Amateur Radio News

Attention All Amateurs....

Feature: The Hunt for KH8S -- Portable DXing with a Twist (Apr 9, 2007) -- When all you want is two DX entities, it shouldn't be that hard -- should it?
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Dayton Hamvention contesting-related activities noted (Apr 9, 2007) -- Contesters planning to attend Dayton Hamvention won't want to miss these activities and social gatherings: Wednesday-Saturday, May 16-19, Contest Super Suite at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, hosted by Contest University (don't forget the midnight pizza parties Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Thursday, May 17, all day, Contest University at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Space is limited. Friday, May 18, 2:30-4:45 PM, Antenna Forum, Hara Arena, Room 1, Tim Duffy, K3LR, moderator/presenter with Dave Leeson, W6NL, James Breakall, WA3FET, Ted Rappaport, N9NB, and Dean Straw, N6BV, presenters. Saturday, May 19, 11:15 AM-1:45 PM, Contest Forum, Hara Arena, Room 1, Doug Grant, K1DG, moderator, with Atilano Oms, PY5EG, Randy Thompson, K5ZD, John Laney, K4BAI, Charlie Wooten, NF4A, Dick Norton, N6AA, Champ Muangamphun, E21EIC, and Tim Duffy, K3LR, presenters. Saturday, May 19, 15th annual Dayton Contest Dinner, Crowne Plaza Hotel, hosted by the North Coast Contesters. Space is limited. -- The Daily DX via Tim Duffy, K3LR Link to this item

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The K7RA Solar Update (Apr 6, 2007) -- Here we are at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, although we won't know when it occurs for sure until a year after it passes. This is because daily and monthly variations are so great that we need to look at averages derived from many months of daily readings to determine a cycle peak or minimum. Full Story

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FCC Accepts Technician Ticket for Cancellation, Warns Indiana Licensee (Apr 5, 2007) -- The FCC has accepted for cancellation the Technician ticket of a licensee who has been the target of inquiries and warnings from the Commission's Enforcement Bureau dating back to 2005. Special Counsel in the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth wrote Brandon Duke, KC0UWS, March 6 to confirm receipt of Duke's Amateur Radio license. Full Story

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Feature: Surfin': Hamming at CE0Y (Apr 5, 2007) -- This week, Easter Island is our destination, and a ham radio Web site is our port-of-call. Full Story

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Feature: Op Ed: EmComm -- What's It All About? (Apr 5, 2007) -- How can we as amateurs become -- and stay -- beneficial to our communities? Here is one ham's take on it. Full Story

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Swains Island N8S DXpedition is on the air! (Apr 4, 2007 [REVISED Apr 5, 2007 11:51 ET]) -- The Swains Island N8S DXpedition now is on the air and will continue until April 15. The international N8S team got up and running at around 1000 UTC today with early activity noted on 80, 40, 30 and 20 meters (CW and SSB). The DXpedition expects to operate on all HF bands as well as moonbounce on 6 and 2 meters. The Daily DX reports the N8S team plans to begin VHF activity as early as April 6. The DXpedition is in grid AH48lw. On 2 meters, N8S will run 200 W into a 17-element antenna, transmitting on 144.112 MHz and listening on that frequency and up. Most activity will be during Swains Island local sunrise and sunset. Six-meter moonbounce also will begin as early as April 5. Listen 50.195 or 50.205 MHz. N8S will always transmit first. The same team plans to operate from Samoa as 5W5AA from April 17 to April 24. YT1AD will handle cards for N8S; YZ7AA will handle QSLs for 5W5AA. Swain's Island appears atop at least two lists of most-wanted DXCC entities. The ARRL granted a $5000 Colvin Award to the N8S DXpedition. Link to this item

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Special Events to Commemorate 95th Anniversary of Titanic Tragedy (Apr 3, 2007) -- Several Amateur Radio special event operations are scheduled to mark the 95th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The "unsinkable" White Star Line passenger vessel was on its maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City when it struck and iceberg and sank early on April 15, 1912. More than 1500 people perished, while some 700 passengers in 19 lifeboats were rescued by the RMS Carpathia, whose radio operator copied the frantic distress call (the still common "CQD" signal, possibly coupled with the then-new "SOS") transmitted by MGY radio operator Jack Phillips as the Titanic foundered. Full Story

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DXing on 60 Meters Has Downside, ARRL Notes (Apr 3, 2007) -- The ARRL is expressing concern that negative consequences could result from chasing DX on 60 meters. Some DXpeditions have announced plans to operate on Amateur Radio's only channelized band, where amateur operations hold secondary status to fixed service operations, including some US government stations. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, says that while it's legal for DXpeditions to operate on the 5-MHz band provided the licensing administration extends privileges there, DX pileups on 60 meters pose the potential for real and unique problems. Full Story

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FCC Posts Amateur Radio Enforcement Correspondence (Apr 3, 2007) -- The FCC has posted Amateur Radio enforcement correspondence for the period ending April 2 on its "Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions" page. In mid-March, the FCC Enforcement Bureau began publicly posting such correspondence -- with some exceptions -- on its own Web site. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth has sent letters to South Lake Transport Inc; Brandon Duke, KC0UWS; David O. Castle, WA9KJI; and Bruce H. Williams, N2YHI. Full Story

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Construction company fined for illegal amateur band operation (Apr 3, 2007) -- The FCC has affirmed a $10,000 fine it had proposed levying on a Florida construction company. In a Forfeiture Order (NoF) released April 2, the Commission said it was fining Parker Construction Inc of Panama City, Florida, for "willful and repeated violation" of the Communications Act of 1934 for operating radio transmitting equipment on 2 meters without a license. Responding to a complaint of apparently unlicensed radio activity, agents from the FCC's Tampa Office using mobile direction-finding equipment tracked the source of the transmissions. Parker's owner admitted the company had been using Amateur Radio transceivers for about three years to talk with crew members. Agents found an Amateur Radio handheld transceiver set to 145.02 MHz. Responding to the FCC's January 2007 Notice of Apparent Liability in the case, Parker requested a reduction claiming it did not know that Amateur Radio Service radios required a license, that it had stopped using them and had obtained the proper radio license. The FCC turned down the request, saying corrective action taken to come into compliance with the rules "does not nullify or mitigate any prior forfeitures or violations." Link to this item

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ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration (Apr 3, 2007) -- Registration remains open through Sunday, April 22, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CEC) program online courses beginning on Friday, May 4: The ARRL Ham Radio License Course (EC-010), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). These courses will also open for registration Friday, April 20, for classes beginning Friday, June 1. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page or contact the CCE Department. Link to this item

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Fourth US Civilian Space Traveler, Expedition 15 ISS Crew Launch April 7 (Apr 3, 2007) -- The fifth civilian to visit the International Space Station will accompany the station's Expedition 15 crew into space Saturday, April 7. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) reports that software pioneer and aviator Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP, plans to talk with students at four schools during his ISS stay -- one in his native Hungary plus schools in Washington, Ohio and Virginia. He also may make casual contacts. A client of Vienna, Virginia-based Space Adventures Ltd, Simonyi, 58, will be the third passenger aboard the Soyuz TMA-10 "taxi mission" that will carry Expedition 15 Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Oleg Kotov, to the ISS. Simonyi will pay an estimated $25 million for the privilege of spending eight days in space. Full Story

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Feature: ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up To Lately? (Apr 3, 2007) -- This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of March. Full Story

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CubeSat launch reset (Apr 2, 2007) -- A CubeSat launch that was to have taken place March 27 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 17, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Four of the seven CubeSats will use Amateur Radio frequencies and modes. They are: CalPoly's PolySats CP3 and CP4 (similar to photo), 436.845 MHz and 437.325 MHz respectively, 1200 bps FM AFSK, AX.25, 1 W, operating under an FCC Part-5 Experimental license; University of Louisiana CAPE-1 435.245 MHz, 9600 bps FM FSK AX.25 and CW telemetry during opposing 30-second intervals, 1 W, call sign K5USL (e-mail telemetry reports); Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Colombia, Libertad-1, 437.405 MHz, 1200 bps FM AFSK AX.25, 400 mW, call sign 5K3L. AMSAT News Service reports that the CubeSat team will not provide a live Webcast for this launch but will offer live updates on the CubeSat IRC Channel. Point your IRC client to: #cubesat on irc.freenode.net. CalPoly offers a CubeSat "Satellite Contact Form" to report telemetry data received from any satellite. -- AMSAT News Service Link to this item