Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1739 - December 10 2010   
      
   Note:  There is some problem on Yahoogroups upsetting the HTML formatting of   
   this weeks newsletter in HTML code, so we are resending in plain text.   
      
   The ARNewsline Team   
      
   **   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1739 with a release date of Friday,   
   December 10th 2010 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T.  ARISS celebrates a decade of International Space   
   Station to schoolroom contacts, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner   
   Coordinators releases its new General Class Question Pool, a roadblock catches   
   unlicensed radio opera   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ARISS CELEBRATES ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY   
      
   Amateur Radio on boards the International Space Station, better known by the   
   acronym ARISS is celebrating the 10th anniversary of student ham radio   
   contacts with crew members on board the orbiting outpost.  We have more in   
   this report:   
      
   --   
      
   On December 21st of the year 2000, astronaut William Shepherd turned from his   
   usual activities aboard the newly occupied International Space Station.    
   Floating over to a ham radio station attached to an I-S-S bulkhead, he called   
   the Burbank School in Burb   
      
   Since that first QSO, the ham operators coming to the Space Station along with   
   their ARISS volunteers on the ground have conducted 565 successful contacts in   
   40 countries and 5 continents.  This has allowed thousands of students to   
   share the excitement of   
      
   ARISS contacts have prompted countless students to seriously consider pursuing   
   science, technology, engineering, and math careers, including becoming an   
   astronaut.  Educational programs and amateur radio clubs established at   
   participating schools continue   
      
   The value of manned amateur radio on-orbit was so apparent to NASA and the   
   Russian Space Agency that the ham radio from orbit became the first experiment   
   to be activated on board I-S-S.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   The use of amateur radio in space began in the early 1980's when Astronaut   
   Owen Garriott, W5LFL, became the first ham to operate from orbit on board the   
   Space Shuttle Columbia.  His ground breaking ham radio from space operation   
   was chronicled in the ARRL   
      
   **   
      
   AMATEUR RADIO TESTING:  NCVEC RELEASES NEW GENERAL CLASS QUESTION POOL   
      
   If you plan to upgrade your ham ticket, listen up.  On Tuesday, December 7th,   
   the Question Pool Committee of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner   
   Coordinators released the new General class question pool also known as the   
   Element 3 exam.  This ne   
      
   The new General pool contains 457 questions, from which 35 are selected for an   
   Element 3 examination.  The current General question pool that became   
   effective July 1, 2007   
   will expire June 30, 2011.   
      
   And for those interested in the other classes of United States ham radio   
   license testing, the current Technician class question pool that became   
   effective on July 1, 2010 is valid through June 30, 2014. The Amateur Extra   
   class pool that was effective July   
      
   **   
      
   BREAKING DX NEWS:  SABLE ISLAND DXPEDITION POSTPONED   
      
   Some breaking news in the world of DX.  This with word that the long awaited   
   Sable Island DXpedition has been postponed.   
      
   According to team spokesman Randy Rowe, N0TG, the group has been advised that   
   the beach at Sable Island will not be suitable for landing at this time. That   
   puts the DXers into the holiday period.  As such they have no choice but to   
   return home, re-group a   
      
   Rowe adds that they will assess the situation over the next couple of weeks   
   and layout our new plan at that time.  Newsline will bring you another update   
   on this long awaited operation as soon as more information is released.    
   (Sable Island DX Team)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO IN SPACE:  SUN DEVELOPS MEGA FILAMENT   
      
   A spectacular filament is reportedly snaking around the sun's southeastern   
   limb.  Spaceweather reports that from end to end, this filament stretches more   
   than 700,000 km.  That's a full solar radius or almost twice the distance from   
   Earth to the Moon.  We   
      
   --   
      
   According to scientists at the Solar  Dynamics Observatory the flare stretches   
   nearly twice the distance between the  Earth and moon.   
      
   The flare, described by astronomers as a filament, is an elongated cloud of    
   cooler gases suspended above the Sun by magnetic forces.  NASA scientists say   
   the solar storm is confined to the Sun and poses no threat to satellites in   
   space or the power grid    
      
    Last month we reported that a Purdue University professor had researched the   
   lack of solar activity in recent years.  His published report indicated that   
   we have not had a sun spot in over 800 days.  Records show that this is the   
   longest solar spot dry s   
      
   Observers are watching to see if we can expect increased sun spot activity.    
   Those operating high frequency amateur radio bands surely hope this is just   
   the beginning of a bright solar future.   
      
   Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Jack Parker, W8ISH   
      
   --   
      
   The massive build up is an easy target for backyard telescopes as long as   
   optical safety precautions to insure no damage to the astronomers eyes.  Solar   
   observers say that the filament holds the potential for an impressive eruption   
   if it happens to collap   
      
   (W8ISH, Spaceweather)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on   
   bulletin stations around the world including the WA3AOP repeater serving   
   Philadelphia Pennsylvania.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   ENFORCEMENT: STATION ISSUED NAL FOR FAILING TO REDUCE NIGHTTIME POWER TO 15   
   WATTS   
      
   The FCC has issued a $6000 Notice of Apparent Liability to Donald Coss, owner   
   of KCKX in Stayton, Oregon.  This for not operating in accordance with the   
   authorized 15 watt nighttime power specified on his license.   
      
   According to the FCC, its Portland office monitored the signal of KCKX before   
   and after local sunset.  Field strength was found to remain constant both   
   before and after sunset on consecutive days last April.  The agent also   
   captured KCKX-AM's relative sig   
      
   A few days later the FCC agent inspected the station at its control point in   
   Woodburn.   
   The commission said that during an interview with the Portland agent, the   
   owner said he was aware of the requirement to reduce operating power at night   
   from 1000 watts down to 15 watts.  But the owner said that it was just too   
   costly to maintain the neces   
      
   Now, in its latest correspondence with the station, the FCC noted that in 2000   
   it's Enforcement Bureau had issued a Notice of Violation to Coss also for   
   failing to reduce the nighttime power of KCKX AM.  It then issued the $6000   
   Notice of Apparent Liabili   
      
   Cross was given the customary time to reply as well as to pay the $6000 Notice   
   of Apparent Liability or to file an appeal.  (FCC)   
      
   **   
      
   ENFORCEMENT:  BRUNAI HOLDS ROADBLOCK TO CATCH UNLICENSED OPS   
      
   Unlicensed mobile radio operators in Brunai, some of whom are hams with   
   expired licenses but still on the air have felt the sting of that nations   
   government enforcement.  This, when several of them were caught in a good old   
   fashioned roadblock on December   
      
   The roadblock was a joint operation conducted by the Authority for Information   
   Communications Technology and the Sengkurong (SEN CURE ONG) Police Station.    
   In only two hour time, all vehicles with an outside antenna mounted to it were   
   stopped and inspecte   
      
   The operation was part of an awareness campaign to urge operators to obtain   
   ham radio licenses and confine their operation to within the confines of the   
   amateur radio bands.  Also, to avoid the possibility of a fine of up to   
   $10,000 and /or three years in   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  FRENCH ATV'ERS CONCERNED OVER NEW SAT NAVAGATION IN 1.2 GHZ BAND   
      
   French amateur television enthusiasts have voiced their concerns over the   
   future of the 1.2 GHz band.  At a recent meeting, the trepidations of the   
   French A-T-V Association were raised regarding the use of the Amateur Radio   
   23cm band by the Galileo and Gl   
      
   The European Union's Galileo system will use 1260 to 1300 MHz while the   
   Russian Federation Glosnass system will be on 1240 to 1260 MHz. Both systems   
   are expected to be operational by 2015 and there is fear among some hams I   
   FDrance that Amateur Television   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO SCIENCE:  RESEARCHERS IN IRELAND PROPOSE HUMAN ANTENNAS   
      
   Turning to an interesting story out of Ireland, scientists are proposing to   
   increase broadband nework availability by making people into walking cell   
   phone towers.  Jim Linton, VK3PC, of the WIA News is here with the rather   
   strange details:   
      
   --   
      
   Researchers at Queen's University Belfast are looking to improve the   
   reliability of modern wireless systems. They believe that humans could be   
   turned into wireless towers to create what they call body-to-body networks.   
      
   A five year research project is investigating how small sensors carried by   
   people could communicate with each other to create a ubiquitous wireless   
   networking paradigm.   
      
   This would provide enhanced bandwidth needed when too many people use their   
   phone in the same cell area, help the service to penetrate weak signal areas   
   or black holes and counteract drop outs that result from interference.   
      
   In a rapidly developing science of body centric communications, new sensors   
   carried by everyone with a mobile phone would interact with each other and   
   wireless devices embedded in local surroundings to transmit data, providing   
   anytime, anywhere mobile net   
      
   The technology also promises to open up the use of wireless communications in   
   a wider range of activities including law enforcement and first responder   
   teams, sports applications through to medical monitoring of patients in their   
   own homes.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Jim Linton, VK3PC.   
      
   --   
      
   While an interesting idea, its likely to be another of those scientific   
   advances that prove to have little practical application.  At least not until   
   scientists first prove conclusively the effect that radiation from cellphones   
   have no adverse affect on t   
      
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO ON THE NET:  NEW FREE SPANISH LANGUAGE HAM RADIO MAGAZINE   
      
   A new Spanish language amateur radio magazine is now available free on the   
   Internet.  Called Radio Noticias, the publication includes information on   
   transceivers, receivers, antennas tests and much more. Also included is news   
   from the worlds of DX, contes   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO EVENTS:  JANUARY 2 2011 IS KIDS DAY   
      
   If you are free on Sunday, January 2nd, consider using the hours of 1800 bto   
   2400 UTC to help introduce youngsters to amateur radio on Kids Day.   
      
   The Kids Day operating event is sponsored by Oregon's Boring Amateur Radio   
   Club in association with the ARRL.  It was created to expose young minds to   
   the magical world of ham radio by putting them on the air under the   
   supervision of a licensed radio amat   
      
   More information about Kids Day can be found on the ARRL website.  That's in   
   cyberspace at kidsday@arrl.org.  (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   MILITARY HAM RADIO:  TWO STORIES IN MULLIGAN LIFESTYLES   
      
   Amateur Radio Military Appreciation is featured in a story in the winter 2010   
   edition of Mulligan Lifestyles Magazine.  Mulligan Lifestyles is a publication   
   that honors our troops, veterans, active duty military, and their families.   
   The story can be found   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  ZL2BHF CELEBRATES 25 YEARS PRODUCING NZART NEWSCAST   
      
   And a word of congratulations to Newsline's own Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.  This as   
   he celebrates a quarter of a century producing and usually voicing the monthly   
   NZART Official Broadcast to New Zealand's national ham radio community.   
      
   The big celebration of this milestone for ZL2BHF takes place on December   
   19th.  For the event Jim has has compiled some memorial broadcasts from   
   presenters that are not with us.  Also, the November to December bi-monthly   
   issue of the NZART magazine Break-   
      
   **   
      
   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 followi   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ARISSAT ONE ENROUTE TO MOSCOW   
      
   ARISSat One is on its way to its launch site.  Late word from AMSAT that the   
   ARISSat One flight hardware and the backup unit are in Germany and are   
   scheduled to be delivered to Moscow on Saturday, December 11th.  Meantime,    
   Lou McFadin, W5DID, and Mark St   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE:  HABEX TO LAUNCH ON DECEMBER 18TH   
      
   South Africa's HABEX team will be launching its third high altitude balloon on   
   December 18th.  The balloon will be carrying various payloads in preparation   
   for a future 2011 launch to serve the educational needs of students 8 schools.   
      
   The payload is made up of 4 separate modular units. The primary function is   
   the on-board controller board that contains an APRS unit.  This will provide   
   real time the balloon location during the mission.  Also, a store and forward   
   or parrot repeater on 43   
      
   The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of   
   Education initiated this project.  Its purpose is to support the Electrical   
   Technology Curriculum and provide expanded opportunities to students in this   
   field.  More is on-line at   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: DISCOVEREY'S LAUNCH DELAYED   
      
   NASA has announced that the 39th planned final flight of the space shuttle   
   Discovery is being pushed back to early February of 2011.  This in order to   
   give engineers more time to determine the root cause of cracks in the   
   shuttle's external fuel tank cover   
   .   
   NASA had been targeting launch for a short window that opens December 17th and   
   closes December 20th.  But Shuttle Program Managers have determined that tests   
   and analyses intended to determine the cause of the cracks would not be   
   complete in time to launc   
      
   The space agency' concern is that such a fracture could cause foam insulation   
   to break loose during launch and damage the shuttle's heat-shield components   
   needed for a safe reentry to the Earth's atmosphere.  (NASA)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  HCJB REACHES RADIO DISTRIBUTION GOAL   
      
   International religious broadcaster HCJB's recent campaign in cooperation with   
   Moody Radio to raise funds to deliver pre-tuned radios to listeners in   
   under-developed regions of the world appears to have succeeded.  According to   
   a press release, enough fun   
      
   The radios were designed by HCJB's Global Technology Center in Elkhart,   
   Indiana in the United States.  Their simple operation is designed to permit   
   listeners to tune in three HCJB partner stations in the target audience   
   region.  (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   THE DXCC PROGRAM:  NUMEROUS OPERATIONS APPROVED   
      
   Bill Moore NC1L, the ARRL DXCC Branch Manager advises that a number of   
   operations are now approved for DXCC credit. They are the 2010 operations as   
   3CèC from Annobon, the 3C9B out of Equatorial Guinea along with the 3V9A,   
   3VèA, TS7TI and the TS8P from Tun   
      
   Going back in time, also approved was the 2009 approved is the TS9A also   
   fromTunisia and the 9Q stroke DK3MO from 2007 out of the Democratic Republic   
   of the Congo.   
      
   If you had any of these operations rejected in recent applications send a note   
   to dxcc at arrl dot org to have your record updated. Once updated, this will   
   be reflected in your Logbook of the World account or in the live, daily DXCC   
   Standings at www.arrl.   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, G7BXU, will be spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in Sierra   
   Leone operating portable 9L.  He will be there from December 19th through   
   January 7th likely using the callsign 9L1BXU. QSL via his home callsign after   
   his return.   
      
   PY2ZX will be active portable PT7 from the PW7T contest station through   
   December 13th.  His operation will be limited to 6 and 2 meters looking mainly   
   for Carribean stations operating weak signal modes and using horizontal   
   polarization.  He will also be c   
      
   NA3J tells Newsline that hew will be operating through December 20th as J3   
   stroke NA3J Maritime Mobile aboard the 50 foot yacht the Yaba Jaba.  His   
   operation will be using SSB and CW on all bands and he will make use of the   
   WARC bands when they're open.     
      
   N1DG was expected to arrive in the United Arab Emirates on December 5th.  He   
   was anticipated to operate from the A61AD station possibly on 12 and 17 meters   
   using CW, SSB and RTTY. Logs will be uploaded to LoTW on his return.   
      
   BX5AA, will be active from Taiwan during the ARRL DX SSB Contest slated for   
   March 5th and 6th.  He says that BX5 is a rare prefix for Taiwan. QSL via   
   BX5AA.   
      
   N2RFA will be on the air as C6ABB from Nassau in the Bahamas between February   
   7th and the 17th. Activity will be on 80/40/20/17 meters.  He plans to operate   
   on some of the Digital modes including PSK31, RTTY and possibly SSTV. QSL via   
   N2RFA   
      
   Lastly, WJ2O, will be active as stroke 6W from Senegal during the ARRL DX CW   
   Contest on February 19th and 20th as a Single-Operator, All-Band, High-Power   
   entry.  Dave told the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that he will arrive in Senegal   
   on February 17th and wil   
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  RADIO CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE   
      
   And finally this week, word from down under of a remarkable new experimental   
   medical procedure.  One that holds the promise of lowering peoples blood   
   pressure through the use of radio waves.  Graham Kemp. VK4BB, of the WIA News   
   has the details of this new   
      
   --   
      
   No not BP as in Broadband over powerlines but BP as in Blood Pressure.  A new   
   procedure which takes just 45 minutes involves a doctor inserting a  catheter   
   into an artery in the upper thigh, then threading it into an artery  next to   
   the kidney.   
      
   There, they use low-power radio waves to heat up and effectively turn off   
   specific nerves which are known to play a role in high blood pressure.   
      
   Professor Markus Schlaich from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in   
   Melbourne was a principal investigator in an international trial which   
   involved 106 patients across 24 separate sites in Europe and Australia.   
      
   After the first ten patients or so were treated, they really were quite   
   confident that this is a fantastic new technology that allows lots of people   
   out there who have trouble with their blood pressure.   
      
   How long will it be before this treatment is available to people in   
   Australia?  They are quite hopeful that certainly within the next year, this   
   radio wave  treatment for High Blood Pressure should be available for clinical   
   use.   
      
   For the vAmateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News in   
   Australia.   
      
   --   
      
   As to when this new procedure might become available in nthe United States?    
   As we go to air, that too, is unknown.  (WIA News)   
      
   **   
      
   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 a   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don Carlson,   
   KQ6FM, in Reno, Nevada, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2010.  All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
   As a service to the HAM Radio Community and HAM Radio Operators all around   
   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   
   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.   
      
   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)