Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1746 - January 28 2011   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1746 with a release date of Friday,   
   January 28, 2011 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST.  A Georgia ham radio group receives praise for its   
   rescue radio work during a snowstorm, an amateur radio emergency response unit   
   in Alaska looses its communications trailer to Mother Nature, Brazil's   
   military praises ham radio for   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  GEORGIA ARES GROUP PRAISED FOR STORM RESPONSE   
      
   A quick response by hams in Georgia during a recent snowstorm has brought   
   words of praise from civic leaders.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley,   
   KI7UP, is here with the details:   
      
   --   
      
   Local emergency workers in Cherockee County Georgia who received a major   
   assist from a group of volunteer ham radio operators during the snowstorm that   
   covered the region are singing their praises of the radio amateurs in the   
   area.  The group receiving th   
      
   According to Robby Westbrook, director of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office   
   Division of Emergency Management, the ham radio group is an invaluable   
   resource during the severe weather.  Westbrook said that the hams began   
   radioing in reports when the storm first   
      
   County Commissioner Jim Hubbard works closely with the amateur radio group.    
   He said its members were a big help in the storm's first 30 hours.  Hubbard   
   noted that the group provided the Emergency Operations Center with a good   
   overview of how hard the reg   
      
   Jim Millsap, WB4NWS, of Woodstock, Georgia is the Emergency Coordinator for   
   Cherokee County ARES.  He told a local newspaper the group's mission is to   
   support Westbrook and the Emergency Operations Center staff any time a   
   disaster happens.  He added that    
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, watching this one from   
   Scottsdale, Arizona   
      
   --   
      
   More about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service club is on line at   
   www.Cherokee-ares.org   
      
   (Cherokee Tribune)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  ALASKA CLUB LOOSES EMCOMM TRAILER TO MOTHER NATURE   
      
   A windstorm has destroyed a mobile ham radio emergency communications trailer   
   in Alaska.  According to a posting on Q-R-Zed dot com by District Emergency   
   Coordinator Don Bush, KL7JFT, the Matanuska Amateur Radio Association lost its   
   vehicle in the wind st   
      
   Bush says that the trailer was originally purchased with a grant from the   
   Anchorage Amateur Radio Club along with donations received from various   
   members and organizations in Alaska.  Not having any insurance on it, Bush   
   says that the club does not know i   
      
   A fund has been set up to try to raise funds to replace the destroyed   
   vehicle.  Itds on-line ay www dot kl7jfu dot com.  (KL7JFT, QRZ.com)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA NOW OFFICIAL INFO PROVIDER   
      
   A broadcast service down-under has become the latest provider of emergency   
   alert information.  Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News has more:   
      
   --   
      
   Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner has    
   welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the New South Wales   
   Government, making commercial radio stations official providers of  emergency   
   services information.   
      
   Ms. Warner said the NSW memorandum of understanding follows a similar   
   arrangement with the Victorian,  South Australian and Queensland Governments.    
   The industry has argued for some time for commercial radio to be included  and   
   promoted as an official pro   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Grahm Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News in   
   Australia.   
      
   --   
      
   This new agreement makes it easier to alert the public in times of   
   emergencies.  (WIA News)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  BRAZILIAN MILITARY PRAISES HAMS IN WAKE OF MASSIVE FLOODS   
      
   Civil Defense forces in Brazil have praised the efforts of a local group of   
   amateur radio enthusiasts.  This after the hams helped them co-ordinate the   
   rescue efforts in the first hours after the landslides brought on by flooding.   
      
   According to a report on the BBC News website, Lt Col Roberto Robadey said   
   that without the help from the Brazilian ham community that his command   
   couldn't have done anything in those first two days.   
      
   Robadey said that the ham radio operators took their gear to key points to   
   provide a communication link between rescue groups.  Since them, the Brazilian   
   Air Force said it was installing a communication centre in Itaipava, so people   
   could make phone calls   
      
   About 100 soldiers have also been deployed to the Cuiaba valley, which has   
   been cut off since the heaviest downpours in 44 years tore through the   
   mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro.  Officials say at least 600 people are   
   known to have died in the floods   
      
   The full BBC story on this ham radio first responder effort in Brazil is   
   on-line at Read the full BBC News story at tinyurl.com/BrazilRescue   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NANOSAIL-D HEARD BY HAMS IN HUNTSVILLE   
      
   Some good news on the health of the NanoSail-D spacecraft.  The Marshall   
   Amateur Radio Club WA4NZD in Huntsville, Alabama, has confiirmed ejection and   
   activation of the NanoSail-D sub-satellite.   
      
   The WA4NZD team of Stanley Simms, N4PMF, and Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, along with   
   NanoSail-D Principal Investigator Dean Alhorn were listening on 437.275 MHz FM   
   at the club station on Wednesday, January 19th.  That's when the NanoSail-D   
   beacon was heard and subs   
      
   The only communication from the NanoSail-D vehicle is via ham radio with 1200   
   baud FM AX.25 beacon packets.  Controllers are asking for telemetry reception   
   reports from all over the world to help track the bird.  They say that the   
   solar sail was to deploy   
      
   This loaf-of-bread sized spacecraft was carried to orbit late last year on an   
   Air Force rocket as part of NASA's FastSat project.  It has now become the   
   first successful deployment of a satellite, launched from a satellite already   
   in orbit.   
      
   NanoSail-D is expected stay in low-Earth orbit between 70 and 120 days,   
   depending on atmospheric conditions.  The satellite is expected to eventually   
   de-orbit itself and re-enter the earth's atmosphere.  More information on this   
   project is on-line at wa4n   
      
   (WA4ZND Release)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISSAT 1 SET FOR TRIP TO THE ISS   
      
   The ARISSat-1 space craft is mounted in the Progress vehicle at Baikonur and   
   the hatch sealed.   
      
   Progress flight 41P is scheduled to lift off on Friday, January 28th. Due to   
   the newly announced launch date of shuttle flight STS-133, the space walk to   
   deploy ARISSat-1 has been moved up to February 16th.   
      
   A NASA press release describes the plans for ARISSat-1 in an article about   
   planned Russian EVAs from the ISS is available at tinyurl.com/6kceotn.   
      
   NASA TV has already run a program featuring ARISSat-1.  Watch for repeat   
   playback in coming days.  And we will have more ham radio space related news   
   later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.   
      
   (ANS, NASA, WA4SXM)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on   
   bulletin stations around the world including the KD1RJ  repeater serving   
   Fairfield, Connecticut   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RADIO POLITICS:  ARRL HOLDS ANNUAL BOD MEETING   
      
   The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2011 Annual Meeting January on 21st and   
   22nd in Windsor, Connecticut.  At the meeting, the Board set its new   
   legislative objectives for the 112th Congress, re-elected the ARRL Executive   
   Committee, bestowed various tech   
      
   A detailed look at all the Board's actions, including the official minutes   
   from the meeting, will be available in the near future.  Keep an eye on the   
   front news page at www dot arrl dot org for the latest updates.   
      
   (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW:  ROCKEFELLER REINTRODUCES INTEROPERABLE RADIO BILL TO SENATE   
      
   Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia has reintroduced   
   legislation that would re-allocate a chunk of spectrum to public safety   
   officials.  This, for the creation of a national broadband interoperable   
   network.   
      
   Rockefeller said the bill mirrors the measure he offered last Congress.  One   
   that would re-allocate the so-called D-block of spectrum to public safety   
   officials instead of auctioning it off to commercial bidders as the Federal   
   Communications Commission ha   
      
   Rockefeller noted that with the upcoming 10th anniversary of the September 11,   
   2001, al-Quida terrorist attacks on the Uniuted States, Congress needs to   
   takes the steps necessary to implement a recommendation by the commission that   
   investigated those atta   
      
   As you are likely aware, the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center   
   in New York City and on the Pentgon highlighted the problems first responders   
   had in trying to communicate with each other during emergencies.  With each   
   responding service usin   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW:  VERIZON SUES THE FCC OVER NET NEUTRALITY DECISION   
      
   Ham radio could have a vested interest in the outcome of Verizon   
   Communications challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's   
   controversial net neutrality order.  This as the telecommunications giant   
   becomes what likely will be the first of company   
      
   --   
      
   A legal challenge from one or more of the nations telecommunications and   
   broadband providers to the recent FCC order mandating Net Neutrality was   
   widely expected.  This after the FCC has said it thinks Congress enabled it to   
   pursue its Net Neutrality rule   
      
   In simple terms, Net Neutrality means that service providers must treat all   
   traffic on their networks equally and cannot speed up or slow down consumer   
   access to any web destination based on network usage of that customer.  It   
   also effectively bans tiered   
      
   The Verizon appeal is the first step that will begin a chain of legal   
   maneuvering that will initiate a lawsuit that will be heard in the same court   
   that last year struck down the FCC's earlier attempt at enforcing Net   
   Neutrality rules.  Verizon and other    
      
   Another challenge to the FCC's Net Neutrality decision is likely to come from   
   the Republican lead House Energy and Commerce Committee.  It has already   
   announced that undoing Net Neutrality through a resolution of disapproval   
   under the Congressional Review   
      
   What this might eventually mean to ham radio is simple.  More and more   
   communications technologies are being developed where interlinking of signals   
   and control of remote stations forces the need for more and more bandwidth.    
   Some on a full time basis.  I   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF in the Newsroom in   
   Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   In its filing Verizon argues that the FCC does not have the legal authority to   
   mandate how Internet service providers treat content on their networks.  For   
   its part, the FCC says that its mandate is to oversee all aspects of   
   telecommunications in the Unit   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLYLAND CONTEST   
      
   The Israel Amateur Radio Club has announced that it will be sponsoring a   
   special 3 month on the air activity.  This, to commemorate the Holyland   
   Contest's 20th anniversary.   
      
   Operation begins on February 1st and runs through April 30th.  Two stations   
   will be on CW, SSB and the Digital modes using the special callsigns 4X20HC   
   and 4Z20HC.  All QSL's go via 4Z4TL.  For more details about the Holyland   
   Contest take your web browser   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  2011 SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION APRIL 15 - 16   
      
   The South African Radio League's 2011 National Convention will have two clubs   
   as its host.  The show which is slated for April 15th and 16th in the city of   
   Vaal will be jointly sponsored by the Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Amateur   
   Radio Clubs.   
      
   The two organizations say that they are aiming to make the convention the   
   biggest get-together of South African radio amateurs in years.  Among the   
   attractions is a Saturday afternoon visit to the Bloemendal medium wave radio   
   broadcast station near the ci   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  BLACKROCK CASTLE OBSERVATORY IRELAND FEB 19 - 20   
      
   And Ireland's North Cork Radio Group will be active the call EI1NC/P on   
   February 19th and 20th.  This from the Blackrock Castle Observatory which is a   
   16th century Castle located 4km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of   
   the river Lee.  The Castle h   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  ANNUAL GATHERING AT M2 ANTENNA SYSTEMS   
      
   Closer to home, the 13th annual ham radio gathering at M2 Antenna Systems is   
   now set for Saturday, March 19th at the M2 factory in Fresno, California.    
   Exact plans for this year's event will be revealed shortly.  Keep an eye on   
   www dot m2inc dot com for t   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  FRANK FALLON, N2FF RETIRES AS ARRL HUDSON DIRECTOR   
      
   Some names in the news.  First up is Frank Fallon, N2FF, who announced his   
   decision to retire from the position of ARRL Hudson Division Director at the   
   conclusion of the League's first Board of Directors meeting of 2011.  In   
   announcing his decision to ste   
      
   Under the ARRL's rules of succession, when a Director retires or can no longer   
   serve for other reasons, the Division's Vice Director fills that position.  In   
   this case its' Joyce Birminham, who has been an active radio amateur for more   
   than 30 years.   
      
   Birmingham began her ARRL career in 2000, when Fallon asked her to be an   
   Assistant Director in the Hudson Division.  This, after her husband Andy,   
   WB2RQX, became a Silent Key. In 2003, she was elected ARRL Hudson Division   
   Vice Director; she was re-elected   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO ON THE WEB:  NEW 60 METER BLOG   
      
   And the Southgate news reports that Peter Ourednik, OK1RP, in the Czech   
   Republic, now runs a blog covering the 60 meter or 5 MHz band.  It features   
   information on DX operation and related news for the band.  You can read it   
   on-line at 60mband.blogspot.com   
      
   **   
      
   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 TECHNOLOGY:  A BIG LEAP FOR CODEC 2   
      
   Codec 2 may not be ready for prime time, but its getting close.  Take a listen.   
      
   --   
      
   Codec 2 audio:  Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast   
   at www.arnewsline.org.   
      
   --   
      
   That was just a snippet of a long conversation between Bruce Robertson,   
   VE9QRP, in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada holding forth with Paul Saville,   
   ZL3IN,  in Christchurch, New Zealand using Codec2.   
      
   For those unaware, Codec 2 is an open source alternative to both D-Star and   
   P25 that's being developed by a group of volunteers all around the world.  The   
   idea behind Codec 2 is to provide a single, free, software-based digital voice   
   encode and decode sys   
      
   --   
      
   Codec 2 audio:  Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast   
   at www.arnewsline.org.   
      
   --   
      
   More about Codec 2 is on-line at Codec2 dot org.  The complete QSO between   
   VE9QRP and ZL3IN is at tinyurl.com/codec2video.  (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NASA ADDS ONE MORE SHUTTLE MISSION   
      
   NASA has officially added another space shuttle launch to its schedule and the   
   final one for the fleet.   
      
   The space agency has set a target launch date of June 28th for shuttle   
   Atlantis and started preparations for the 135th and last shuttle flight.  The   
   four-member crew will take up supplies to the International Space Station and   
   return a faulty pump that ha   
      
   With the addition of STS-135 there are now three missions left before NASA   
   retires its shuttle fleet this year.  Shuttle Discovery's last mission is   
   slated for February 24th nand the final flight of the  Endeavour will take   
   place in April.   
      
   The final flight of Atlantis will be commanded by Christopher Ferguson,   
   KG4JCQ.  The rest of the crew is composed of astronaut researchers and   
   includes Douglas Hurley, Rex Walheim, and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE.  (NASA)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO IN SPACE:  SMARTPHONE BASED SATELLITE BEING DEVELOPED IN THE UK   
      
   Researchers at England's University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology   
   Limited are building a satellite containing a smartphone payload that will be   
   launched into orbit around the Earth later this year.   
      
   Called STRaND-1, the name is an acronym for the Surrey Training, Research and   
   Nanosatellite Demonstrator.  The tiny bird is being developed by the Surrey   
   team to demonstrate the advanced capabilities of a satellite built quickly   
   using advanced commercial    
      
   STRaND-1's lead researcher is Dr. Chris Bridges.  He explained that a   
   smartphone made an ideal satellite payload because these devices pack lots of   
   components such as sensors, video cameras, GPS systems and Wi-Fi radios that   
   are technologically advanced b   
      
   A smartphone avionics suite is one of many technological advances packed into   
   this 4 kg nanosatellite.  To precisely point and maneuver, the satellite also   
   incorporates advanced guidance, navigation and control systems including   
   miniature reaction wheels.   
      
   If this experiment is successful, it could give new meaning to the line from   
   the science fiction film for E-T to phone home.  (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, the Microlite Penguins DXpedition Team will be active as VP8ORK from   
   the South Orkney Islands Antarctica, from January 27th to February 8th.  The   
   South Orkney Islands one of the world's most wanted DXCC entities.  Operation   
   will be CW, SSB and RTTY   
      
   IK1PMR and PA3LEO are now operational portable EA8 from the CXanary Islands.    
   They will be there until March 8th but their activity on the air will be   
   holiday style on 160 through 6 meters. QSL via PA3LEO or Logbook of the World.   
      
   Lastly, F5LBG is now active portable FM from Martinique running only 5 watts   
   QRP on 10 point 106, 14 point 060 and 18 dot 096 MHz.   He will be thre until   
   February 3rd operating holiday style.  Listen out for him daily around 1000   
   UTC and 1800 UTC.   QSL    
      
   (Above from various DX News souraces.)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  BRAINWAVE CONTROL IS COMING   
      
   And finally this week, get ready to control your, TV set, your stereo and   
   maybe even your ham radio station with only your mind.  That's what you may be   
   able to do with brain waves if the technology developed by a company called   
   PLX Devices proves out.  N   
      
   --   
      
   According to its website, the XWave from PXL Devices is the first consumer   
   product priced under $100 which can sense and detect human brainwaves,   
   interpret them and connect it to everyday technology.   
      
   PLX Devices founder and CEO is Paul Lowchareonkul.  He recently told the U.K.   
   Daily Mail that it was only a matter of time before products like the XWave   
   entered the mainstream. Lowchareonkul says that the human brain is the most   
   powerful, complex thing i   
      
   Lowchareonkul says that with the development of 3rd party applications or   
   apps, the potential for innovation is limitless.  At the moment, PLX is only   
   offering apps that interact with the XWave for Apple mobile devices like the   
   iPhone, iPad and iPod touch   
      
   And if you do get one and are able to develop an app to control your ham   
   station with your brain, please be sure to let us know so that we can pass it   
   along to what will then become a truly mew world of amateur radio.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW. In Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   From pictures on-line, the XWave device itself looks almost like an ordinary   
   headset for telephone operator.  The PLX website claims that XWave is   
   perfectly safe because it only listens to brainwaves and does not transmit or   
   send out any signals.  That's    
      
   More on this rather interesting device is on-line at www.plxwave   
   com/info.html.  (Daily Mail, Mobilehack.com, others)   
      
   **   
      
   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 Frank Haas,   
   KB4T, saying 73 from Holly Hill, Florida, 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)