Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1883 - September 13 2013 Amateur   
   Radio Newsline report number 1883 with a release date of September 13   
   2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST.  New Zealand and   
   Japan sign a new reciprocal operating agreement; unlicensed operations   
   on 2 meters in Europe becomes a growing problem due to cheap hand held   
   radios; a wildfire in Northern California destroys several repeaters; a   
   move to restructure the FCC passes the House pf Representatives and a   
   pair of solar powered pico balloons set a new European flight endurance   
   record.  Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report   
   number 1883 coming your way right now.   
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
   ** WORLDBEAT:  RECIPROCAL LICENSING AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN NEW   
   ZEALAND AND JAPAN New Zealand and Japan have signed an agreement   
   formalizing reciprocal licensing between the two countries. Amateur   
   Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports: --   
   Under the agreement the New Zealand General Amateur Operators   
   Certificate will be recognized as equivalent to the Japanese First   
   Class Radio Operator's qualification and a New Zealand Amateur will be   
   will be permitted to establish and operate a station as an amateur   
   radio operator in Japan. Similarly the Japanese First and Second Class   
   Radio Operator's qualification will be recognized as holding the   
   equivalent to the New Zealand General Amateur Operators Certificate.    
   This means that the holder of a Japanese First or Second Class Radio   
   Operator's qualification visiting New Zealand may operate for up to 90   
   days using their Japanese assigned call sign, with the addition of the   
   ZL prefix. Not included in the agreement are Japan's Third and Fourth   
   Class amateur license holders because there appear to be no New Zealand   
   licenses with equivalent levels of qualification. For the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, on the South Island in Nelson, New   
   Zealand. -- No date was announced for when this new reciprocal   
   licensing agreement will take effect. (NZART) ** ENFORCEMENT:   
   UNLICENSED OPERATIONS DISCOVERED ON 2 METERS IN EUROPE The August issue   
   of the International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring System newsletter   
   reports the amateur 2 meter band in Europe is being used illegally by   
   unlicensed stations using what are described as cheap hand held   
   transceivers. The monitoring service says it has already received   
   reports from several countries about unlicensed operators using VHF FM   
   handhelds in the 144 MHz band.  These include such wide ranging   
   activities as taxi-nets in the Canary Islands, fishery operations in   
   the Bay of Biscay and a number of undefined private users in Germany.   
   The IARU Monitoring System asks that all radio amateurs to be aware of   
   this situation.  Additionally they should inform their relevant   
   national authorities when this type of activity is encountered.   Also   
   to please log their reports of any amateur band intruders online at   
   tinyurl.com/2-meter-intruder-watch. (IARU-R1) ** RADIO HAZARD:    
   CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE TAKES NUMEROUS REPEATERS OFF THE AIR AND DESTROYS   
   SEVERAL A wildfire in Contra Costa County, California that started on   
   September 8th forced the evacuation of at least 100 homes.  It also   
   took a cluster of repeaters primarily serving the San Francisco Bay   
   area off the air.  Four of the repeaters are owned by the Mt. Diablo   
   Amateur Radio Club.  They were the lucky ones because all they lost was   
   power to their systems.  Jim Siemons, AF6PU, is a spokesman for the   
   club: -- AF6PU:  "MDARC has three ATV repeaters on 440, 900 MHz ans 1.2   
   GHz and an APRS Digipeater ob 144.390 MHz. There are other buildings up   
   on the hill which are being fed by generators and the owner of the site   
   is going to string additional power lines to feed our vault and we   
   might be back on the air by this weekend. (ed Note:  That would be   
   Sept. 15th.) --   
   According to Siemons, the clubs W6CX APRS digipeater was only recently   
   moved to the north peak of Mount Diablo after vandals toppled the   
   communications tower which was the systems home on another peak known   
   as Rocky Ridge.   
   Not so lucky on Mt. Diablo were several other repeaters housed in   
   another container.  This included the K6MDD D-Star repeaters, the W6UUU   
   MotoTRBO repeater, and one of the sites of the Cactus Intertie.  The   
   latter is a privately owned amateur radio system made up of a large   
   number of remotely controlled FM base stations that are interconnected   
   utilizing full duplex links.  This includes the system on Mt. Diablo.    
   According to AF6PU, salvaging anything from that site is unlikely: --   
   AF6PU:  "They were actually closest to where the fire went into the   
   vault and firefighters were able to put the fire out but they had to   
   break into the vault and spray water all over the equipment so it   
   appears to be a total loss." -- Siemons said that it was only thanks to   
   the firefighters who risked their lives in fighting the Mt. Diablo fire   
   that most of the radio sites were saved: -- AF6PU: "The efforts of the   
   firefighters up there were incredible.  I was watching them drive   
   around through my binoculars and was monitoring their tactical channels   
   and I can tell you that they put themselves in a position that no   
   normal person would put themselves in to try and save the   
   communications towers that are on the North and South peaks of Mt.    
   Diablo." -- As this newscast is being prepared firefighters were   
   calling the blaze as being only 20 percent contained with no control   
   date mentioned. (AF6PU, MDARC, published News Reports) ** RADIO LAW:   
   FIRST RESTRUCTURING MEASURE PASSES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The United   
   States House of Representatives has passed the first of two FCC reform   
   bills by a 415 to nothing vote. The FCC Consolidated Reporting Act is   
   co-sponsored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman   
   Greg Walden, W7EQI, Representative Ranking Member Anna Eshoo and   
   Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise.  The measure consolidates what   
   are now eight separate reports required by Congress on the industries   
   regulated by the commission into one biennial report.  The measure   
   known as H.R. 2844 also eliminates four outdated reports, including one   
   on the status of competition in the telegraph industry that dates back   
   to 1934. Meanwhile, lawmakers are still working on another FCC reform   
   bill which would, among other things, establish more shot clocks for   
   proceedings along with requiring the agency to publish the full text of   
   a rule for public comment before a commission vote.  A shot clock is   
   used in some sports to quicken the pace of a given athletic event game.   
    In this case the game is speeding up the activities of the FCC.  (RW,   
   TVT, other news reports) ** RADIO LAW:  NAB OPPOSES CERTAIN CHANGES TO   
   RF EXPOSURE REGULATIONS The National Association of Broadcasters has   
   come out in opposition to a pair of proposed changes to the FCC's RF   
   exposure rules as outlined in ET Dockets 13-84 and 03-137.  The trade   
   association is focusing specifically on a suggestion to reduce the   
   allowable amount of RF emissions for so-called transient persons near a   
   radiating antenna.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has   
   the details: -- Currently, the FCC allows broadcasters to treat   
   transient people or persons, which include untrained employees or   
   members of the public, the same as RF-trained employees. This is   
   provided such transients are made aware of their possible exposure and   
   such exposure is only brief and not normally repeated.  The transient   
   exception only applies to controlled environments, like fenced areas   
   near tower sites or antennas on rooftops with locked access. Under   
   changes to the RF exposure rules the FCC recently adopted, workers in   
   controlled environments must be made aware of their possible exposure   
   by verbal or written communication and must receive training on how   
   they can control their exposure.  The stricter general population   
   uncontrolled exposure limits typically apply to situations where   
   members of the public or employees have no or little knowledge of   
   potential exposure and little means to mitigate their exposure.   
   According to NAB Instead of applying the occupational or controlled   
   limits to such transients, the FCC proposal would instead apply a newly   
   created, and effectively undefined, general population controlled   
   limit. This in turn would likely require significant and costly changes   
   to the way licensees comply with RF exposure rules. The broadcast lobby   
   group also disagree with the FCC proposal that transient people should   
   be supervised by trained occupational personnel within the controlled   
   area where the general population limit is exceeded. For the Amateur   
   Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kindord, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio. --   
   Comments on further changes were due to ET Dockets 13-84 and 03-137   
   were due to the Commission.  by Sept. 3rd.  Reply comments are still   
   open with a cutoff date of November 1st.  (RW) ** BREAK 1 Time for you   
   to identify. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin   
   stations around the world including the KC2DAA repeater serving Mount   
   Beacon New York. (5 sec pause here)   
   ** DISTRACTED DRIVING:  NHSTA ISSUES VOLUNTARY DISTRACTED DRIVING   
   FUTURE ELECTRONIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES A new set of voluntary   
   guideless for the operation of future vehicle electronics has been   
   issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Amateur   
   Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more: -- The National   
   Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its visual-manual   
   driver distraction guidelines for electronic devices in vehicles.  They   
   apply to original, in-vehicle electronic devices used by the driver to   
   perform secondary tasks where the driver must look at a device,   
   manipulates a related control with his or her hand and watches for   
   visual feedback.  Communications, entertainment, information gathering   
   and navigation fall under this umbrella.  Although the guidelines apply   
   to new technology, they also are applicable to common electronic   
   devices referred to as conventional information or communications   
   systems, such as AM/FM radios, satellite radios, CD players, cassette   
   players and MP3 players. The National Highway Traffic Safety   
   Administration believes some secondary tasks also interfere with a   
   driver's ability to control the car safely.  Two examples would be   
   displaying video or scrolling text. Other activities the National   
   Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers distracting include   
   displaying video not related to driving, automatically scrolling text,   
   large amounts of static text for reading and manual text entry. The   
   guidelines recommend these devices be designed to lock out the driver's   
   ability to access them at a certain point if the vehicle is moving.    
   However they would not  mean to block simple map displays and related   
   text, so long as the material is displayed in a safe manner. The bottom   
   line according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is   
   that any task performed by a driver should be interruptible at any   
   time, and that the driver, not the device, should control the pace of   
   task interactions. How this could all impact on the development of the   
   next generation of add-on mobile two-way radio gear including rigs used   
   by ham radio operators can not even be speculated on at this time, but   
   simplified eyes on the road operation will be most likely   
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline' Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los   
   Angeles. -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a   
   part of the Department of Transportation.    It issued these   
   nonbinding, voluntary guidelines to promote safety by discouraging the   
   introduction of excessively distracting devices in vehicles.  You can   
   find the entire 281 page set of guidelines on the agency's website   
   www.nhtsa.gov and on the Department of Transportation's distracted   
   driving website distraction.gov.  (RW, NHTSA, DoT)   
   ** RADIO LAW:  POWAY CALIFORNIA MAY LOOSEN ITS HAM RADIO ANTENNA   
   REGULATIONS Some good news for hams living in Poway, California.  At a   
   meeting on Tuesday September 3rd the Poway City Council took action to   
   assure about fifty local amateur radio operators that the regulatory   
   body will take a serious look at revising local planning codes.  This   
   to make certain that they conform with federal laws including PRB One   
   regarding the placement of antennas on private property. Currently the   
   city requires every antenna installation to go through a minor   
   development review application process, which costs the applicant $719.   
    In late 2005 the council gave its preliminary approval to some   
   changes, but never followed through with the final adoption. Now, all   
   five council members have agreed that the application fee should be   
   waived or at least significantly reduced.  They then instructed the   
   city staff to return in 30 days with a plan and timeline for the   
   regulation review. The radio operators were invited to the meeting by   
   Poway Mayor Don Higginson.  They reportedly applauded at the end of the   
   discussion. (pomeradonews.com) ** RESCUE RADIO: NM HAMS AID IN SEARCH   
   FOR MISSING FIREFIGHTER Ham radio was involved in a search for a   
   missing firefighter found dead Friday, September 6th atop a New Mexico   
   mesa, where he apparently had crashed his All Terrain Vehicle. Hundreds   
   of volunteers, firefighters, search and rescue teams and the Civil Air   
   Patrol had spent a week combing some 50 square miles of steep canyons   
   looking for Token Adams.  Adams was a 41-year-old U.S. Forest Service   
   fighter who disappeared August 30th while checking a report of smoke.   
   Some of those involved in the search effort included Sandoval and    
   Bernalillo County ARES Members.  New Mexico Section Emergency   
   Coordinator  Michael Scales, K5SCA, and Section Manager, Bill Kauffman,   
   W5YEJ, were both directly involved in the search mission. (W5WHN) **   
   RESCUE RADIO:  NEW WILLIAMSON COUNTY TEXAS EOC INCLUDES HAM RADIO A new   
   $18 million Emergency Operations Center in Williamson County, Texas,   
   will provide a room for amateur radio operators.   
   Jarred Thomas is the Emergency Management Coordinator.  He says that   
   local amateur radio operators will also have a room in which to gather.   
    He notes that natural disasters such as a 1997 F 5 tornado with winds   
   in excess of 200 miles per hour is in part the reason for the Emergency   
   Operations Center's existence. The new nerve center will be command   
   central for major emergencies and also houses the county's 911   
   communications department, which had outgrown its home at the sheriff's   
   office.  A large conference center and separate room for media are also   
   included at the EOC. More is on the web at tinyurl.com/hams-at-new-eoc.   
    (The Statesman) ** RADIO BUSINESS:  AMERICAN TOWER TO ACQUIRE GLOBAL   
   TOWER PARTNERS If you own a repeater or remote station sited on a tower   
   or other structure operated by Global Tower Partners you will likely   
   soon have a new landlord.  This with word that American Tower   
   Corporation has announced an agreement to acquire the outstanding   
   common membership interests of MIP Tower Holdings LLC, for a purchase   
   price of approximately $4.8 billion.  MIP is the parent company of   
   Global Tower Partners, and its related companies American Tower says it   
   expects that the acquisition of the MIP Tower holdings portfolio will   
   generate approximately $345 million in revenues and approximately $270   
   million of gross margin in 2014. The transaction is subject to   
   customary regulatory and closing conditions.  If all goes as expected   
   the purchase will likely be completed in the fourth quarter of this   
   year.  (American Tower, Global Tower Partners, RW) ** RADIO BUSINESS:    
   FUTURE AES SUPERFEST CANCELLED The annual March Amateur Electronic   
   Supply Superfest is no more.  In an e-mail posted to the Chicago's   
   NS9RC North Shore Amateur Radio Club remailer, Don Whitman, KK9H, says   
   that he learned from AES employee Ray Grenier, K9KHW, that there would   
   no longer be an AES Superfest held in Milwaukee.   
   Grenier, who spoke to Whitman at the recent Radio Expo convention   
   reportedly mentioned several factors that led to the decision to   
   abandon future Superfests.  Among these are the high prices for   
   gasoline that has curtailed the number of Illinois residents that drive   
   up to Wisconsin for the event.  Also there has been a drop in the   
   number of commercial exhibitors willing to come due to increased   
   expenses and the difficulty of finding interesting speakers. (KC9RP,   
   NS9RC) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2TRR JOINS BURK TECHNOLOGY Burk   
   Technology has announced that it has added former Buckley Broadcasting   
   and WOR - AM Director of Engineering Tom Ray, W2TRR,  to its team.     
   Burk Technology designs, builds and sells high-quality electronics that   
   monitor and control mission-critical facilities and functions. During   
   his 15 years tenure WOR AM in New York, Tom Ray rebuilt the facility   
   and made WOR the first high-power AM HD radio station in the country.    
   He is a regular contributor to the trade publication Radio World, has   
   published several papers for the National Association of Broadcasters   
   Engineering Conference, has been on the Society of Broadcast Engineers   
   board and was chairman of SBE Chapter 15 in New York City for nine   
   years. Currently, W2TRR owns Tom Ray Broadcast Consulting in New   
   Windsor, New York.  His QRZ.com bio says that he is a member of the   
   Orange County New York Amateur Radio Club and the Broadcast Engineering   
   Amateur Radio Society which is run by ABC Radio and Television. Ray   
   also operates an APRS digipeater and i-gate station. The home station   
   call is W2TRR and mobile operation is as W2TRR-9.  (RW, QRZ) ** HAM   
   HAPPENINGS:  CONTEST UNIVERSITY 2014 IN DAYTON OHIO Its never to early   
   to plan for the future and in that vein comes word that Contest   
   University 2014 will be held next May 15th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in   
   Dayton, Ohio. According to organizer K3LR, if you stayed at the Crowne   
   Plaza for the 2013 event, filled out a 2014 reservation form and   
   dropped it off at the registration desk, then you should already have   
   an e-mail confirmation from the hotel for your 2014 reservation. If not   
   and you would like to reserve a room contact the hotel directly and use   
   the code CON.  The base room rate for the Contest room University is   
   $139.00 per night. Hamvention 2014 runs from May 16th to the 18th with   
   separate ansulary activities like Contest University taking place   
   earlier in the week. (Contest University) ** BREAK 2 This is ham radio   
   news for today's radio amateur.  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:  STANFORD SOLAR   
   SCIENTISTS SOLVE ONE OF THE SUN'S MYSTERIES Solar scientists at   
   Stanford University in California have solved one of the few remaining   
   fundamental mysteries of how the sun works.  And its something that   
   hams will want to know as it does affect propagation.  Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details: -- According to   
   researchers, the mechanism in question is known as meridional flow and   
   is said to work something like a conveyor belt. Magnetic plasma   
   migrates on the sun's surface from the equator to the poles.  It then   
   cycles into the sun's interior on its way back to the equator.  The   
   rate and depth beneath the surface of the sun at which this process   
   occurs is critical for predicting the sun's magnetic and flare   
   activity, but has remained largely unknown until now. To find out how   
   it actually worked, researchers used the Stanford-operated Helioseismic   
   and Magnetic Imager or HMI instrument onboard NASA's Solar Dynamic   
   Observatory to track solar waves in much the way seismologists would   
   study seismic movements beneath the surface of the Earth.  Every 45   
   seconds for the past two years, the HMI's Doppler radar recorded images   
   of plasma waves moving across the sun's surface which were then radioed   
   back to Earth.  By identifying patterns of sets of waves, the   
   scientists could recognize how the solar materials move from the sun's   
   equator toward the poles, and how they return to the equator through   
   the sun's interior. One startling discovery is that the equator-ward   
   flow is actually sandwiched between two layers of poleward flowing   
   currents.  This is a more complicated mechanism than previously   
   thought.  Its also one that could help refine predictions of the sun's   
   activity. For example, some computer models projected that the current   
   solar cycle would be strong, but observations have since showed it is   
   actually much weaker than the previous cycle. This inconsistency could   
   be due to the previously unknown inaccuracies of the meridional   
   circulation mechanism used in the simulations. For the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania. -- The   
   report was published in the online edition of The Astrophysical Journal   
   Letters.  (Space & Science) ** RADIO IN SPACE:  US RESEARCH PROBE HEADS   
   TOWARD THE MOON More than 40 years after the last Apollo astronauts   
   left the moon, NASA has launched a small robotic spacecraft to   
   investigate Earths primary satellite.  The Ladee spacecraft, which is   
   charged with studying the lunar atmosphere and dust, soared aloft   
   aboard a Minotaur launch vehicle rocket a little before midnight on   
   Friday, September 6th with its destination being the moon. Ladee is a   
   acronym for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer mission.   
    It is using the so-called sling-shot effect of Earth's gravity to   
   propel it to moon.  This by it making three increasingly larger   
   circuits around our home planet before getting close enough to transfer   
   into a lunar orbit.  Because of this the spacecraft will require a full   
   month to reach Earth's closest neighbor. Ladee, which is the size of a   
   small car, is expected to reach the moon on October 6th.  Researchers   
   hope to use it to learn the composition of the moon's weak atmosphere   
   and how it might change over time.  Another puzzle, dating back   
   decades, is whether dust rises of its own accord  from the lunar   
   surface. To accomplish its mission the Ladee spacecraft carries three   
   scientific research instruments.  And in addition to traditional radio   
   gear it is also carrying a. experimental Laser communications package   
   that could revolutionize data relay.  NASA wants to experiment with   
   this system to see if it might eventually be able to replace its   
   traditional RF based communications with coherent modulated light   
   transmission that might afford greater bandwidth using significantly   
   less power and smaller devices.  For now, data gathered by Ladee will   
   reportedly be sent back to Earth using both systems. The $280 million   
   moon-orbiting operation will last six months. It will end when the   
   spacecraft is commanded to make a final plunge to the surface of the   
   moon.  More about Ladee mission is on the web at   
   tinyurl.com/back-to-the-moon  (NASA, guardian.com, ) ** ON THE AIR:   
   CELEBRATING HUNGARY'S TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THEODORE PUSKAS On the air,   
   listen out for HA75KBF which is on the air celebrating the 75th   
   anniversary of the amateur radio club at Hungary's  Technical College   
   of Theodore Puskas. If you work them, QSL via the clubs regular call   
   sign of HA5BKF.  (Via e-mail) ** DX In DX, Bill Moore, NC1L, the ARRL   
   Awards Branch Manager, reports that the current JY9FC operation   
   beginning this past August has been approved for DXCC credit.  If you   
   have a card for that operation now is the time to submit it. HA3JB will   
   be operational slash 4O  from Montenegro between September 23rad to the   
   30th.  Activity will be on CW, RTTY and SSB.  QSL via HA3JB direct   
   N4WDT and K4ZIN are planning to on the air from Sierra Leone between   
   October 16th and the 21st.  They are currently waiting for a license   
   approval and plan to operate 160 through 10 meters with a focus on 30,   
   17 and 12 meters as well as the lower bands. QSL electronically via   
   Logbook of the World or via their home callsigns. OH6KZP, will be   
   active as CR2X from the Azores during the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest   
   on October 26th and 27th.  This, as a   
   Single-Operator/All-Band/High-Power entry. Before the contest begins he   
   may be on signing his own call portable CT8.  QSL via OH2BH. DJ7RJ will   
   be active stroke  FR from Reunion Island between September 28th and   
   November 2nd.  His operation will be on 160 through 10 meters using CW   
   and SSB.  QSL via DJ7RJ, direct or by the bureau. Lastly, K7AR will be   
   active as E51AAR from Rarotonga in the  South Cook Islands, between   
   October 21st and the 26th.  His operation will be mainly using RTTY but   
   he will also participate in the CQWW DX SSB Contest.  Log will be   
   uploaded to Logbook of the World upon his return home.  QSL via K7AR,   
   direct or by the Bureau. (Above courtesy of various DX news sources) **   
   EMERGING TECHGNOLOGY:  SOLAR POWERED PICO BALLOONS SET NEW ENDURANCE   
   RECORD A pair of solar powered pico balloons launched from the United   
   Kingdom have set what appears to be an all time endurance record over   
   Europe.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the latest on   
   the flights of B-11 and B-12: -- United Kingdom experimenter Leo Bodnar   
   in cooperation with members of Europe's ham radio community has set   
   some interesting records flying radio equipped pico balloons.  His   
   latest, simply called B-11 and B-12 were launched by Leo from the town   
   of Silverstone on September 1 and 2 respectively.  As of late on   
   September 9th, both balloons were still in the air transmitting in the   
   Domino EX 16 data mode on 434.500 MHz USB. During their long duration   
   record-breaking flights, the two balloons have between them flown over   
   most countries in Europe. B-11 was last reported over Turkey and B-12   
   over the Ukraine.  Both balloons are powered by small solar panels   
   which recharge a tiny on-board battery.  Unfortunately, B-12 did suffer   
   a battery failure so it only transmits when in sunlight. As this   
   newscast goes to air, both pico balloons have so far floated at least   
   1550 miles from their launch point could still be in-flight.  Keep an   
   eye on leobodmar.com/balloons for the latest. From the other side of   
   the world, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the newsroom in Los Angeles.   
   -- Pico balloons do not go to extremes altitudes but instead float at   
   anywhere between 6500 to 26000 feet for an extended period of time.    
   From those heights above sea level their 434 MHz transmitters can have   
   a radio range of up to 250 miles depending on line of sight.  You can   
   see the tracks of these latest radio equipped pico balloons on the web   
   at tinyurl.com/b11-b12-flight.  (Southgate, Leo Bodnar Balloons) **   
   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 For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the   
   editors' desk, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, near Houston, Texas, 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   
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   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)