Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1797 - January 20 2012   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1797 with a release   
   date of January 20th, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T.  QRZ.com joins the fight to kill   
   the SOPA act now in congress; MARS resumes using Winlink; D-   
   Star will be going on-orbit later this year and a tribute to   
   the man who guided the change from vacuum tubes to solid   
   state.  Find out the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT   
   report number 1797 coming your way right now.   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW:  QRZ.COM JOINS THE FIGHT TO STOP SOPA AND PIPA   
      
   The giant QRZ.com ham radio website has joined the fight to   
   stop passage of SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and PIPA,   
   a similar bill working its way through the U-S Senate.   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Robert Sudock, WB6FDF, reports on   
   why QRZ.com and its owner Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ is taking this   
   hard-line stand.   
      
   --   
      
   Why should ham radio care about these two bills?  According   
   to publisher Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ, the measures are sponsored   
   by Hollywood entertainment corporations and the recording   
   industry. They threaten to destroy the internet as we know   
   it.  And in his front page posting on the QRZ.com, he lists   
   what he terms "the facts about the bills."   
      
   According to AA7BQ, websites will be required to police   
   their own content for copyright violations of all kinds.   
   Any website found in violation of the intellectual property   
   of another party must be shut down -- it's internet access   
   blocked by its Internet Service Provider, DNS de-listing,   
   and all banking transactions via online payment providers   
   would be stopped.   
      
   Lloyd notes that there is no burden of proof required to   
   shut down a website.  Any claim of copyright infringement   
   could result in a court ordered shutdown.   
      
   Website owners will be responsible for policing content   
   uploaded by their users. A violation could be ridiculously   
   minor to qualify such as uploading a trademarked image, a   
   photo of a celebrity, a clipping from a newspaper, an audio   
   clip from movie, or the like.  Also, uploading a copyrighted   
   song or video would become a felony under the US Code.   
      
   And it is not just domestic websites that would be impacted.   
   The law would apply to foreign websites as well, requiring   
   United States based Internet Service Providers to block   
   access to those sites.   
      
   Lloyd then notes that this law could also kill his site,   
   QRZ.com, as users know it.   He notes that the site   
   currently has some 300,000 photographs on its server, all of   
   which would have to be taken down and manually verified to   
   be in compliance.  The same thing would hold true for each   
   biography page where a photograph or other image exists.   
      
   Lloyd says that in his case, there's no way he could do it.   
   If burdened with this sort of responsibility, QRZ would   
   simply be found in violation and forcibly shut down by the   
   federal government, all in an to protest both bills many   
   websites went dark on Wednesday, January 18 effort to please   
   what he terms as Hollywood and the music industries.   
      
   To protest both bills, many websites went dark on Wednesday,   
   January 18.  The Amateur Radio Newsline provides a short   
   video insert in the TWiT network's Ham Nation podcast each   
   Tuesday evening.  That network did not go dark, but devoted   
   its live programming to the SOPA and PIPA topics.  As we go   
   to air the programs should be rendered and posted for   
   download in both audio and video formats.  Go to www.twit.tv   
   and look for "Security Now," "This Week in Google," "Tech   
   News Today," and "Triangulation" for a more detailed and web   
   centric discussion.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Sudock, WB6FDF,   
   in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   AA7BQ ends his posting by asking those who use his website   
   to contact their Congressmen and Senators to voice your   
   opposition to both of these measures, especially SOPA. He   
   says that it's not just QRZ.com that depends on their   
   action.  Rather he says, it's the entire internet as they   
   know it today.  (QRZ.com, TWIT.tv, ARNewslineT)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  ARMY MARS RESUMES USE OF WINLINK 2000   
      
   The Army's Military Auxiliary Radio System better known   
   simply as Army MARS is back using WinLink 2000.  The ARRL   
   reports that Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence has reversed   
   the decision to phase out the use of the global radio e-mail   
   system by Army MARS members that was issued late last year.   
      
   Lieutenant General Lawrence stated that the Army, after   
   reviewing its capabilities, had decided that the continued   
   use of WinLink 2000 would be in MARS best interest.  She   
   went on to call it a valuable asset to Army MARS members and   
   agencies that were using the service.   
      
   On January 5, 2012, the Chief of Army MARS officially   
   notified the membership that the phase out notice had been   
   rescinded.  Army MARS members and agencies who had been   
   using the service hailed the decision by Lieutenant General   
   Lawrence and have resumed use of the WinLink 2000 radio e-   
   mail system.   
      
   More about WinLink 2000 is on the web at www.winlink.org.   
   (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO GROWTH:  DXCC SEES AN INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS   
      
   Interest in DX is growing.  So says the ARRL as we hear from   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Butera-Howell, KB3TZD, has   
   more:   
      
   --   
      
   The ARRL reports that it appears as if more amateurs are   
   working DX these days.  This in turn means the ARRL's   
   Membership and Volunteer Programs Department, especially the   
   DXCC Desk and the ARRL Incoming and Outgoing QSL Bureaus,   
   are working very hard in processing applications and sending   
   out cards via the different QSL Bureaus.   
      
   In 2010, the DXCC Desk processed 7134 applications for   
   initial awards and endorsements.  These 2010 applications   
   included 853,462 QSOs. In 2011, the DXCC Desk processed   
   11,175 applications, representing  1,250,864 QSOs.   
      
   Sharon Taratula is the Membership and Volunteer Programs   
   Administrative Manager.  She explained that comparing 2010   
   to 2011 represents a 47 percent increase in the number of   
   QSO's and a 57 percent increase in the number of   
   applications received.   
      
   And that's quite an impressive increase in any area of ham   
   radio.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Butera-Howell,   
   near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.   
      
   --   
      
   To learn more about this increase in DX, go to   
   tinyurl.com/dxcc-numbers on the world wide web.  And we will   
   have more DX related news later on in this weeks Amateur   
   Radio Newsline report.  (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAKING DX NEWS:  VP6T PITARICAN OPERATION SAYS NO 6 METERS   
      
   The VP6T DXpedition to Pitcarin Island will not be on 6   
   meters nor any exotic modes such as EME or SSTV.  Nor will   
   it likely even show up on 60 meters.   
      
    The operation which begins on January 20th and continues   
   through February 4th has issued a press statement explaining   
   its decision to concentrate its operations on the   
   traditional and popular High Frequency bands.   
      
   According to the team they are a small group and are limited   
   in baggage weight and size.  As such they were forced to   
   make choices.  And while most of the team are 6 meter   
   operators, they reached a decision not to spend much their   
   time and effort on this band.   
      
   For these reasons no 6 meter antenna will be taken with them   
   and no time slot is booked for 6 meter operation.  For more   
   details, updates along the suggested frequencies for the   
   VP6T DXpedition please visit the operations website at   
   www.vp6t.org. (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world   
   including the Caravan Club Net in Albuquerque New Mexico.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  STUDENT HAM RADIO D-STAR SATELLITE TO   
   LAUNCH LATER THIS YEAR   
      
   D-Star should be in space before the end of 2012.  Students   
   at the University of Liege in Belgium are hoping their D-   
   Star based ham radio satellite OUFTI-1 will be launched   
   towards the end of this year if at all possible.   
      
   Plans originally called for it to be carried to orbit on the   
   maiden flight of the European Space Agency's Vega launch   
   vehicle.  That now appears to be out of the question.   
   However team leaders say that other opportunities have been   
   identified and discussions are ongoing with at least one   
   launch provider.   
      
   If and when OUFTI-1 makes it to orbit it could mean a lot of   
   those on the fence about purchasing D-Star based gear might   
   just tape the plunge.  This in turn would likely result in a   
   major world-wide sales boost for Icom which to date is the   
   only supplier of D-Star based ham radio gear.   
      
   An update on the satellite and plans to get it into space   
   have been published in the January 2012 issue of the OUFTI-1   
   Newsletter.  That issue focuses on the current status and   
   near-future of D-Star based bird.  You can read it on-line   
   at tinyurl.com/oufti-1-2012.  (Various sources)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW:  JUDGE ISSUES SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN K1MAN   
   FORFEITURE CASE   
      
   It's two for the government and one for Glenn Baxter, K1MAN,   
   in the case involving a fine issued to the Maine radio   
   amateur by the FCC several years ago.   
      
   In a 38 page ruling issued January 10th, U.S. District Judge   
   John Woodcock Jr., chief of Maine's federal court, upheld   
   two of the three judgments the FCC sought against Glenn   
   Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine.   
      
   The judge upheld forfeitures totaling $10,000 for violations   
   of the Communications Act of 1934. The two violations were   
   willful or repeated failure to respond to FCC requests for   
   information and conducting willful or malicious interference   
   with other radio transmissions.   
      
   Judge Woodcock, however, denied the FCC's request for   
   judgment on a count of engaging in communications in which   
   there is a pecuniary or monetary interest.  Specifically,   
   the judge questioned whether Baxter's promotion of his   
   website during his transmissions rose to the level of a   
   violation of FCC rules even though the FCC argued that the   
   website sells merchandise.   
      
   The judge extensively cites Baxter's responses to the FCC,   
   including referring to Baxter's personal attacks against a   
   government attorney, and FCC personnel, including retired   
   FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH.   
      
   Woodcock conceded in his opinion such attacks by Baxter made   
   it difficult to separate policy and factual disputes.   
   However, the judge concluded that Baxter could not "avoid   
   summary judgment by attempting to manufacture a factual   
   dispute."   
      
   At one point, Judge Woodcock asserts: "Clearly, Mr. Baxter   
   is bristling with irritation with the government."   
      
   Citing Baxter's arguments and demands for a trial on the   
   ongoing matters, Judge Woodcock ruled that there must be a   
   triable issue. He then ruled that the government had only   
   proven its case for a summary judgment in two of the three   
   matters before him.   
      
   But it's probably not over.  Baxter is more than likely to   
   file a further appeal on the two matters that Judge Woodcock   
   found for the government.  It's also believed that the   
   government will proceed to take the third issue to trial   
   before a judge and jury.  (From Actual Court Transcript)   
      
   **   
      
   PUBLIC SERVICE:  HAM RADIO AT THE EAGLE CAP EXTREME SLED DOG   
   RACE   
      
   Ham radio will be providing the communications for Oregon's   
   only Iditarod and Yukon Quest qualifier race.  The 2012   
   Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race is January 25th to the 28th.   
   Ham radio volunteer communicators we will be using a pair of   
   linked repeaters tied to a remote base to cover the course.   
   Some operators will be camping out in remote locations for   
   the entire time to support the event.  In addition, anyone   
   can listen in on all of the events ham radio  communications   
   on Echolink conference Node number 367015.  More information   
   is on line at www.eaglecapextreme.com (KB7DZR)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO AND EDUCATION:  THE FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO   
   SCHOLARSHIPS   
      
   The Foundation for Amateur Radio has announced that it will   
   be administering fifty scholarships for the 2012 to 2013   
   academic year.  This, to assist licensed Radio Amateurs in   
   the pursuit of higher education.  Amateur Radio Newsline's   
   Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, reports:   
      
   --   
      
   The Foundation for Amateur Radio fully funds two   
   scholarships. The remainder are administered by the   
   foundation, without cost to the various donors.   
      
   Only licensed Radio Amateurs may compete for these awards.   
   To qualify, a ham must be planning to pursue a full time   
   course of studies beyond high school and be enrolled, or   
   have been accepted for enrollment, at an accredited   
   university, college or technical school.   
      
   The awards range from $300 to $5,000 with preference given   
   in some cases to residents of specified geographical areas   
   or the pursuit of certain study programs.  Non-US residents   
   are eligible to apply for some of the scholarships.   
      
   Additional information and an application form may be   
   requested by letter or QSL card to FAR Scholarships, Post   
   Office Box 911,Columbia, Maryland, 21044-0911.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Nrewsline, Im Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in   
   Zion, Illinois.   
      
   --   
      
   Scholarship applications are also available for download at   
   The Foundation for Amateur radio website.  Its in cyberspace   
   at wwr.farweb.org. (FAR)   
      
   **   
      
   THE SOCIAL SCENE:  WINTERFEST 2012 IN ANNADALE VIRGINIA   
      
   Turning to the ham radio social scene, the 36th Annual   
   Winterfest is slated for Sunday, February 26th .  This, at   
   the Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus,   
   in the city of Annandale, Virginia.   
      
   Tailgating starts at 6 am EST with the indoor sales area   
   opening to the public at 8 am.  The large, heated indoor   
   area accommodates more than 100 tables operated by   
   commercial vendors, clubs, ham radio organizations and   
   individuals.   
      
   This event is sponsored by the Vienna Wireless Society which   
   will also hold a ham radio testing session associated with   
   the hamfest on Saturday, February 25th.  More information is   
   on the web at www.viennawireless.org/winterfest.php. (AI4SV)   
      
   **   
      
   THE SOCIAL SCENE:  PALM SPRINGS CA. HAMFEST JANUARY 28   
      
   The annual Palm Springs Hamfest takes place on January 28th   
   from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Standard Time at 4193 Matthew   
   Drive in Palm Springs, California.  Hosted by the Desert   
   RATS Club the show will feature 35 vendors, hands on   
   equipment demonstrations, a swap meet and much more. Talk-in   
   on is on the local 166.940 repeater that requires a 107.2   
   hertz sub-audible access tone.  More information is on-line   
   at desertrats.am.  (VE7REZ)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  TIME TO REGISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS   
   WEEKEND   
      
   The International Museums Weekend special event will this   
   year take place on the double weekends of June 16th and the   
   17th and again on the 23rd and the 24th.  Hams world-wide   
   are being encouraged to participate by setting up stations   
   in their local museums.   
      
   The events organizer is M1BYT.  He asks that all those   
   intending to take part to register their museum via the from   
   on the International Museums Weekend website at   
   www.ukradioamateur.co,uk/imw.  M1BYT can also be contacted   
   via e-mail to harry (dot) m1byt (at) tiscali (dot) co (dot)   
   uk.  (M1BYT)   
      
   **   
      
   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)   
      
   **   
      
   SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:  2012 TO BE A LEAP SECOND YEAR   
      
   Look for 2012 to be a tiny bit longer than years past.  This   
   is because 2012 will be a bit longer than 2011 or 2010.   
   Confused?  Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, is here to sort it all out:   
      
   --   
      
   The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems   
   Service has decided to add a leap second to Coordinated   
   Universal Time at the end of June 2012.   
      
   The most recent leap was added on December 31, 2008.  They   
   have been necessary because of the Earth's unpredictable   
   rotation.   
      
   Coordinated Universal Time, better known as UTC is based on   
   highly accurate atomic clocks, but has been kept more or   
   less synchronized with mean solar time by way of leap   
   seconds.   
      
   Leap seconds were first introduced in 1972 but may not be   
   with us much longer.  Now however, a proposed revision of   
   Standard-Frequency and Time Signal Emissions will be voted   
   by the International Telecommunication Union   
   Radiocommunication Assembly meeting, immediately before this   
   years World Radiocommunication Conference.  If the   
   international panel agrees, Leap Seconds will be eliminated   
   by 2018.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW,   
   leaping along in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   Meantime with this being a so called leap year, February   
   will have a total of 29 days instead of the usual 28, to   
   make up for our rotation around the Sun.  So adjust your   
   computer logging software accordingly.   
   (VK3PC)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO IN SPACE:  DEDICATED CUBESAT SPECTRUM FOR RESEARCH   
   PROJECTS   
      
   SmallSat, CubeSat, and Nano Satellite developers are seeking   
   a spectrum allocation, outside of the 435 to 437 MHz amateur   
   satellite band that could be dedicated to their specific   
   bandwidth, data rate, and mission requirements.   
      
   In a press release ISIS notes that experimental, proof-of-   
   concept demonstration missions find it increasingly more   
   difficult to find spectrum on today's crowded bands.  Also,   
   obtaining commercial or research space frequency allocations   
   is beyond the budgetary capability of many of these   
   missions.   
      
   ISIS says that some satellite developers may be able to   
   adapt their communication requirements to operate in the   
   amateur radio spectrum.  But in order to fully meet mission   
   requirements on other projects a more suitable spectrum is   
   quickly becoming a potential long term need for the emerging   
   nano-satellite market.   
      
   ISIS says they plan to attend the World Radio Conference,   
   WRC, this month as part of the Dutch national delegation.   
   This is to make use of the opportunity to informally sound   
   out the various opinions on this matter and investigate   
   potential possibilities for creating a future solution   
   ensuring the spectral needs of the community are met. (ANS)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO AND SPACE: NASA SUMMER 2012 INTERNSHIPS FOR STUDENTS   
      
   NASA is accepting applications for student summer internship   
   positions at several of its centers around the country.   
   Students can view opportunities and apply for them at   
   intern.nasa.gov by selecting the Student Opportunities tab   
   then clicking on Internships.   The application process must   
   be completed at the NASA intern website.  The cutoff date to   
   apply for summer internships is February 2nd.  (NASA via   
   ANS)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  PLAN YOUR LATE 2012 ARISS SCHOOLROOM   
   CONTACT NOW   
      
   NASA's Teaching From Space office is accepting proposals for   
   United States ARISS classroom contacts to be held between   
   July 15, 2012  and January 15, 2013.  The deadline for   
   submitting proposals is January 30th.  For more information,   
   see the Teaching From Space website at tinyurl.com/ariss-   
   planning-2012.  (ANS, KB3LKI)   
      
   **   
      
   ON THE AIR:  HAM RADIO WILL HELP USHER IN THE CHINESE NEW   
   YEAR   
      
   On the air, word that the station master for the Malaysian   
   Amateur Radio Transmitter Society has announced that the   
   special event callsign, 9M4CNY, will be active from Penang   
   Island on January 29th, between 0700 to 1600 UTC.  This in   
   honor of the Chinese New Year Cultural and Heritage   
   Celebration for 2012.  Suggested frequencies are 7.088 MHz   
   on 40 meters and 14.288 MHz on 20.  The operating mode is   
   SSB only.  QSL direct only to address for 9M4CNY found on   
   QRZ.com.   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, F8APV will be active from Reunion Island from January   
   22nd until February 10th signing portable FR.  QSL as   
   directed on the air.   
      
   JA6CNH will be active as XV2CNH from Ho Chi Minh City,   
   Vietnam between February 10th and the 15th.  Activity will   
   be on 160through 6 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital   
   modes. QSL via JA6CNH, direct only.   
      
   Lastly, DF7ZS will be active from Aruba Island March 21st to   
   the 27th signing P40S.  QSL direct to DF7ZS as his address   
   on QRZ.com.   
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  NORMAN KRIM - CHAMPION OF THE TRANSISTOR -   
   SK   
      
   And finally this week we pay homage Norman Krim, an   
   electronics visionary who played a pivotal role in the   
   industry's transition from vacuum tube to solid state   
   electronics.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Clark, N8TMW,   
   takes a look back at the man who put solid state devices in   
   the hands of experimenters, and ham radio operators world   
   wide:   
      
   --   
      
   In a long career with the Raytheon Company Norman Krim made   
   several important breakthroughs in popularizing the   
   transistor to experimenters.  He also had an early hand in   
   the growth of the RadioShack chain,   
      
   Norman Krim did not invent the transistor.  That was the   
   work of a scientific team at Bell Laboratories back in 1947.   
   Rather Krim saw the device's potential and persuaded   
   Raytheon to begin manufacturing it on a mass scale,   
   particularly for use in miniaturized hearing aids that he   
   had designed. As a result, thousands of hearing impaired   
   benefited from Krim's initial use of the transistor in   
   compact hearing aids.   
      
   But not every transistor Raytheon made was suitable for that   
   purpose and this is where Norman Krim's foresight took hold.   
      
   Harry Goldstein is an editor at IEEE Spectrum, the magazine   
   of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He   
   said that when transistors were first being manufactured by   
   Raytheon on a commercial scale, there was a batch called   
   CK722's that were too noisy for use in hearing aids.  So   
   Krim contacted editors at magazines like Popular Science and   
   Radio Electronics and began marketing the CK722's to   
   hobbyists.  The result was that a whole generation of kid   
   engineers, many likely young ham radio operators working in   
   their garages and basements got to construct all kinds of   
   electronic projects.  Among these were early transistor   
   radios, guitar amplifiers, code oscillators, Geiger counters   
   and metal detectors.   
      
   Goldstein says that as a result, a lot of them went on to   
   become engineers. And as a result, Norman Krim became known   
   as the father of the CK722.   
      
   After leaving Raytheon, Norman Krim bought two electronics   
   stores in Boston called RadioShack. By the time he sold the   
   business to the Tandy Corporation two years later, it had   
   seven stores.  Today the chain has about 7,300.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Jeff Clark, K8JAC.   
      
   --   
      
   News reports say that Norman Krimm passed away of congestive   
   heart failure last December 14th in a retirement home in   
   Newton, Massachusetts, at age 98. As far as we can   
   determine, he was not a radio amateur.  That said, the   
   impact he had on our hobby was and is truly immeasurable.   
   (RW and other published 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 W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur   
   Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline(at)   
   arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at   
   Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at   
   www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support us   
   at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa   
   Clarita California, 91350   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk,   
   I'm Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, in Lima, Ohio, saying 73 and we thank   
   you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2012.  All rights   
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     ... Only those who will risk going too far can possibly   
     ... find out how far one can go ~ TS Eliot   
      
      
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    * Origin: SATX Alamo Area Net * South * Texas, USA * (1:387/22)