Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1738 - December 3 2010   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1738 with a release date of Friday,   
   December 3rd 2010 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T.   
      
   A jammer of ham radio communications is convicted in a United Kingdom   
   court but nobody knows why he did it.  We have the details.  Also, a new   
   broadband threat to ham radio on 75 and 80 meters in a tiny modem from   
   France and its time to say goodbye to an old friend from Sony.  Find out   
   the details on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1738 coming   
   your way right now.   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
   **   
      
   ENFORCEMENT:  UK REPEATER JAMMER CONVICTED AND SENTENCED   
      
   It's taken the better part of four years, but a jammer of amateur   
   radio of repeater operations in the United Kingdom has been brought to   
   justice.  Jeremy Boot G4NJH, is in Nottingham with the details:   
      
   --   
      
   A Hull resident was sentenced at Hull Crown Court on 22 November for   
   causing deliberate interference to amateur radio users in the Hull   
   region of Humberside between June and November 2009. The defendant was   
   also convicted of unlawfully using radio equipment without a license   
   from Ofcom, which was installed in his van and driven around the region   
   to interfere with legitimate users of the local amateur frequencies.  He   
   was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, a   
   curfew between 7pm and 7am for 3 months via a means of electronic   
   tagging and forfeiture of his van and radio transmitters to Ofcom.   
      
   Commenting on the sentence, Paul Mercer, Head of enforcement at Ofcom,   
   said: "There are around 900 amateur radio users in and around the   
   Hull area, who have been deliberately disrupted for more than four   
   years.  Ofcom is very pleased with this result, which will hopefully   
   give these users some welcome relief, as well as sending a very strong   
   signal to those that abuse the airwaves. This followed a dedicated   
   investigation by Ofcom involving six enforcement officers working day   
   and night to bring the culprit to court.''   
      
   Mr Sheldon, the Court Recorder commended Ofcom for the quality of the   
   evidence that had been collated and the quality of file presented in   
   court. RSGB General Manager Peter Kirby, G0TWW, said "RSGB volunteers   
   co-operated closely with Ofcom in gathering evidence for this case. This   
   conviction shows that deliberate interference will not be tolerated and   
   can have serious consequences for the perpetrator."   
      
   I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, and you are listening to the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline.   
      
   --   
      
   The British newspaper The Register identifies the perpetrator as 63 year   
   old Clive McMurray.  According to the newspaper he has so far not   
   explained why he spent all this time harassing the ham radio community   
   in the area.  More on this case is on-line at tinyurl.com/2fwmnu7 and   
   tinyurl.com/2a425df  (GB2RS, various UK news reports)   
      
   **   
      
   THE BPL WARS:  NEW WPC MODEM OPERATES ON  2 - 4 MHZ   
      
   A new threat to the 75 meter ham radio band.  This as a French company   
   called Watteco has developed a new powerline modem based on Watt Pulse   
   Communication or W-P-C technology that the Wireless Institute of   
   Australia says transmits across the 2 to 4 MHz segment of the High   
   Frequency radio spectrum.   
      
   Described as a small, low cost, low power consumption modem, the device   
   can be used for any type of data communication applications such as   
   Smart Power Meters, home lighting and appliance control and street   
   lighting to name only a few.  According to the WIA News, the unit   
   reportedly transmits a wideband signal that completely covers the   
   amateur radio 75 and 80 meter ham bands and effectively rendering them   
   useless anywhere in the proximity of the device.   
      
   For those interested, technical data on the modem can be found on-line   
   at tinyurl.com/2u24lae.  (WIA News)   
      
   **   
      
   ENFORCEMENT:  FCC GOES AFTER MAINLAND CHINA CELLULAR JAMMER SUPPLIER   
      
   Back in the United States, the FCC has issued an Official Citation the   
   mainland China based company Jammer World and its on-line subsidiary   
   TheJammerStore dot com. This, for marketing unauthorized radio frequency   
   devices in the United States in violation of the Communications Act and   
   Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Commission's rules.  Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:   
      
   --   
      
   According to the FCC Citation, this past July 20th an agent from the   
   Enforcement Bureau's Columbia Office viewed Jammer World's web   
   site. There he observed an advertisement for a device listed as a   
   "Handheld GPS and Cell Phone Jammer Mini GPJ."   
      
   On July 21, 2010, the agent made an undercover buy on-line, and received   
   the device through the mail from New Century Technology Limited. The   
   agent conducted tests and confirmed that the device jams signals in the   
   Cellular Telephone Band from 845 to 975 MHz, the PCS Band from 1800   
   to1996 MHz and G-P-S frequency of 1575.42 MHz.   
      
   Based on this and other findings, the FCC Citation tells Jammer World   
   that if it continues to violate the Communications Act or the Rules by   
   engaging in sales to customers in nthe United States, the Commission may   
   impose monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each such violation or   
   each day of a continuing violation and up to $112,500 for any single act   
   or failure to act. In addition, violations of the Communications Act or   
   the Rules can result in seizure of equipment through forfeiture actions,   
   as well as criminal sanctions, including imprisonment.   
      
   The only problem with this citation is that the company is located in   
   Shenzhen China and the Chines government has a long record of not   
   cooperating with the United States in matters involving on-line sales by   
   mainland China based companies. Without the Chinese governments   
   cooperation, collecting a fine or forcing the company to not sell mail   
   order to customers in the United States may be an impossible task.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in   
   Scottsdale, Arizona.   
      
   --   
      
   As we go to air, TheJammerStore dot com was still offering cellphone and   
   GPS jamming devices for sale, worldwide.  (FCC)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE:  MEXICAN HAMS LAUNCH CROSSBAND BALLOON REPEATER   
   EXPERIMENT   
      
   A recently launched Mexican near space crossband repeater carried on a   
   high altitude balloon has been deemed an overwhelming success.   
      
   The SARSEM-ICARUS II Mexican Aerostatic Sub-Space Repeater System was   
   launched on November 20th.  According to flight controllers, the balloon   
   reached an altitude of 94,301 feet during which time 103 contacts where   
   made using the crossband repeater.  Ground stations reported it having   
   coverage of 551 miles across 13 States of Mexico.   
      
   The balloon's payload consisted of a UHF to VHF repeater,   
   temperature and voltage sensors, a flight computer, and a secondary   
   backup system including another GPS and control system.  Also on board   
   was a video camera transmitting live video bacxk to the ground on   
   900Mhz.   
      
   This is a second ham radio balloon flight success for the Amateur Radio   
   Club of the State of Guanajuato.  The group has already announced its   
   planning a third flight in 2011.  (ARCSJ)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  BROADCAST TRANSMITTER SITE IN WALES IS VANDALIZED   
      
   Vandalism to a transmitter temporarily forced a broadcaster in Wales off   
   the air.  What are described as hooligans attacked the radio transmitter   
   site and caused BBC Radio Wales on 882 KHz to shut down for three hours.   
   The exact nature of the vandalism was not revealed.  The site in north   
   Somerset broadcasts across much of Wales.  The damage also hit services   
   from other broadcasters who share the site.  (Soiuthgate)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,   
   heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W4DUX repeater   
   serving Port Charlotte Forida.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS REUNITE MISSING HORSE WITH OWNER   
      
   An Alabama amateur radio operator's weekend trek into a national forest   
   turns into an experience he and members of one family will never forget.   
   Rex Free, KN4CI, had no idea he was in for a bloody scene that would   
   lead to a storybook happy ending.  As Amateur Radio Newsline's David   
   Black begin_of_the_skype_highlighting=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0end_of_the_s   
   ype_highlighting, KB4KCH reports from our Southeastern Bureau, the entire   
   episode   
   depended on amateur radio:   
      
   --   
      
   Thanksgiving weekend was the perfect time for Rex Free and two fellow   
   hikers to set out exploring North Alabama's Bankhead National Forest.   
   It's something Free and his friends have done many times before, but   
   they ran across this time left them stunned:   
      
   --   
      
   Free:  We were in the middle of the wilderness area, probably about   
   three miles from the vehicle, exploring bluffs and looking at tree   
   carvings and all the sudden..wham..we come upon a full size horse with   
   blood on it dragging a saddle.  And we're like okay...(laugh)"   
      
   --   
      
   There's no one around, and with no cell phone coverage, no one to call.   
      
   --   
      
   (Free/bite 2) Free:  "After we got the saddle off we started   
   thinking that there could be a person around here or there could be a   
   body around here.  We didn't know how to handle it or what to think   
   of it.  So we had to scope the area out to try to find somebody but we   
   didn't didn't see anybody, thank goodness."   
      
   --   
      
   As a frequent visitor to the forest, Free always takes his amateur radio   
   handy talkie with him.  He uses the Bankhead Amateur Radio Club's   
   repeater, and asks a monitoring ham to notify law enforcement.  Free   
   learns that the horse named Joe Dirt had been reported missing more than   
   3 weeks earlier by owner Pam Coan:   
      
   --   
      
   Coan:  "I was devastated.  I was so worried that something had   
   happened to hurt him.  That he ewas out there hurt and that there was   
   nothing I could do to help him."   
      
   --   
      
   It will be the next day before the animal can be rescued in the   
   meantime, Free uses ham radio to communicate with the owners:   
      
   --   
      
   Free:  "At the campsite at night we were relaying traffic to the   
   owners and what they needede to bring in to get the horse what condition   
   the horse was in.  That the saddle was destroyed and details that they   
   needed to know."   
      
   --   
      
   The following morning, Pamela and the horse she named Joe Dirt--because   
   he loves to roll in the dirt--are reunited.   
      
   --   
      
   Coan:  "I never thought that I'd see him again, and then there   
   he was standing.  I couldn't get to him fast enough just to touch   
   him.  You know, it was just such a high that you can't explain it.   
   Its just to know that he was okay."   
      
   --   
      
   Joe Dirt's rescue brings a happy end to Pam Coan's emotional roller   
   coaster ride.  And she's thankful, too, for the key role Free and his   
   fellow hams played.   
      
   --   
      
   Coan:  "They're a blessing.  They're heroes.  I don't   
   even know how to thank them for what they've done."   
      
   --   
      
   As for Joe Dirt, he's home, happy and doing well...rolling in the dirt   
   as he loves to do.   
      
   From the South East Bureau in Birmingham, Alabama, Im David Black,   
   KB4KCH, for the Amateur Radio Newsline.   
      
   --   
      
   Joe Dirt appears to have followed the same advice hikers are given about   
   what to do if they get lost which is to just stay put.  Rescuers say by   
   doing that, and the fact that he was found by ham radio operators with   
   communications capability are the likely reasons he survived.  (KB4KCH)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  EXPEDITION 24 ALL HAM CREW RETURNS HOME   
      
   Members of the Expedition 24 and 25 crews that spent 160 days on-orbit   
   on board the International Space Station has returned to soild ground.   
   On Friday, November 26th Commander Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC along with   
   Flight Engineers Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, and Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI   
   landing in Kazakhstan on flying home in a Russian-built Soyuz space   
   vehicle.   
      
   While on-orbit, both Wheelock and Walker collectively made 22 ARISS   
   contacts with schools around the world.  In addition, Wheelock was on   
   the air making one on one contacts as his time and work schedule   
   allowed.  Before leaving the ISS, Wheelock recorded a 20 minute video   
   tour of part of the space station that included a live demonstration of   
   his making contacts with hams on Earth.  OIne seemed especially   
   memorable for Commander Wheelock.  Take a listen:   
      
   --   
      
   Contact audio here.  Hear it on the MP3 edition of this weeks newscast   
   downloadable at www.arnewsline.org   
      
   --   
      
   You can hear and see that entire video including the I-S-S tour on-line   
   at tinyurl.com/3yep54f  (ARISS, NASA)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  TWO HAMS IN NEW ISS CREW SOON TO LAUNCH   
      
   Meantime, replacements for the now returned space adventurers will soon   
   be on their way to orbit.  On December 17th a new trio of flight   
   engineers are expected to arrive at the I-S-S following a December 15th   
   launch.  They are identified U.S. astronaut Catherine Coleman, KC5ZTH,   
   the European Space Agency's Paolo Nespoli, whose call is IZ0JPA and   
   Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev.   And we will have more ham radio   
   related space news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.   
   (ARISS, NASA)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW: FCC EXTENDS NEW EAS-CAP COMPLIANCE DEADLINE   
      
   The FCC is giving broadcasters, cable operators, satellite radio and   
   television operators and wireline video service providers more time to   
   implement the next generation emergency alert system.  The commission   
   announced on November 18th that it will move the deadline for compliance   
   from March 29, 2011, to September 30, 2011.   
      
   In 2007, the FCC set a communications industry compliance deadline of   
   180 days after FEMA adopted the standard for the Common Alerting   
   Protocol or C-A-P formatted emergency messages.  Since then the agency   
   has extended that date based on public comment and a specific   
   recommendation by the FCC's Communications Security, Reliability and   
   Interoperability Council.   
      
   This latest extension is to give broadcasters, cable operators and   
   others sufficient time for development, testing and potential   
   certification of the new equipment.  The FCC added that in making the   
   decision that it took into account the cost of buying the new compliant   
   equipment in extending the Common Alerting Protocol adoption deadline.   
      
   While its been reported that a handful of amateur repeaters carry EAS   
   alerts, there is no law or rule that requires them to do so.  (FCC)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO CONFERENCES:  ESA TO AWARD TEN SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS PRESENTING   
   BAT SPACE CONFERENCE   
      
   An Italian astronomic study group has announced that the European Space   
   Agency Education Office has offered ten scholarships.  These for   
   students who present papers at the 1st International Academy of   
   Astronautics Conference on University Satellites Missions and the   
   Cubesat Conference to be held in Rome from January 24th to the 29th of   
   2011.  Students selected by the ESA Education Office will also be   
   reimbursed their conference registration fee and awarded a maximum   
   stipend of 300 Euros to help cover travel and accommodation expenses.   
   More information is on line at tinyurl.com/25wouy5.  (ANS)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  N6GHZ APPOINTED AS AMSAT DIRECTOR OF LAUNCH   
   OPPORTUNITIES   
      
   Some names in the news.  First up is Bill Ress, N6GHZ, of Camino,   
   California.  He  has been appointed to the newly created post as AMSAT's   
   Director of Launch Opportunities by the organizations President Barry   
   Baines, WD4ASW. In his new capacity, Ress will serve as the central   
   point for managing Fox Launch Opportunities, Ride Share Opportunities as   
   well as coordinating AMSAT's presence at small satellite   
   conferences.  Supporting Ress efforts will be a volunteer task force to   
   help coordinate and compile launch information.  (ANS)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  MARK RODWELL TO RECEIVE IEEE-SARNOFF AWARD   
      
   Mark J.W. Rodwell will receive the 2010 I-Triple-E David Sarnoff Award   
   at a meeting in San Francisco in December.  Rodwell is a research   
   scientist who developed indium phosphide heterojunction bipolar   
   transistors that are capable of operating at very high frequencies.   
      
   According to an I-Triple-E release, in doing so Rodwell set the   
   guidelines for further improvements enabling powerful radio, optical   
   communications and imaging applications.  The award specifically   
   recognizes his development of millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave   
   indium phosphide heterojunction  bipolar transistors and associated   
   integrated circuits. (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  VE5TRF NAMED RAC SASKATCHEWAN SM   
      
   And Barry MacKenzie VE5TRF has been appointed Radio Amateurs of   
   Canada's Section Manager for Saskatchewan effective immediately.   
   MacKenzie has a military background, and is the current President of the   
   Moose Jaw Amateur Radio Club, an accredited examiner as well as the   
   clubs webmaster.  MacKenzie's appointment was announced on November   
   20th by Radio Amateurs of Canada's Doug Mercer, VO1DTM, who is the   
   organizations Vice President for Field Services.  (RAC)   
      
   **   
      
   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)   
      
   **   
      
   EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  LONG DELAYED ECHOS CAPTURED ON 40M   
      
   Another case of Long Delayed Echo's of a ham radio signal being   
   heard by the originating station has been reported and this time the ham   
   had enough time to capture the sound to a recording.  Amateur Peter   
   Brogl, DK6NP, reports hearing Long Delayed  Echos on 7 MHz during a   
   geomagnetic storm on November 27th.  This is part of one of the   
   recordings he made:   
      
   --   
      
   Long Delayed Echo audio:  Hear it on the MP3 edition of this weeks   
   newscast downloadable at www.arnewsline.org   
      
   --   
      
   What you just heard was what DK6NP heard forty-six seconds after he   
   transmitted his call sign at 7 MHz, he received an echo of his own   
   transmission.  Brogl said that ast first he thought someone was playing   
   on him so he changed frequency, re-keyed his call and got another echo.   
   This went on for more than an hour, enough time for Brogl to make   
   several recordings.   
      
   Long Delayed Echo's are not a new phenomena.  They were first   
   reported in 1927 by Norwegian civil engineer J=F8rgen Hals but happen   
   rarely and are not really understood.   Most researchers believe that   
   unusual propagation conditions linked to solar storms may be one of many   
   possible explanations. Others can be seen on Shlionskiy's Long Delayed   
   Echo page at tinyurl.com/355lvc6.  Audio recordings made by DJ6NP of the   
   7MHz Long Delayed Echos can be heard at brogl.net/audio.  (Space   
   Weather, Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  UK SPACE AGENCY TO USE  AMSAT-UK FUNCUBE BOARDS ON   
   NEW BIRD.   
      
   The United Kingdom's Space Agency is proposing to use the AMSAT-UK   
   designed FUNcube boards.  This, as part of its innovative new UKube-1   
   CubeSat satellite slated for launch in December 2011.   
      
   The baseline design for this new bird includes a set of FUNcube boards   
   to provide the educational outreach for the project.  AMSAT-UK is   
   presently discussing the precise details of an arrangement with the   
   UKube-1 project team.  If adopted, use of these boards will enable a   
   much higher level service to be provided for Science, Technology,   
   Engineering and Mathematics outreach to schools than would be possible   
   with other spacecraft designs.   
      
   More on this project is on-line at tinyurl.com/27cotj6  (AMSAT-UK)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  VK100WIA - THE FINAL SCORE   
      
   Some interesting statistics from down-under.  This, as the Wireless   
   Institute of Australia closes the logbook on its centenary station   
   VK100WIA.  Graham Kemp, VK4BB, is here with some very interesting   
   numbers:   
      
   --   
      
   With the log book now finalized at 24,440 contacts David Park VK3JDA has   
   carried out some further in-depth analysis of its 611 pages.  The 40   
   meter band had 10,500 contacts, followed in popularity by 80 meters with   
   5,000, 20 meters 4,100 and 2 meters just over 3,000. In fact 12 bands   
   were used by VK100WIA ranging from 160 meters through to 23 cm.   
      
   Looking at the modes used, as would be expected SSB comes up triumphs   
   with 19,000 contacts, and CW got a very good pounding with nearly 1400   
   QSO's logged.  Others listed as modes in the log were AM, IRLP,   
   D-STAR, PSK, JT65C, SSTV, ATV, APRS and one EME or moon bounce contact.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA   
   News in Australia.   
      
   --   
      
   And less we forget a final word of congratulations to our friends at the   
   Wireless Institute of Australia on this 100th anniversary achievement.   
   (WIA News)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  MAJOR SITE RENTAL INCREASE FORCES UK REPEATER TO GO QRT   
      
   The GB3PF 70 centimeter voice repeater near Blackburn in the United   
   Kingdom is be closing down.  This, after its operator, North Western   
   Repeater Group, was notified of a site rental cost increase that would   
   have the club paying more than =A36000 a year for site space.   
   That's over $9300 in U-S dollars and is beyond the means of the   
   small ham radio group.  Until now, the group was paying what was   
   described as a small nominal site rental fee.   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, ZS6SIG has relocated to Nairobi, Kenya is now signing 5Z4EE and   
   will be doing so for the next four years.  He will operational on 160   
   through 10 meters. Please QSL via NV7E or at the address shown for 5Z4EE   
   on QRZ.com.  By the way, this is the same call that he originally held   
   back in the 1980s.   
      
   Russian Robinson Club members NL8F and N3QQ are off to the Marshall   
   Islands to activate three Islands On The Air including a new uninhabited   
   island.  Their operation will continue through December 16th.  QSL   
   V73RRC and V73QQ via N7RO and V73CF via K8NA.   
      
   F1BCS, will be active as portable 3B8 from Mauritius through December   
   17th. His operation will be on 20, 17 and 15 meters using SSB, RTTY and   
   PSK.  QSL per the operator's instructions.   
      
   VK8NSB, is currently in the planning stages at the moment for a   
   DXpedition to Timor-Leste in July 2011. He is inviting any interested   
   amateurs in joining the DXpedition teamto e-mail him at  vk8nsb at   
   hotmail dot com.   
      
   VK4KHZ, is expected to be active as H44DA when he arrives on Guadalcanal   
   Island January 6th.  He will be there through January 16th operating   
   holiday style primarily on 6 meters on a daily basis, subject to   
   favorable conditions.  He may also operate on the High Frequency bands   
   as time permits.  QSL via VK4KHZ.   
      
   DJ2EH is on the air as ZD9T from Tristan da Cunha until December 8th.   
   No operating schedule was made public.  QSL via his home call.   
      
   And lastly, listen out for  VP8SCC to begin transmitting using various   
   digital modes during December.  His operation will be from the Falkland   
   Islands Sea Cadet Corps unit. This is a young person's organization and   
   is run with a nautical theme based on the traditions of the Royal Navy.   
   The VP8SCC station is managed by  VP8CWQ.  QSL to the Falkland Islands   
   Sea Cadet Corps, c/o PO Box 785, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, the Falkland   
   Islands.   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  THE SONY WALKMAN - SK   
      
   And finally this week, as the holiday gift giving season approaches we   
   are kind of sad to report that the famed Sony Walkman will likely be on   
   dealer shelves for the last time this year.  This is because Sony has   
   announced that the thirty-one year old cassette tape based unit is being   
   phased out of production.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant,   
   K6PZW, is here with our final goodbye:   
      
   --   
      
   The Sony Walkman -- the cassette tape player that forever changed music   
   listening habits before becoming outdated by digital MP3 players --  has   
   become a sort of silent key, this after Sony announced on October 25th   
   that it has stopped production of the cassette tape player in Japan -   
   effectively sounding the death knell of the now-obsolete portable audio   
   device.   
      
   If you're looking to put a date in the Walkman's tombstone, then October   
   25, 2010, is as good as any. Perhaps October 23, 2001, the day the Apple   
   iPod was launched, is the better date. But none of the success of   
   Apple's portable music players and those of other manufacturers would   
   have ever happened without the Sony cassette tape Walkman.   
      
   Some 220 million Walkman players were sold since the first model, the   
   TPS-L2, debuted in July 1979.  It was developed under the stewardship of   
   Sony founders Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka.  Morita insisted the device   
   be focused on high quality mobile playback which was considered a   
   relatively odd idea at the time.   
      
   Originally called the "Soundabout" in the U.S., Sony quickly replaced   
   the Soundabout name with the Walkman designation.  It retailed for   
   around $200 was an immediate sensation. In fact, it was quickly hailed   
   by supporters as a total revolution in mobile music listening.   
      
   But more than just portability, the Walkman fostered a personalization   
   of one's music. In fact, the Walkman was also the father of the   
   so-called mixtape. For the first time, music listening was something you   
   could make very personal by arranging songs in the order you wanted to   
   hear to them.  It was also a way of courting a future spouse or love   
   interest during the 1980's and 1990's.   
      
   For those of you too young or simply unfamiliar with this process,   
   making a mixtape typically entailed gathering songs, putting them all on   
   a cassette in the order you wanted them played, labeling the tape with   
   care and giving it to a love interest in school or elsewhere.   
      
   The Walkman didn't disappear as much as it was improved upon by its   
   creators and others. Sony continued to use it as a brand, but the   
   company long ago surrendered style to Apple and the ubiquitous iPod. But   
   one day the iPod will likely go the way of the 45 RPM record, the L.P.   
   and the Walkman. When that happens in some far distant time, that   
   generation will be waxing nostalgic about its passing just as we are   
   today about the Walkman as it becomes a part of electronic history.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, looking   
   for my earphones and cassette tapes in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   The Walkman is survived by the CD-based Sony Discman and hundreds of   
   Chinese-made knock-off tape based players.  It's also revered by   
   those music listeners who think using a Walkman in this day-and-age is   
   charmingly out-of-touch.  (Compiled from various published news reports)   
      
   **   
      
   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 and Australia's WIA News, that's all from   
   the Amateur Radio Newsline(tm).  Our e-mail address is   
   newsline@arnewsline.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   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jeff   
   Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2010.  All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
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   the world, this Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) message has been gated and posted   
   to the Fidonet LS_ARRL echo by Waldo's Place USA, 1:3634/12. We hope you   
   enjoyed it!   
      
   Please address all comments and questions to the ARNewsline editor as   
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   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)