Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1898 - December 27 2013   
      
      
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1898 with a release date of December   
   27 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
      
      
   The following is a QST.  Two astro-hams repair cooling system on the ISS   
   in Christmas Eve spacewalk; ham radio takes a big step forward in Kosovo;   
   New Zealand's national ham radio society issues a correction on 6 meter   
   privileges; the ARRL files comments on its own Symbol Rate petition and   
   how high altitude balloon mission are tracked.  Find out the details are   
   on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1898 coming your way right now.   
      
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ASTRO-HAMS REPAIR ISS COOLING SYSTEM IN CHRISTMAS EVE   
   SPACEWALK   
      
      
      
   A pair of United States astronaut hams have made final repairs to a   
   damaged cooling system on board the International Space Station.  This,   
   during a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk on Tuesday, December 24th.  Amateur   
   Radio Nrewsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the   
   details:   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   It was the second Extra Vehicular Activity or EVA or spacewalk in four   
   days for United States astronauts Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Rick   
   Mastracchio, KC5ZTE, and only the second Christmas Eve spacewalk ever.   
      
      
      
   NASA ordered several spacewalks to repair a critical cooling system on the   
   International Space Station.  This after all nonessential equipment had   
   been turned off when the system faulted on December 11th causing many   
   science experiments halted.  To solve the problem Mastracchio and Hopkins   
   removed the faulty ammonia pump during a spacewalk on Saturday December   
   21st and installed a spare unit during the 7 « hour EVA on December 24th.   
      
      
      
   According to NASA the replacement was slow going because of a balky   
   ammonia fluid line that sent frozen flakes of the extremely toxic   
   substance straight at the two astro-hams.  The spacewalkers reported being   
   surrounded by big chunks of the material that bounced off equipment and   
   their space suits.  The ammonia needed to dissipate from their suits   
   before the pair returned inside of the ISS to avoid any contamination to   
   the orbiting outpost.   
      
      
      
   But in the end, it was man triumphing over machine.  With this success   
   NASA says that the cooling system should be restored and all equipment up   
   and running by Sunday the 29th.   
      
      
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the   
   Newsroom in Los Angeles.   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   NASA's only previous Christmas Eve spacewalk occurred in 1999 during a   
   Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.  But perhaps the most memorable   
   Christmas Eve in space took place back on December 24, 1968.  That's when   
   Apollo 8 astronauts read from the Bible's Book of Genesis as they orbited   
   the Moon on mankind's first lunar flight.  (NASA, published news reports)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   WORLDBEAT:  HAM RADIO LICENSING TAKES A BIG STEP FORWARD IN KOSOVO   
      
      
      
   Kosovo now has a new base of young ham radio operators.  This as more than   
   four-dozen young people aged 18 to 21 sat for their ham radio license exam   
   on Saturday, December 14th.   
      
      
      
   The exam was held in the amphitheater of the Technical University of   
   Pristina.   Of the 52 that were tested, 50 walked away as new amateur   
   radio operators qualifying for a U.S. General level license.   
      
      
      
   This group was the first ever to take an amateur radio exam under the new   
   laws of the Republic of Kosovo.  The procedural framework used follows the   
   U.S. structure, and several ARRL manuals were given to the national   
   association for Amateur Radio in Kosovo as well as to the   
   Telecommunications administrators courtesy of the American Radio Relay   
   League.  (OPDX, French Press, others)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RESTRUCTURING:  ICASA EXTENDS THE SARL 5 MHZ LICENSE   
      
      
      
   The Independent Telecommunications Authority of South Africa or ICASA has   
   extended the South Africa Radio League's 5 MHz license through the end of   
   January 2014.  This follows an application for the telecommunications   
   regulator to review the license and grant facilities up to at least the   
   start of the WRC 2015.   
      
      
      
   Currently the South Africa Radio League's holds a pilot license for 5 dot   
   250 and 5 dot 260 MHz.  While it applied for extension of the license for   
   a further period it also appealed to the ICASA Chairperson, Dr. Stephen   
   Mnube, to consider issuing the national society with a long term authority   
   to use these two frequencies to continue propagation research.   
      
      
      
   The South Africa Radio League is currently analyzing the results of a   
   special weekend 5 MHz activity event held in early November.  The first   
   study using an ionosonde network has been published and is available for   
   download at www.sarl.org.za (SARL)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO LAW:  NZART ISSUES A CORRECTION ON 6 METER OPERATION   
      
      
      
   The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters or NZART which is that nation's   
   national ham radio society has issued a correction to its recent news   
   release regarding the availability of 6 meters. It says that that a small   
   error was made in its bulletin number 286 that stated the nations six   
   meter allocation was 50 to 54 MHz.   
      
      
      
   This says the NZART is not correct.  Rather the 6 meter band for   
   operational use is from 50 to 53 MHz for all modes at up to the full legal   
   power limit.  It notes that New Zealand does have limited use of the band   
   from 53 to 54 MHz but only for approved individually licensed 6 meter   
   repeater outputs.  53 to 54 MHz is not available for general amateur   
   operation.  (NZART)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIOSPORTS:  2014 WRTC REFEREES APPOINTED   
      
      
      
   The World Radiosport Team Championship committee has announced the list of   
   those who will serve as referees for the 2014 competition.   
      
      
      
   According to an announcement from the games coordinating committee a   
   referee will be on site at each of the 59 competing stations to verify   
   compliance with the rules and make decisions on any rule questions by the   
   teams.   
      
      
      
   All of the referees will be top level contesters because they must   
   simultaneously listen to the audio from both operators for the entire 24   
   hours of the competition, which takes place in July 2014 in the   
   North-Eastern United States.   
      
      
      
   A complete list of those selected to act as referees is on the web at   
   wrtc2014.org.  Also, a short video explaining the upcoming World   
   Radiosport Team Championship is on YouTube at tinyurl.com/wrtc-2014-usa   
   (WRTC)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   DX UP FRONT:  AMSTERDAM ISLAND IN JANUARY 2014 UPDATE   
      
      
      
   In DX up front, Ralph Fedor, K0IR reports that all the equipment the long   
   awaited Amsterdam Island DXpedition that had been shipped to New Zealand   
   is now aboard the ship MV Braveheart.  Also that all of the documentation   
   is in order that that inspections have been completed.   
      
      
      
   According to Fedor, the vessel was to be fueled for its voyage to   
   Australia on December 23rd and scheduled to depart on December 26th for   
   Fremantle, Australia.  Meantime the FT5ZM team members will begin arriving   
   in Fremantle on January 9th.  They will board the Braveheart on January   
   14th, configure our maritime mobile station, and sail for Amsterdam Island   
   on January 15th.  Landing operations will commence as soon as the sea   
   conditions and weather allow.  Once the team is ashore, they will have 18   
   days to set up, conduct the DXpedition, and tear down for departure.   
      
      
      
   Fedor says that there will likely be at least one more press release   
   before they depart.  In the meantime you can get updates at the   
   DXpeditions website at www.amsterdamdx.org or by following the planning at   
   facebook.com/FT5ZM.  And we will have more DX news for you later on in   
   this week's newscast.  (Various DX News Sources)   
      
      
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO LAW:  ARRL FILES COMMENTS ON ITS SYMBOL RATE PETITION   
      
      
      
   The ARRL has filed comments with the FCC on its own Petition for Rule   
   Making RM-11708  the so-called "symbol rate" petition.  Although the   
   League rarely files formal comments on its own petitions, ARRL General   
   Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, citing the high level of interest in the   
   proceeding, said that this is clearly an exceptional circumstance.   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephen Kindord, N8WB has the details:   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   As previously reported ARRL sponsored RM-11708 proposes to drop the symbol   
   rate limit as outlined in Part 97.307(f) of the FCC Amateur Service rules   
   and substituting a maximum occupied bandwidth of 2.8 kHz for High   
   Frequency data emissions.  And in its newly filed comments the League   
   noted the large number of comments that have been filed thus far indicate   
   that the issue of data communications is an important one in the Amateur   
   Radio Service.   
      
      
      
   In general, the ARRL says that its petition would have no effect on the   
   High Frequency subbands where phone and image emissions are already   
   permitted.  It noted that the petition would not permit digital voice   
   transmissions in the data and RTTY sub-bands because digital voice is   
   defined in the Commission's rules as voice not data.  Also the petition   
   would have no effect on CW operation in the High Frequency bands either,   
   and restrictions on automatically controlled digital stations would remain   
   as they are now.   
      
      
      
   The ARRL also took pains to address the proposed 2.8 kHz maximum bandwidth   
   for High Frequency data emissions.  It noted that some comments say that   
   bandwidth's greater than 2.8 kilohertz for data should be permitted in   
   order to permit a wider array of data emissions now and in the future.   
   Others argue that 2.8 kHz is too wide, potentially allowing usurping of   
   the band to the detriment of CW and other narrow-bandwidth emissions.  But   
   the League says that its recommended 2.8 kHz maximum is an attempt to   
   balance two competing objectives.  This by facilitating the use of current   
   and future data emissions while protecting against a situation where a few   
   data stations could take over a band.   
      
      
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB, reporting.   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   The League's petition now tops the FCC's Most Active Proceedings list.  As   
   of the December 23rd deadline more than 850 comments had been filed.   
   (ARRL)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  KIDS DAY JANUARY 5th - 1800 TO 2400 UTC   
      
      
      
   The next Kids Day, jointly sponsored by the ARRL and The Boring Oregon   
   Amateur Radio Club, will be held on Sunday, January 5th.  This event runs   
   from 1800 to 2400 UTC and is an excellent opportunity to showcase both ham   
   radio and amateur radio satellites to youngsters while giving them some   
   hands-on experience.   
      
      
      
   The suggested frequencies on the High Frequency bands are 28.350 to 28.400   
   MHz, 24.960 to 24.980 MHz, 21.360 to 21.400 MHz, 18.140 to 18.145 MHz,   
   14.270 to 14.300 MHz, 7.270 to 7.290 MHz, and 3.740 to 3.940 MHz.   
   Repeater contacts, with permission of the repeater's sponsor are also   
   welcome while satellite contacts may prove to be the biggest thrill.   
      
      
      
   Be sure to observe third-party traffic restrictions when making DX   
   contacts.  All participants are encouraged to post stories and photos to   
   the Kids Day Soapbox page and are eligible to receive a colorful   
   certificate.  You can download the free certificate customized with   
   participating youngsters' names, after filling out the Kids Day Survey.   
   Both are on the web at arrl.org/kids-day.  (ARRL)   
      
      
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO BUSINESS:  CQ TO CONSOLIDATE PUBLICATIONS   
      
      
      
   CQ Communications, Inc. has announced plans to realign its roster of   
   publications and to launch a new online supplement to its flagship CQ   
   Amateur Radio magazine.  Effective with the February 2014 issue of CQ,   
   content from the magazine's three sister publications, Popular   
   Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio Online, will be incorporated into   
   CQ's digital edition as a supplement to be called CQ Plus.   
      
      
      
   According to Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, while their primary audience is   
   ham radio operators, very few hams began their radio involvement as   
   amateurs.  Most started out as shortwave listeners, broadcast band DX'ers,   
   CB'ers or scanning enthusiasts.  Ross says that many continue to be   
   involved in various different aspects of the radio hobby in addition to   
   amateur radio.  K2MGA notes that by consolidating four specialized   
   publications into one, that CQ will be better able to keep these   
   multidimensional readers informed on all aspects of the radio hobby while   
   simultaneously exposing those who are not hams to all the excitement and   
   opportunities that amateur radio has to offer.   
      
      
      
   Richard Fisher, KI6SN, who is currently Editor of both Popular   
   Communications and WorldRadio Online will become the Editor of CQ Plus.   
   Current subscriptions to Popular Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio   
   Online will be converted to CQ subscriptions and receive CQ Plus at no   
   additional charge.  Details will be posted on each magazine website.  In   
   the meantime a preview of the February issue's Table of Contents is   
   available right now on the CQ website at tinyurl.com/cq-february-2014.   
   (CQ)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO BUSINESS:  HRD TO CONTINUE SUPPORT TO WINDOWS XP USERS   
      
      
      
   HRD Software has announced that it will continue to support Ham Radio   
   Deluxe on the Windows XP Service Pack 3 platform beyond April 8, 2014.   
   This for as long as it is technically and commercially reasonable for them   
   to do so, and there is no external dependency.   
      
      
      
   For example, if the manufacturers of radios, rig interfaces, or soundcards   
   discontinue making drivers that work on Windows XP and you should purchase   
   one of these devices, Ham Radio Deluxe would not be able to work with it.   
   These same companies may discontinue support for older products that   
   currently work on Windows XP and this could prevent trouble shooting.   
      
   HRD Software says that it recognizes that many operators may have no   
   desire to upgrade their operating system or their computer.  Microsoft   
   provides some guidance to users of in this regard.  HRD Software says that   
   it will refer its customers to guidance provided by Microsoft in these   
   instances.   
      
      
      
   More information on HRD Software products is on the web at   
   www.ham-radio-deluxe.com  (HRD via Southgate)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  RETIRED ASTRONAUT CHRIS HADFIELD VA3OOG PREDICTS MOON   
   BASE WITHIN 70 YEARS   
      
      
      
   Some names in the news.  First up is retired Canadian astronaut Chris   
   Hadfield, VA3OOhG who has predicted that humans will have a colony on the   
   moon within the next 30 to 40 years and establish a base on Mars within   
   the next 70.   
      
      
      
   In a recent interview with the Telegraph newspaper, Hadfield said that   
   this is a pattern we have been following for the last 70,000 years.  He   
   noted mankind gradually made its way around the world.  In the last 100   
   years we have gotten to Antarctica and now there are people who live there   
   for months at a time.   
      
      
      
   VA3OOG went on to say that he thinks that within his lifetime we will see   
   a permanent lunar base.  Also that the setting up of a permanent   
   habitation on the Moon will help to improve space exploration.   
      
      
      
   Hadfield gained fame for tweeting pictures of space and performing his own   
   version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" during his command of the   
   International Space Station this past year.   He retired from the Canadian   
   Space Agency last June and is currently on tour promoting his new book "An   
   Astronaut's Guide To Life on Earth."   
      
      
      
   You can read the entire interview with Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG on the web   
   at tinyurl.com/Hadfield-Moon-Future.  (Telegraph)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  G3VBA APPOINTED GB2RS MANAGER   
      
   The Radio Society of Great Britain Board of Directors has appointed Ken   
   Hatton, G3VBA as Manager of station GB2RS effective as of January 1st of   
   2014.  According to the announcement Hatton first became interested in   
   amateur radio as a schoolboy and has been licensed 47 years.  He replaces   
   Gordon Adams, G3LEQ in this post.  (RSGB)   
      
      
      
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  GREEN POWER SET TOP BOXES   
      
      
      
   The Department of Energy has reached a deal with environmental and   
   business groups on new energy efficiency standards for cable and satellite   
   television set-top boxes.   
      
      
      
   The department reached the agreement along with the Natural Resources   
   Defense Council, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the   
   Appliance Standard Awareness Project, the Consumer Electronics Association   
   and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.  The accord   
   will improve efficiency on these units by 10 to 45 percent, over the next   
   three years depending on the type of box.  By 2017, about 90 percent of   
   the set-top boxes in American homes will work as well as the most energy   
   efficient devices currently on the market.   
      
      
      
   In the end, the agreement will save about $1 billion in energy costs for   
   more than 90 million American homes each year, but won't lead to new   
   industry regulations.  Instead, the energy efficiency standards will be   
   voluntary.   
      
      
      
   More is on-line at tinyurl.com/energy-saving-boxes    (The Hill)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO IN SPACE:   RADIO STARS THAT ARE INSTANTLY KILLED BY BLACK HOLE   
   BIRTH   
      
      
      
   Scientists have found that a new type of exploding radio star that dies   
   completely by exhausting all its energy in one single energy burst before   
   collapsing into a black hole.   
      
      
      
   According to a new research by astronomers at the Centre for All-Sky   
   Astrophysics at Curtin University and the University of Sydney, these new   
   populations of exploding star use all their energy to emit one strong last   
   beam of high radiation, known as gamma-ray burst,  They then collapse into   
   a black hole.   
      
      
      
   The research, which originally set out to prove the existing theory that   
   gamma-ray bursts are always followed by a radio afterglow, discovered that   
   the premise was wrong.  Rather they found that the birth of black holes   
   kill a new type of exploding radio star.   
      
      
      
   The researchers used a technique of stacking 200 separate observations on   
   top of each other to re-create the image of a gamma-ray burst in much   
   better quality, but the image depicted no signs of radio afterglow.  They   
   said that those stars that collapse to form a neutron star have energy   
   left over to produce the radio afterglow, while those that become black   
   holes put all their energy into one final powerful gamma-ray flash.   
      
      
      
   The researchers say that new work is required to test and verify the   
   team's findings, adding that the findings give them a whole new look to   
   understand gamma-ray bursts.  They add that so far this work has shown   
   that being wrong is sometimes more interesting than being right.   
      
      
      
   You can read more on this newly discovered phenomena at   
   tinyurl.com/new-star-theory.  (IBT)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   RADIO NEAR SPACE:  HOW HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON MISSIONS STAY ON TRACK   
      
      
      
   The United Kingdom's Register reporter Lester Haines has interviewed   
   Daniel Richman, M0ZDR about Cambridge University Space Flight Landing   
   Predictor.   
      
      
   Rob Anderson wrote the original landing predictor for High Altitude   
   Balloons back in 2008.  Since then it's been continually updated to   
   improve performance, and now offers anyone wanting to send a balloon aloft   
   the chance of seeing very just where its likely to  burst and where they   
   should head to recover the payload.   
      
      
      
   Others who have worked on improving the predictor in the past five years   
   are Fergus Noble M0NBL, Ed Moore M0TEK, Jon Sowman M0JSN and Adam Greig,   
   M0RND.  You can read the entire article at   
   tinyurl.com/balloon-flight-article.  The program itself is at   
   predict.habhub.org. (Southgate)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SAUDISAT 1C CELEBRATES 11 YEATS ON ORBIT   
      
      
      
   A Happy 11th birthday to Saudisat 1 C.  Better known as SO-50, Saudisat 1   
   C is a Saudi Arabian pico-satellite that was launched from the Baikonur   
   Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 17:00 UTC on December 20th, 2002.  The bird is   
   equipped with a Mode J FM repeater operating on a 2 meter uplink and a 440   
   MHz downlink.  As such, most hams already own the necessary equipment to   
   work SO-50.  (K6LCS)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   DX   
      
      
      
   In DX, DK3ID who also holds the call OE8IDK will be operational from   
   Lesotho as 7P8ID between February 11th to the 16th.  Activity will be on   
   40 through 6 meters on SSB only.  QSL via DK3ID or OE8IDK direct only.   
      
      
      
   EA5BYP is planning a trip to Annobon Island to be active as 3C0BYP, and   
   Bioko Island where he will use the call 3C4BYP.  Specific dates have not   
   been announced but the operations will happen fairly soon.  QSL via his   
   home callsign.   
      
      
      
   ON4EZ will be active stroke 5Z- from Kenya between through January 6th. No   
   other details were provided.  QSL as directed on the air.   
      
      
      
   F5VHJ will once again be active as TO5A, from FM5BH's QTH during the ARRL   
   International DX SSB Contest on March 1st and 2nd. Logs will be uploaded   
   to Logbook of the World.  QSL via F5VHJ either direct or by the Bureau.   
      
      
      
   Lastly, ZS6ALB is once again on the air as C91KHN from Mozambique.   
   Activity has been on 10 and 6 meters.  Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of   
   the World and Clublog.  QSL direct via his home callsign.   
      
      
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  AUSTRALIA SEES NEW HIGH FOR DIGITAL RADIO LISTENING   
      
      
      
   And finally this week, Australia seems to have become one of the world   
   leaders in digital radio broadcasting as we hear from Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK:   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   According to Commercial Radio Australia, a new survey shows that DAB Plus   
   devices account for more than 12.7 percent of weekly radio listening in   
   that nations five state capitals.  Time spent listening via a DAB Plus   
   digital radio device also adds up to 12 hours, more than double that of   
   radio listening via the Internet.   
      
   DAB+ interest in the Asia Pacific is currently at an all time high with   
   Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia all hosting DAB Plus technology and   
   transmission workshops.  Also truck and bus manufacturer Fuso now includes   
   DAB Plus digital radio as standard, increasing the number of Australian   
   vehicle manufacturers offering this digital radio system as a standard   
   feature or as an option.   
      
      
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion,   
   Illinois.   
      
      
      
   --   
      
      
      
   The other Australian auto makers committed to DAB Plus so far include   
   Ford, Land Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Hino and   
   Isuzu Trucks.  (RW)   
      
      
      
   **   
      
      
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
      
      
      
   With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ   
   Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the   
   RSGB, the Southgate News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all for   
   this year from the Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is   
   newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at   
   Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at   
   www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us at Amateur   
   Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350   
      
      
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Hal   
   Rodgers, K8CMD, saying 73 and a very Happy New Year.  See you in 2014 and   
   as always, we thank you for listening.   
      
      
      
   Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights reserved.   
      
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            R\%/itt - K5RXT   
      
      
      
   --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012   
   --- D'Bridge 3.92   
    * Origin: AMATEUR RADIO STATION ID K5RXT (1:387/22)