pole, he hooked in his test set and dialled the subscriber's house. The phone did not ring. He tried again. This time, the dog barked loudly and the phone rang. Here is what the serviceman discovered. The dog had been tied to the telephone system ground post via an iron chain and collar. When the phone rang, the dog was receiving 90 volts of signalling current. After several jolts, the dog urinated on the ground and started barking. Finally, the wet ground conducted the current and the phone rang. The London Amateur Radio Club bulletin carried this item which was downloaded from Internet. RED CROSS WEEKLY NET From VA3CRC The Canadian Red Cross National Office is conducting a weekly net Sunday on 14.125 starting at 1400 hours EST. All Red Cross affiliated stations are encouraged to check-in. The net control station is VA3CRC which is located at the Red Cross headquarters in Ottawa. You can call 613 739-2592 if you are having trouble making contact. TOWER POLICY DUE THIS FALL The long awaited Industry Canada policy concerning antenna towers is expected soon. The new policy is expected to spell out a requirement that prior to erecting an antenna tower, Amateurs will have to first consult with municipal authorities. The new policy is expected to end arguments between municipalities and the federal government over who has legislative authority over the erection of antenna towers. Once the policy is decided, municipalities will be free to determine their own rules on towers. COMPUTERIZED KNOWLEDGE BASE TO AID RADIO INTERFERENCE INSPECTORS Condensed from IC's September '94 Argus Radio interference inspectors have a new tool to help in solving complaints. It comes with a long name (Radio Interference Advisor or RIA), but essentially it amounts to an elaborate computerized data base that can match current problems with solved cases. Inspectors access the information they need through their computers. The CBR, or Case Based Reasoning system searches for cases in the knowledge base that match the symptoms the user has entered. The inspector can view the details of matched cases in the search for a final solution to a problem. Radio interference problems occur in four areas: FM, AM, TV and radio communications. Problems range from static on AM stations to unauthorized transmissions interfering with police communications equipment. The new system allows for continual upgrading. Unusual or interesting cases can be added to the knowledge base and easily circulated to inspectors across Canada. KEEP REPEATER SITES CONFIDENTIAL The Cowichan Valley Amateur Radio Society bulletin advises that for security reasons, club members should not discuss the location of repeaters over the air. They report instances of individuals with scanners learning of these locations which later became targets for damage. Solar panels have been favourite targets for pellet gun practice, according to the item. Club members were also reminded to avoid discussing repeater access codes over the air for similar security reasons. WE GET LETTERS, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM JAPAN Brent Bossom VE7VTR, recently wrote Radio Amateurs of Canada from Tokyo to renew his membership. He reported being kept in touch through the Internet version of this bulletin. Just for the record, this Bulletin is circulated by mail around the 15th of each month to those who have paid subscriptions, also via Packet radio in shorter versions each week, and worldwide via Internet. ANTENNA MEASURING DAY A CLUB EVENT From the Nanaimo AR bulletin The Nanaimo Amateur radio club held a 2 metre antenna measuring day recently to "characterize" members' antennas. The object was to measure forward and rear gain and establish a front-to-back ratio. Gain figures were measured relative to a dipole which was constructed for testing purposes. A local community college provided the necessary RF power metre. INTERESTED IN EME? If you are interested in moonbounce transmissions, EME (European Moonbounce Edition), may be of interest. It is published on a monthly basis and is circulated to about 50 subscribers in Europe, Asia and North America. The purpose of the news sheet is to share information, technical and otherwise. EME specializes on 144 MHz. For more details, contact Dan HB9CRQ, P.O. Box 12, CH-5737, Menziken, Switzerland. You can also reach him through Packet radio at HB9CRQ@HB9RF.CHE.EU, or by fax at +41 64 70 21 45. Your first bulletin is free so you can get a taste of what's being offered. EMCAB-2 ISN'T GOING ANY PLACE EMCAB-2 isn't going any place, according to Brent St. Denis, MP for Algoma. There have been a number of objections filed by various MPs and the document will be left to die. This item is from the Algoma AR November club bulletin. Some would argue that the letters to MPs from Amateurs from across the Country may be having some effect. RAC has been very active in lobbying against EMCAB-2. Amateurs are reminded that their views are important on this vital issue and they should consider writing their MP. For guidance, refer to November TCA. MICHIGAN STATE RULES REGARDING VHF MOBILE EQUIPMENT From the Algoma AR bulletin Check with Michigan State Police before travelling with radio equipment in this State. It appears that anyone carrying a receiver capable of tuning police frequencies is facing confiscation of their equipment. If you are a licensed Amateur and can produce a Police issued authorization card, you are apparently exempt. SCANNER DISTRIBUTOR FINED HEAVILY BY FCC Condensed from a W5YI report The FCC (Federal Communications Commission, US), has imposed a whopping $20,000 fine against Ace Communications of Fishers, Indiana for promoting and marketing Yupiteru and Trident scanners that have not been certified for sale by the FCC. The FCC no longer grants equipment authorizations to scanner receivers that tune into the cellular telephone frequencies and marketing of such devices without an FCC authorization is prohibited. The FCC said Ace continued to market the scanners after receiving warnings not to. PACKET HUMOUR From the Happy Club, Miguel KB4WWE Apparently heard on VHF marine radio: FIRST VOICE: Our radar has you on a collision course with us. You should alter course 10 degrees South. SECOND VOICE: We have you on our radar. Suggest you alter course 10 degrees North. FIRST VOICE: We have Admiral Goodman on board. Strongly suggest you bear 10 degrees South. This is a battleship. SECOND VOICE: This is Seaman Farnsworth. Still suggest you bear 10 degrees North. This is a lighthouse! WHERE IS THE HIGHEST REPEATER IN CANADA? VE6HWY operates from Protection Mountain in Alberta and is considered the highest repeater in Canada. The station took a lightening strike in August and has also recently experienced building siding damage due to high winds. NO CHANGE ON CW REQUIREMENT From Amateur Radio Newsline - September 1994 The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 3, met in Singapore in September. A resolution concerning the requirement in the Radio Regulations for a demonstration of Morse code ability for operators before being licensed to use Amateur frequencies below 30 MHz was adopted. Consistent with the views of the member-societies as expressed through the regional organizations, the IARU will neither propose nor support a change in the requirement at this time. CW ONLY RELIABLE MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE POLE Canadian Press item from the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Ships with up-to-date communications equipment have the occasional need for a more dependable mode. A recent Canadian Press article reports that the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, Louis St. Laurent, and the American Coast Guard icebreaker, Polar Sea, had successfully reached the North Pole. Captain David Johns, a Coast Guard spokesman in Ottawa, reported that communications had become unreliable on Monday, August 22 while the ships were at the Pole. According to the report, "For most of Monday, the only communications with the two ships was by Morse code because electromagnetic interference from the Pole made voice transmission impossible by either radio or satellite telephone. A Canadian Press reporter managed to receive a barely decipherable voice transmission from the Louis on Monday night, but could not make himself heard." The ships are the first North American surface ships to reach the North Pole. US, British and Russian submarines have made the trip beneath the surface many times. Surface ships from Sweden and Germany as well as four Russian ships, some with tourists aboard, routinely cross the Pole. Thanks to the Lakehead ARC bulletin for this item. ARES MESSAGE HANDLING SOFTWARE AVAILABLE The Utah County Amateur Radio Emergency Service has developed an excellent software program for handling ARES traffic on Packet radio. The program was written by Larry Driskill KE7AEW and David Martin WA7FFM. The program, which runs on a PC, is available free of charge to non-profit groups involved in emergency communications thanks to the software developers and Utah County ARES. Recently tested by Kingston, Ontario ARES, the program was found to run flawlessly. If this software interests you, write to Keith McQueen N7HMF, 1087 North 506 West, Orem, Utah 84057. FROM THE INTERFERENCE DEPARTMENT Condensed from Calgary ARC Key Klix The Globe and Mail recently reported on unintentional sudden shutdown problems with a big crane operating at highrise Simcoe Place construction site in Toronto, which was later connected to electromagnetic waves. The fix was a metal covered foam material, the kind traditionally used to insulate ductwork. When it was wrapped around the case that houses the crane's controls, the problem disappeared. It's a new twist on an increasingly common story. As wireless technologies that generate electromagnetic radiation flourish, the jumble of devices that transmit and collect rogue waves is causing concern for computer experts, airline pilots, robotics engineers, and now crane operators. The clue came from a couple of workers on the site, who recalled similar interruptions with two cranes at Scotia Plaza, a 60-storey office tower built in downtown Toronto in the late 1980s. The problems started when the Scotia Plaza cranes climbed above the 50th storey, said one contractor familiar with the project. The symptoms were intermittent, apparently depending on whether the cranes were in the right position to act as antennas. "You can imagine that when something like this happens you don't immediately think of radio waves", he said. After weeks of head-scratching, endless discussions and a visit from the crane's manufacturer in Germany, the cause at the Simcoe Place site was finally diagnosed as electromagnetic waves interference with wiring on the cranes' direct-current motors. Protecting devices from electrical and magnetic fields has become an urgent quest in the age of wireless communications, says Emillie van Deventer, an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. She says the goal of researchers and a new course being offered at the U of T this fall is designing such technologies so they are compatible with each other, "otherwise the problems are going to get worse and worse." UPCOMING IN YOUR DECEMBER TCA From Robin Ludlow VE3YE The December issue of The Canadian Amateur features a colourful, specially commissioned Christmas cover and an update on RAC's important advocacy activities with respect to vital issues facing Canadian amateurs. There are also full details of the RAC Canada Winter Contest (December 31 UTC) with rules and an entry form. Also in the December TCA, there is an insurance survey which seeks to measure the interest and needs of individuals and clubs in a special insurance package which would go beyond what standard liability policies provide. Please take time to answer and return the questionnaire. Plus, a review of a new CD/cassette (available through RAC) full of songs about hams by professional ham musicians, the new production schedule and deadlines for TCA for the coming year, details on the HF Band Planning Committee, and the Minutes of the Board of Directors meeting and Annual General Meeting in Calgary in July. All this, plus Letters, Silent Keys, regular columns, contests, homebrewing, antenna design, the Swap Shop, and propagation forecasts, in the December issue of The Canadian Amateur. UPCOMING EVENTS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT November 19. The Fraser Valley Amateur Radio Association will be operating a special events station VF7L from Fort Langley, the birthplace of British Columbia to commemorate the 136th anniversary of the proclamation creating the Colony of British Columbia. VF7L will be operating on 20, 15, and 10 metre bands, November 19 through 21 from 1700 to 2300Z. For special certificate send QSL and 9"x12" SASE to Fraser Valley ARA, P.O. Box 50, Fort Langley, V1M 2S6. November 26. The Victoria Short Wave Club will celebrate their 65th Anniversary with a banquet. Arrange for your tickets in advance by calling Ken Light VE7DHI at (604) 474-1939 or Judy Muir VE7JDY at (604) 478-9650. December 10 & 17. Cubs on the Air event sponsored by the Yellowknife ARC. The intention is to contact other stations and exchange information about the Wolf Cub Program. Amateurs may enter the event by calling CG8CUB on 20 and 40 metres phone. Those 7 to 10 years old who make contact and send a QSL will receive a badge in return. Address QSL to: Amateur Radio Event, Yellowknife 7th Cub Pack, 6169 Finlayson Drive, North, Yellowknife, NWT, X1A 3L2. February 4, 1995. Niagara Peninsula ARC Fleamarket, CAW Hall, 124 Bunting Road, St. Catharines. From 9 am to 2 pm. Information line Marg Sewell VE3HOX, (905) 680-1211. 73 de VA3RAC Steve VE3GRS at the keyboard