Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1850 - January 25 2013   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1850 with a release date of January 25   
   2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST. Hams in Iceland and Greenland get new spectrum; hams   
   down-under get use of special prefix for Australia Day; the United States   
   hits yet another all time high in Amateur Service license holders; AMSAT   
   North America's main website hacked and two operations from Laos get DXCC   
   credit. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number   
   1850 coming your way right now.   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RESTRUCTURING: HAMS IN ICELAND AND GREENLAND GET NEW SPECTRUM   
      
      
   We begin this week with news that hams in Iceland have some new frequencies   
   to use. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, with the details:   
      
   --   
      
   The national association of Icelandic Radio Amateurs has announced that   
   amateurs in that country have been granted operating privileges on 472 to   
   479kHz.   
      
   Access is granted on a Secondary basis, with a maximum power of 5W EIRP.   
   Maximum bandwidth is 1kHz. This new allocation is open to the G license   
   class and higher.   
      
   In addition, the regulatory authority recently extended temporary permits for   
   1850 to 1900kHz, 5.26 to 5.41MHz and 70 to 70.2MHz.   
      
   I'm Jeremy Boot and you are listening to the Amateur Radio Newsline.   
      
   --   
      
   Also, some good news for the ham radio community in Greenland. OX3XR reports   
   that nation has now moved to a full band allocation of 5.250 to 5.450 MHz   
   from its previous channelized status. (GB2RS, OX3XR)   
      
   **   
      
   RESTRUCTURING: SWEDISH HAMS GAIN TEMPORARY SHARED ACCESS TO THE 5 MHZ BAND   
      
   The IARU Region 1 newsletter that Sweden is now issuing its radio amateurs   
   with temporary permits for operation in the 5.3 MHz or 60 meter band.   
      
   According to Anders Larsson, SM6CNN, that nations telecommunications   
   regulator the PTS has begun to issue permits for experimental transmitters   
   at 5.310 to 5.313, 5.320 to 5.323, 5.380 to 5.383 and 5.390 to 5.393 MHz.   
   Maximum bandwidth is limited to 3 kHz independent of type of modulation with   
   a maximum output 100 watt peak envelope power.   
      
   Holders of a Swedish amateur service call sign may use that call sign to   
   identify. Also, it is permitted to make contact with other, presumably non   
   ham radio permit holders.   
      
   There are however some restrictions. Mobile use is not permitted. Also,   
   this operation must respect all other traffic in the band and not cause any   
   interference to it.   
      
   The P-T-S will require payment of yet unspecified administration fee and the   
   permits it issues will only be good for a time period of 6 months.   
      
   More information is at www.iaru-r1.org. (IARU)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: BROADCASTER JOINS HUNT FOR MISSING CHILD IN SINGAPORE   
      
   Broadcast radio is playing a major role in the hunt for a missing child in   
   Singapore. This as all four stations under the Star Radio Group have joined   
   in the search for six-year-old William Yau Zhen Zhong, who has been missing   
   since Wednesday, January 16th.   
      
   Suria FM, 988 FM, Red FM and Capital FM are running public service   
   announcements every alternate hour to ask that their combined 4.3 million   
   listeners to join in the search. Other information and a picture of the   
   missing boy have been uploaded to the stations' websites as well as their   
   Facebook and Twitter pages.   
      
   Star Radio Group deputy chief broadcasting officer Kudsia Kahar appealed to   
   the public to call the authorities if they see William. Kahar says that the   
   only way to locate him is to cast a wide net. As such, she said that the   
   Star Radio Group is 100 per cent committed in doing its part to try and find   
   him. Kudsia added that she sympathized with the missing child's parents and   
   understood their anguish. (Asia One)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: ACMA TO PERMIT AX PREFIX ON AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL DAY   
      
   The Australian Communications and Media Authority will once again permit V-K   
   radio amateurs to substitute their normal VK callsign prefix with the   
   letters AX on Australia Day, which is Saturday January 26. This once a year   
   permit gives Australian hams a chance to be part of the national holiday   
   which commemorates the first settlement at Port Jackson in 1788 which is now   
   a part of the city of Sydney.   
      
   It should be noted that the AX prefixed has been used for other special   
   events. Mostly those on occasions of national or international significance   
   to Australia. For example, this occurred during the Sydney 2000 Olympics   
   and saw AX3GAMES take to the ham radio bands. The call AX3MCG was issued   
   for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.   
   (VK3PC)   
      
   **   
      
   2012 MARKS ALL-TIME HIGH FOR AMATEUR RADIO LICENSES   
      
   Back in the United States the number of radio amateurs in the United States   
   has reached an all-time high of almost 710,000. This according to figures   
   released last week by ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:   
      
   --   
      
   In looking at new and upgraded licenses, as well as licensees per ARRL   
   Division, VEC Manager Somma took a close look at the numbers looking for   
   growth within each license class and all of Amateur Radio over the last 40   
   years. When looking at the three current license classes, the number of   
   Technicians, Generals and Amateur Extras peaked in December at 345,369,   
   163,370 and 130,736, respectively.   
      
   Somma says that the total number of US amateurs in the FCC database also   
   continues to grow each year, As of December 31, 2012,the number of   
   licensees reached an all-time high of 709,575 as opposed to 702,056 at the   
   end of 2011 and 696,041 for 2010. In other words, the number of United   
   States licensed radio amateurs increased at an average rate of 21 per day.   
      
   Somma said that more than 3000 new licenses were issued in 2012 than in 2011,   
   while upgraded license activity remained steady throughout the year. All in   
   all, a very good year for growth in the United States amateur radio ranks.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick,   
   Pennsylvania.   
      
   --   
      
   The ARRL has a more in-depth report about this continued growth pattern. You   
   can read it on line at tinyurl.com/2012-license-increase. (ARRL Letter)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: FEMA SAYS IPAS USE RISING   
      
   According to news reports, a growing number of emergency managers are using   
   FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System or IPAWS to send emergency   
   alerts.   
      
   IPAWS now has some 148 operational users. 93 of those have the authority to   
   send an alert to the public using the FEMA-IPAWS Web-based message   
   origination system through the Commercial Mobile Alert Service or EAS. With   
   Commercial Mobile Alert Service on board, major and rural cellphone carriers   
   tie into IPAWS to send 90-character text-based alerts.   
      
   According to the latest figures, some 20 messages were sent over the   
   Commercial Mobile Alert Service and 81 were sent using EAS. Of the EAS   
   messages, many of those were required weekly or monthly tests also known as   
   the R-M-T. (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard   
   on bulletin stations around the world including the KD8LWR repeater serving   
   Washtenaw County, Michigan.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RADIO AND THE NET: AMSAT-NA WEBSITE COMPROMISED BY HACKING   
      
   Hackers have hit AMSAT North America, Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill   
   Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the details:   
      
   --   
      
   AMSAT North America says that on or about January 20th its main web site at   
   www.amsat.org was compromised by a hacker. The attack took the form of the   
   contents of the supporting database, including non-public information, being   
   posted on other publicly available web sites.   
      
   According to AMSAT, the main site was developed roughly 10 years ago by a   
   group of AMSAT volunteers under a more benign Internet environment of the   
   time. The team that built that site is no longer associated with AMSAT, so   
   work has been underway over the last several months to move to a modern,   
   maintainable, and very secure infrastructure. AMSAT says that this recent   
   breach will accelerate that activity.   
      
   In the interim, www.amsat.org will have limited content. Neither the AMSAT   
   store nor the Fox project web site were affected by this breach. Mail   
   services remain operational.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   A spokesperson tells Amateur Radio Newsline that the AMSAT Store is still   
   open for business, and can be reached directly at store.amsat.org/catalog   
   (AMSAT NA)   
      
   **   
      
   COMMUNICATIONS NEWS: NOT ENOUGH CELLULAR AND BROADBAND AT PRESIDENTIAL   
   INAUGURATION   
      
   Many who attended the Inauguration of President Obama for his second term in   
   office on Monday, January 21st were reportedly unhappy with cellular   
   telephone and broadband service from the National Mall. And this included   
   some heavyweights in Congress.   
      
   One of these was Senator Claire McCaskill who at the end the festivities got   
   on-line to tweet her apologies to those waiting for commentary via the   
   Senators Twitter account. Senator McCaskill is a member of the Senate   
   Commerce Committee, which oversees wireless companies and their networks..   
      
   But the sense from broadband provider ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint was   
   that their networks performed as well as they could have given the heavy   
   demand. This given the enormous number of attendees, many of whom were   
   simultaneously trying to share pictures and messages with others. This in   
   turn created a strain on the finite amount of broadband available to handle   
   the traffic from an ever-increasing number of smartphones and tablet   
   computer that are in common use these days.   
      
   More about this situation can be found on-line at   
   tinyurl.com/inauguration-cellphone-problem. (Politico, other published   
   reports)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO HAPPENINGS: NAB BROADCAST ENGINEERING CONFERENCE TOPICS ANNOUNCED   
      
   The National Association of Broadcasters has released a list of topics for   
   its Broadcast Engineering Conference for its trade show this spring.   
      
   For radio broadcasters some of the more interesting programs include Advanced   
   Technologies for Radio; IP for Radio; Spectrum Matters; Technical Regulatory   
   Issues; Radio Receiver Technologies; AM Band Revitalization; Cloud Based   
   Storage and Distribution and Planning for Safety.   
      
   Also planned is a special RF Boot Camp called Understanding Radio and   
   Television Transmission. This is designed for personnel who might be   
   unfamiliar with transmission technology but should have a solid acquaintance   
   with it such as station and network I-T personnel or small station   
   management.   
      
   The National Association of Broadcasters Convention is slated for April 6th   
   to the 11th in Las Vegas, Nevada. (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO SCOUTING: GOOD NEWS FOR SCOUTS INVOLVED IN RADIO   
      
   Some good news for scouts involved in radio and radio communications.   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, has the details:   
      
   --   
      
   The national Boy Scouts of America is now recognizing any youth or adult who   
   has an amateur radio license with a special patch that can be displayed on   
   the uniform.   
      
   The patch, in the form of a strip, has the words: "Amateur Radio Operator" on   
   it and will soon be, if it's not there already, available at local Scout   
   shops or through regional Scouting supply operations.   
      
   Jim Wilson, K5ND, is the BSA's director of communications services, but known   
   in the ham community as chairman of the national Radio Scouting Committee   
   and national Jamboree on the Air organizer.   
      
   Wilson says the recognition came from discussions that began some months ago   
   with the scout committee that selects awards and insignia for the scout   
   uniform.   
      
   He says research shows amateur radio was recognized by the Scouts as early as   
   the 1940s...   
      
   "There were some proficiency badges or awards that Scouting offered - one of   
   which was a Scout Radioman personal interest badge that was for senior   
   Scouts and Explorer Scouts," Wilson says.   
      
   "And, you can actually find those badges in copies of the old handbooks and   
   things like that."   
      
   Wilson says from those discussions came the first of the recommendations for   
   the recently adopted Morse Code Interpreter strip.   
      
   But Wilson says the awards committee came back after that was approved and   
   asked whether the Radio Scouting Committee could draft something else to   
   recognize ham radio.   
   Thus was born the Amateur Radio Operator patch.   
      
   "You can put this strip on your uniform and then that way be recognized for   
   your ability to help in communication around events or around emergencies or   
   just as a recognition that you've got this license," Wilson says.   
      
   And, where does the patch go?   
      
   "The right sleeve of the uniform underneath the U.S. flag there, a patrol or   
   den emblem, and then there's the unit quality award and it goes right under   
   those three items or if you only have two of them under the first two,"   
   Wilson says.   
      
   Wilson, who also is the volunteer coordinator for this year's K2BSA operation   
   at the national BSA Jamboree at the Becthel Summit Reserve in West Virginia,   
   says you can find out more at the K2BSA website.   
      
   We have a link (http://www.k2bsa.net/operator-rating) to that within this   
   story published on our website arnewsline.org   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia.   
      
   --   
      
   Last year the Boy Scouts of America Awards and Insignia Committee introduced   
   the Morse Code Interpreter Strip. This based on the recommendation of the   
   organizations National Radio Scouting Committee. (NT3V)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: SHELBY HAMFEST RETURNS TO CLEVELAND COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS   
      
   The Shelby Hamfest is headed back to its former home at North Carolina's   
   Cleveland County Fairgrounds. This after spending the last five years in   
   Dallas, North Carolina.   
      
   The Shelby Hamfest moved to Dallas in 2008 after contract disagreements   
   between the Shelby Amateur Radio Club and the Cleveland County Fair   
   Association. That situation has now been resolved and will bring the famed   
   hamfest back to the Fair Grounds on Labor Day weekend which this year is   
   August 31st and September 1st.   
      
   For more information keep an eye on the events website. You will find it in   
   cyberspace at www.shelbyhamfest.org. You can also follow the event   
   Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShelbyHamfest. (goupstate.com, Shelby Hamfest)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR DAYTON TOPBAND DINNER   
      
   Reservations and tickets are now available for the 24th Annual Dayton TopBand   
   dinner slated for Friday evening May 17th. This year's venue is the   
   Presidential Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Dayton, Ohio.   
   Social hour is at 6:15 PM and the dinner begins at 7:15 PM. All times are   
   Eastern Daylight. Noted Top Band enthusiast Larry "Tree" Tyree, N6TR, will   
   be this years featured speaker. More is on-line at topbanddinner.com   
   (K3LR)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: VIENNA WIRELESS WINTERFEST FEBRUARY 24TH   
      
   The 37th annual Vienna Wireless Winterfest takes place on Sunday, February   
   24th. The venue this year is the Northern Virginia Community College in   
   Annandale, Virginia. Talk-in will be on the 146.91 repeater. For more   
   information please visit viennawireless.org/winterfest.php (Via e-mail)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2LPT HONORED WITH QCWA 75 YEAR AWARD   
      
   Some names in the news. First up is Quarter Century Wireless Association   
   Palm Beach Chapter member Seymour "Sy" Levine, W2LPT. He was to be   
   presented with the prestigious 75 Year Award from QCWA National   
   Headquarters.   
      
   W2LPT was first licensed in 1938 in New York City. The ceremony was to take   
   place at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Riviera Beach, Florida on   
   January 23rd. In addition to the award, Levine was also to be presented   
   with a Life Membership in the National QCWA. (W2TMT)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: WAYNE MILLS, N7NG, NAMED CQ MAGAZINE DX EDITOR   
      
   Renowned DXer, DXpeditioner and contester Wayne Mills, N7NG, of Jackson,   
   Wyoming, has been named CQ magazine's new DX Editor.   
      
   First licensed in 1953 at age 11, Mills began DXing in 1956 and went on his   
   first DXpedition in 1985. He was part of the Zed-A-1-A team that   
   reintroduced amateur radio to Albania in 1991, and the inaugural operation   
   from the newly-independent Republic of Kosovo in 2008.   
      
   From 2000 to 2007, Mills was manager of the ARRL's Membership Services   
   Department and worked on developing the Logbook of the World electronic   
   confirmation system. He also set several contesting records over the years,   
   but says he considers himself much more of a DXer than a contester.   
      
   N7NG will begin writing the CQ DX column as of the magazine's April 2013   
   issue. Mills who was a 1999 inductee into the CQ DX Hall of Fame succeeds   
   Carl Smith, N4AA, who has stepped down after writing the magazine's DX   
   column for 13 years. (CQ)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 2   
      
   This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United States of   
   America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our   
   only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the   
   volunteer services of the following radio amateur:   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT-DC WORKSHOP ON PORTABLE SATELLITE GROUND STATIONS   
      
   The AMSAT-DC Group is planning a Spring Workshop on portable satellite ground   
   stations slated to take place on Saturday, March 23, at the NASA Goddard   
   Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This will a nearly all-day   
   workshop for those who wish to learn more about satellite operations and   
   develop their own portable ground stations.   
      
   Participants will be encouraged to bring their projects to assemble, show,   
   and explain to others.   
      
   For more information please contact Pat Kilroy by e-mail to n8pk (at) amsat   
   (dot) org. Registration information will be announced on or before February   
   15th by the AMSAT News Service and posted to the Calendar of Events at   
   www.amsat.org (ANS, N8PK, Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO IN SPACE: NASA TRANSMITS MONA LISA IMAGE TO ORBITER AT THE MOON   
      
   As part of the first demonstration of laser communication with a satellite   
   orbiting the moon, scientists with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter   
   program have successfully transmitted an image of the Mona Lisa to the   
   spacecraft from Earth using only a high powered laser.   
      
   The digitized image traveled some 240,000 miles form from the Next Generation   
   Satellite Laser Ranging station at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in   
   Greenbelt, Maryland to the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument on the   
   spacecraft. By transmitting the image piggyback on laser pulses that are   
   routinely sent to track the devices position, the team achieved simultaneous   
   laser communication and satellite location. The success of the laser   
   transmission was verified by returning the image to Earth using the   
   spacecraft's radio telemetry system.   
      
   Typically, satellites that go beyond Earth orbit use radio for tracking and   
   communication. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is the only satellite in   
   orbit around a celestial body other than Earth to be tracked by laser as   
   well. One of many stories on this latest accomplishment can be read on-line   
   at tinyurl.com/mona-lisa-moon   
   (NASA, others)   
      
   **   
      
   SPACE EXPLORATION: NASA TO ADD EXPANDABLE MODULE TO THE ISS   
      
   NASA has officially signed a contract to attach an inflatable private module   
   to the International Space Station. Under the agreement announced on   
   January 11th, NASA will pay $17.8 million to the Nevada based private   
   spaceflight firm Bigelow Aerospace for the company's Expandable Activity   
   Module or BEAM which will be attached to the orbital lab as a technology   
   demonstration.   
      
   BEAM is likely to be similar to Bigelow's Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 prototypes,   
   which the company launched to orbit in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both   
   Genesis modules are 14.4 feet long by 8.3 feet wide, with about 406 cubic   
   feet of pressurized volume.   
      
   NASA officials have said that BEAM could be on orbit about two years after   
   getting official approval. The module will likely be launched by one of   
   the agency's contract cargo carriers such as SpaceX or Orbital Sciences   
   Corporation. More is on-line at tinyurl.com/new-iss-module and   
   bigelowaerospace.com. (NASA, Bigelow Aerospace)   
      
   **   
      
   DXCC NEWS: TWO LAOS OPERATIONS GET DXCC CREDIT   
      
   ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the 2010 to 2011   
   XWPA and the current XW4XR operations from Laos have been approved for DXCC   
   credit. Cards for those operations can now be submitted and will be counted   
   toward your DXCC standing.   
      
   And yes, XWPA is the correct callsign. There was no number designator in it.   
   For more background on this strange but very legitimate callsign take your   
   web browser to http://dx-world.net/2010/xwpa-laos (DXCC, DX World)   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In other DX news, members of Verona DX Team will return to Cumura, Gunia   
   Bissau between February 10th and March 2nd. This to help with the mission   
   work and be operate whenever possible, They will use the call J52HF and   
   operate on the HF bands as well as 50 MHz using SSB only. More details   
   including QSL routing should be forthcoming.   
      
   F6AM, will be active as 5H1Z from Zanzibar through February 28th. Operations   
   will be on 40-10 meters using CW and SSB. During his time there, he may   
   also operate from Mafia Island, Pemba Island and an island in the AF-075   
   Islands On The Air group. QSL via his home callsign, direct as listed on   
   QRZ.com or via the bureau.   
      
   N6TJ has cancelled his operation as 9Y4W from Scarborough, Tobago Island for   
   the ARRL DX CW Contest that runs February 16th and 17th. His host on Tobago   
   has a broken tower and there is no time to repair it before the contest.   
      
   DF7ZS will be active from Aruba possibly using the call P41P between March   
   26th and April 3rd including the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest on March 30th   
   and 31st. Some casual operations will take place before and after the   
   contest on 17 and 12 meters. QSL via his home callsign.   
      
   F6GWV and F6HMQ will be active as TO22C from Guadeloupe between February 17th   
   and March 3rd. Operations will be on all bands, but with a focus on 160   
   meters. QSL via F6HMQ.   
      
   GM3WOJ and GM4YXI will be active signing VK9C/GM2MP from Cocos Keeling Island   
   between March 30th and April 13th. Operation will be on SSB and CW, with   
   some RTTY. They hope to have a real-time logging system and upload daily to   
   Logbook of the World if conditions permit.   
      
   Lastly, AI6MS reports that will be operating portable from Ghana as 9G5MS   
   through May. Marcel explains that he is a volunteer with the non-profit   
   organization called 'Medicine on the Move' and will be using amateur radio   
   in the classroom for the students from the AvTech Academy. Because of this   
   priority will be given for QSO's will be given to schools, universities, and   
   prescheduled contacts. QSL cards are tentatively planned and can be expected   
   in the 2nd half of 2013 if requested. Yours goes as directed on the air.   
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM: THE 21ST CENTURY PHONE BOOTH EMERGES IN NYC   
      
   And finally this week, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the humble phone   
   booth took on renewed importance in the Metro New York area. This as   
   cut-off residents used pay phones to try to connect with one another during   
   and after the emergency. Now, this old but reliable form of public   
   communications is getting a major facelift as we hear from Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK.   
      
   --   
      
   New York City has officially launched a plan to transform pay phones into   
   giant touch screens that provide city information, emergency broadcasts and   
   local business deals. Located in the same places as existing phone booths,   
   the new platforms are to be operated as a partnership between New York City,   
   Cisco Corporation and City 24/7.   
      
   These smart screens were tested in a pilot project but now are live across   
   the city and appear to be very reliable. Soon, there will be 250 of the new   
   devices in all five New York City boroughs. This means that a person   
   strolling through a given area would only have to pause a moment to tap on   
   the public screen to find information about the closest subway or a city   
   park. While there, he or she might also tap on the "deals" icon to bring up   
   a list of coupons for nearby shops and restaurants that could instantly be   
   transferred to a smartphone or other wireless device.   
      
   But maps and coupons are only one dimension of the new platforms role. Like   
   traditional phone booths they will also serve as a communication tool during   
   emergencies but in a far more sophisticated way. For instance, in the event   
   of another disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the screens will become two-way   
   distress devices that let citizens call for help or receive instructions   
   about how to find safety.   
      
   Welcome to the phone booth of the 21st century.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl, Lasek, K9BIK, wondering if these   
   new public communications tools will be coming our way out here in Zion,   
   Illinois.   
      
   --   
      
   The companies that designed the new system say that they do plan to expand to   
   other cities in the future, but we do not know if Cheryl's hometown will be   
   one of them. That said, lots more about this new dimension in public   
   communications can be found at tinyurl.com/new-video-phone-booths   
   (GIGOM.COM)   
      
   **   
      
   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 W-I-A News, that's all from the   
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is newsline(at) arnewsline   
   (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm)   
   only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to   
   us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa   
   Clarita California, 91350   
      
   Before we go a reminder that the Dayton Hamvention is seeking nominations for   
   its 2013 Radio Amateur of the Year, Technical Achievement, Special   
   Achievement and the Radio Club of the Year awards. The cutoff date to   
   submit nominations is February 15th. More information and official   
   nominating forms are now on-line at www.Hamvention.org/awards.PHP.   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm David Black,   
   KB4KCH, at the South-East Bureau in Birmingham, Alabama, saying 73 and we   
   thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
   As a Service to the HAM Radio Community and Ham Operators all around the   
   world, this Amateur Radio Newline(tm) message has been gated from the internet   
   and posted to you by Waldo's Place USA, 1:3634/12. We hope you enjoyed it!   
      
   Please address all comments and questions to the ARNewsletter editor as   
   described in this posting. If you have any specific questions concerning   
   the actual posting of this message service, you may address them to   
   hamfdn -at- wpusa.dynip.com.   
      
   Thank you and good day!   
      
   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)