SHARC Byte News January/February 2001 |
HAM OF THE MONTH
The Hams of the Month are all who send there dues in to Jack, KM6TE, this month!
We can really use the support at this time. Please try to attend the January Sharc Club
Meeting.
DUES AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE MAILED TO:
S.H.A.R.C. PO BOX 701 REDWAY, CA 95560 |
THE REGULAR CLUB MEETING IS THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF
THE MONTH AND IS HELD AT TELEPAL IN GARBERVILLE AT 7
PM. (Next to Sentry Market)
GREAT THINKING!!!
* Hospital program teaches kids to operate Amateur Radio: A program at Tampa Children's
Hospital, St.
Joseph's is introducing Amateur Radio to some of its young patients. TCH patients can
participate in
Amateur Radio learning sessions with physicians and hospital staff who are ham operators
at the hospital's
Kids Space Ham Radio. "I love teaching children about the workings of Amateur
Radio," says TCH pediatric
cardiologist and Amateur Radio operator Dr James Huhta, AA4MD. "The Kids Space Ham
Radio Program not
only helps get the children's minds off of their illnesses, but it also exposes them to a
hobby they
may enjoy the rest of their lives."--Greg Brostowicz, St Joseph's-Baptist Health Care
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or
reproduced in whole or in part in any form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The
ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
ULS NOT UPS
* ULS hints redux: Those attempting to register or use the FCC's Universal Licensing
System occasionally
(maybe that's an understatement) have been frustrated when entering a licensee name only
to have the ULS
come back with a "no matches" response. Unfortunately, the FCC database does not
recognize the period "."
after an initial, such as in "John Q. Public" and the ULS is not programmed to
disregard a "." in a name
query. When entering a licensee name to search, enter the last name first, followed by a
comma and no
punctuation after any middle initial. But wait! If there's a "Jr" or
"Sr" or Roman numeral such as II or II after the name, the FCC
database includes the suffix as part of the last name. This means if you search--on the
ULS or on
one of the many call sign sites on the Web--for licensee John Q. Public III, you must
search for "Public III, John Q" or the name won't show. You can also search just
on a last name without a coma following, but this also will yield all names that
begin with "Public" including the one you're looking for. All hams who received
new tickets or upgrades during the
restructuring flurry now are registered in the ULS. These licensees must contact the FCC's
Technical
Support Hotline in order to obtain a temporary ULS password. A ULS password is required to
access the
system to file additional applications or changes--for example, to apply for a
vanity call sign,
to renew, or to file a change of address. To obtain a temporary password, call the
Technical Support
Hotline, 202-414-1250. ULS-registered amateurs may change their passwords online via the
ULS.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or
reproduced in whole or in part in any form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The
ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
AVOIDING BECOMING A TRAFFIC STOP
Oh yes, anyone can make a mistake and one can have a tail-light go out. Being pulled over
by law
enforcement doesnt instantly make you a criminal! However, what you say and do
afterward may! Hi!
Here are some of the most common V.C. (Vehicle Code) violations that the CHP see on a
regular basis.
There you have it for cars and trucks! There is only one that seems to stand out in the
Dumb Idea bracket
for motorcycles, but there it was
I should add by no means is this all the infractions that are used to pull someone to the
side of the road
for a traffic stop. That dangly thing on your rear view mirror is enough. It blocks your
vision Trailer
ball blocking readability of the rear license plate is another infraction. So be prepared
and be polite.
Respect goes a long way in some situations. All I can say is that I saw an
appropriate bumper
sticker that read: HAMS DONT DRIVE DRUNK
73 from the Editor
To enjoy Freedom, we have to control ourselves
By Virginia Woolf
FCC TURNS DOWN CB DX PETITION
Like duh! Have you ever had a good DX contact that was well over 250 miles on a CB radio?
Well then you just
broke one of the many FCC Rules! You waskly wabbit! I just hope the punishment will fit
the heinous nature
of this criminal act. The FCC has denied a petition that would have amended the FCC's Part
95 rules to permit DXing on the
11-meter Citizens Band. The petition sought to amend 95.413 of the rules that prohibits
communications or attempts to communicate with CB stations more than 250 km away and to
contact stations in other countries. Designated RM-9807, the petition was filed by
Popular Communications Contributing Editor Alan Dixon, N3HOE. "Dixon's request is
inconsistent with the purpose of the CB Radio Service and could fundamentally alter the
nature of the service," the FCC said in turning town
the petition. The FCC action was adopted August 18. The Order was released August
21. The FCC said CB operators generally supported the proposal and stated that the present
rule was unenforceable. The ARRL commented in opposition to
the petition. "The Amateur Radio Service is the proper forum for the desired
long-distance communications sought by the Dixon
petition," the League told the FCC. The National Association of Broadcasters also
opposed Dixon's petition. The NAB said that the restriction was necessary to deter CBers
from operating at excessive power levels and that consumers must be
protected from illegal CB transmissions that interfere with radio, TV, and other consumer
electronics. The FCC agreed with the ARRL and said it did not intend to create a service
paralleling the Amateur Service when it authorized the Citizens Radio Service.
"Amending the rules to permit long-distance and international communications would
undermine the purpose of the CB Radio Service rules and compromise one of the core
distinctions between the CB Radio Service and the Amateur Radio Service," the FCC
concluded. {From ARRL News}
ARRL Club 2000 Awards--your club can earn one!
Active Amateur Radio clubs can earn a $1000 award and a spot in the limelight as part of
the ARRL Club 2000
Awards program. Find out more at the Club 2000 Achievement Awards Web site,
http://www.arrl.org/field/club/club-awards/.
The program is aimed at rewarding the achievements of ARRL-affiliated clubs by
recognizing clubs that are growing, thriving, and developing positive community relations.
For more information contact Club Programs Coordinator Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO, kb1dco@arrl.org
860-594-0267; FAX 860-594-0259.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any
form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio
Relay League.
FCC GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR 2300-2305 MHz
In The Use it or Lose it Category - The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology has
issued an experimental license to a California company to test market a wireless Internet
system in the San Diego area on 2300 to 2305 MHz. Amateur Radio has a secondary allocation
on 2300-2310, the lower segment of the 13 cm band. According to the ARRL band plan, the
2300-2305 MHz segment supports a variety of amateur activities, including weak-signal CW,
SSB, digital modes and
moon-bounce as well as beacons and translator inputs and outputs. The ARRL continues
efforts to get 2300-2305 MHz elevated to primary status for amateurs. The FCC issued the
call sign WB2XIK to ArrayComm Inc of San Jose to deploy its "i-BURST" wireless
Internet technology using up to 3000 "market trial" participants with portable
units and up to 50 base
station nodes, each with 50 W EIRP. The license, granted in April but only recently made
public by the FCC, is good for two years. Typically, the FCC gives no notice of
experimental applications until they are granted.
FCC GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR 2300-2305 MHz
The experiment would be conducted within a 35-mile radius of San Diego. Market
trial users will be equipped with laptops and i-Burst wireless modems that operate at a
maximum EIRP of 1.3 W. The company says it will make clear to participants that the system
is experimental and temporary. ArrayComm said it chose the 2300-2305 MHz band for its
propagation characteristics and because it's near frequencies under consideration for
so-called third-generation or "3G" services. "The band has not been
allocated for a primary use and this is not heavily encumbered with existing users,"
the company said in its application materials. ArrayComm acknowledged Amateur Radio's
secondary occupation of the segment but downplayed the
likelihood of interference between its experiment and amateur weak signal work in the
vicinity. The City of Los Angeles recently was granted an experimental license to
operate a TV downlink system in the 2402-2448 MHz band. The ARRL has
protested that grant as well as a similar application from Los Angeles County. The ARRL
has no immediate plans to protest the ArrayComm grant. Experimental licenses are granted
on a non-interference basis.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any
form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio
Relay League.
ARRL AND REACT STEP TOGETHER
ARRL and REACT--Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams--took some first steps
together this summer. The ARRL Board of Directors approved a memorandum of
understanding between the two radio organizations at its July meeting.
The ARRL was on hand July 26-28 for the REACT 2000 International Convention in Kissimmee,
Florida. The event included attendees from the U.S. as well as from Canada, Trinidad, and
Tobago.
ARRL Southern Florida Section Manager Phyllisan West, KA4FZI, coordinated activities
for ARRL's representation at the event with Walt Young, convention chairman for the 25th
annual REACT gathering. "REACT folks are dedicated to public service, responding
dependably to cover emergencies, marathons and other charity events," said West, who
set up and
staffed an ARRL exhibit table at the REACT event. "They operate mainly on GMRS and
FRS to avoid problems
of unlicensed CB channels, and are excited about working more closely with hams."
West said that copies of the ARRL Public Service Communications Manual at the ARRL
table were snapped up. "REACT folks were interested in how hams handle
NTS and tactical messages," West said. While a lot of REACT members already are
amateurs, West said she encouraged those who were not to get ham licenses "to enhance
their ability to participate in emergency communications."
While REACT has been associated primarily with Citizens Band in the past, the organization
has widened its focus to embrace amateur and other services. Young called REACT "just
another radio group that is doing the same basic job as ham radio
operators" that provides emergency communications when and where needed.
"The trick is to get various groups to work
together," he said. Approximately one-quarter of the REACT conventioneers were ham
operators, and one of the official events at the convention was the Amateur Breakfast, at
which West and her husband, Art, were guests. FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio
Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, presented an FCC seminar during the REACT
convention.
REACT International has a Web site at http://www.reactintl.org/
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any
form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio
Relay League.
I knew it was to be
New Jersey city says "Both hands on the wheel!" The Township Council of
Marlboro, New Jersey, got the nod
from the state Department of Transportation to put signs up on all roads leading into the
area that say Marlboro prohibits the use of cellular telephones while driving. Local
law-enforcement officers say they will wait until the estimated 50 signs have been planted
before they begin handing out warnings and tickets. New Jersey's State Senate will watch
the Marlboro
development before it introduces a statewide ban on talking while driving. While the
ordinance apparently does not mention hands-free devices, it does say drivers who don't
keep both hands on the wheel while talking could be fined up to $250.--reported by the
Asbury Park Press
CAR JACKING SAFETY TIPS
Oh, Boy the new crimes just keep rolling in! Corys Axiom--- Stay in the left lane in
High Risk for Car-jacking areas Give yourself Room to see
road below the back bumper of the car stopped in front of you. This gives you
options to escape to
the right or left. You are also away from the curb and more foot traffic. The Dumb
Dear Trick---- Stay in the fast lane in rural areas where there is little traffic
around you, BUT BE AWARE, that you are closer to an on-coming collision. The
road is much smoother because fewer big trucks use the fast lane and you have much larger
amount of time to move out of the
DUMB DEER! that just jumped out of the bushes. If you had been in the slow
lane, you wouldnt have had much time to react.
CLUB INFORMATION
PRESIDENT: Lealand Smith W6CLG
VICE PRESIDENT: Warren Bell K7GDW
TREASURER: Jack Foster, KM6TE
SECRETARY: Jerry Wilson, KF6IBP
EC FOR THIS AREA: Jack Foster KM6TE
MONDAY NIGHT EMERGENCY NET AT 7 PM on the 146.790 repeater system. All amateurs are
invited to run the net and check in. We also welcome scenarios. The Club is thinking of
giving a year free membership, maybe a nice 2 meter J-pole or some nice prize to the
winner of the Net raffle as an incentive to run the net.
So dont be shy and give it a try. H.F. NET on Monday night after
Emergency Net on 28.400MHz
Humboldt Emergency Monday Night H.F. Net: 3.960Mhz (aprox) @ 7:45 PST Listen for KM6TE.
Subscription rate: $10 per year
Membership: $25 per year
We have an Open Phone patch! All donations are cheerfully retained! The calling area for
the phone patch is as if one is calling from Garberville, Ca. 95542
DUES AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE MAILED TO:
S.H.A.R.C. PO BOX 701 REDWAY, CA 95560 |
THE REGULAR CLUB MEETING IS THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AND IS HELD AT TELEPAL IN GARBERVILLE AT 7 PM. (Next to Sentry Market) Sharc Web Page: http://www.sharc-ca.org
EDITORS ADDRESS:
|
SHARC NETS
The Sharc Club has a ARES net every Monday night at 7p.m. local on the linked 146.790-
146.940 MHz. repeaters. All amateurs are encouraged to participate. You may also be net
control by asking and it is always good practice to do so.
We invite any scenario for the benefit of training for disaster. This can be as simple as
making all participants write the location, name, and call of each ham checking into the
net, to more elaborate such as the repeater is not on the air. We have an emergency
net on 28.400 MHz right after the VHF net closes. We also have a net on the H.F.
band (3.962Mhz) plus or minus at 7:45 p.m. local. You can listen to the results on the
Humboldt OES ARES net on 3.992Mhz.
REDWOOD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the meeting Dec 5 2000
1905 hrs President Guy KE6JQW called the meeting to order .
The minutes were circulated and approved as corrected
.
Treasurer Paul K6KGA gave his report amid noise and general discourse, explained the bills
paid, accounted
the balances and corrected the minutes the final time. (sale of hats netted $79.05)
Joe KA6ROM introduced Bill Robinson our new VIP liaison officer. Bill announced a meeting
tomorrow night for all V.I.P. volunteers. The FPD volunteer squad will join the above
meeting .
Guest Joe Proenza introduced himself and volunteered to help with club projects.
Vern KB6HYS reported on the 501.C3 research and gave an estimate of the costs involved
.Several people spoke on the costs of obtaining and maintaining the tax free status . Vern
KB6HYS, Jim WB6ZLE , Spencer KF6HBY formed a committee to pursue research on the initial
and yearly maintenance fees and cost of record keeping.
Mike KF6QIC will be net control for the month of Dec.Thanks Mike .
Jim ZLE reported on the status of the trailer and hitch and the fact that the batteries
will need charging.
Paul reported that Gale KF6JBR can not accept the presidency and Robert KN6YT said he
would rather not
be Vice president, so new nominations were made with Spencer KF6HBY winning the Presidency
and Robbie
KC6SJO as vice president. Treasurer Paul K6KGA and Secretary John KB6ZJS will serve again
for the next
year.
Joe KA6ROM is leaving our area and won't be available to install and maintain the VIP
repeater system as he
has for the past several years . We will miss you Joe.
Remember coffee at the Pantry every Wednesday at 10AM.
Respectfully Submitted ,
Secretary RARC John KB6ZJS.
SHARC MINUTES
There were many minutes at the Potluck Meeting! I gather
things were casual! Jack was kind enough to
send this: Hi Cory The elections results as follows:
Pres W6CLG
V-pres K7GDW
Treasurer KM6TE
Sec, KF6IBP
Board Members:
Ron KF6KBO
Todd KF6KBX
Cliff KE6VDE
Gladys KD6IBF
Margaret KE6FBP
Prizes won:
50 watt 2meter radio Electra KE6EKV
wire ant Cliff KE6VDE
AA Batteries Kim KG6BFO
Pocket mutimeter Jack KM6TE
Coax switch Kristin KE6KKE
Emergency kit Kim KG6BFO
Mag ant mount Teresa KE6KBU
All had lots of good food and Mrs. Haskins came as a guest. All for now.
Jack, KM6TE
YOUR TWO CENTS
Yes believe it or not your two cents is still worth something! It would be quite a
surprise if someone wrote an article.
I have not had anyone write me with any news or a humor file for a long, long time. I
would like to hear any stories of how or why you or another got started in Ham Radio.
I know there are some good stories out there and we would like to hear from some of
you. Why not tell us about how you got your spouse to finally get the much coveted
Ham Ticket. I hope to get some feedback and I will Grammar check
and Spell check all the mistakes so let your fingers fly! If not I will bee forsed
to right some obvius misteaks just to get some hate male!
73 The Editor
FCC REDUCES FINE FOR FORMER AMATEUR
The FCC has substantially reduced a $17,000 fine that it proposed to levy on a former
Houston, Texas, amateur. On July 12, the Commission issued a Forfeiture Order telling
Leonard D. Martin, formerly KC5WHN, that he should pay $4000 for repeated unlicensed
operation and for failing to allow the FCC to inspect his radio equipment. Martin first
ran afoul of the FCC two years ago. In May 1998 the Commission received a written
complaint alleging that a station identifying as C5WHN was
operating on frequencies not authorized by Martin's Technician class license. FCC Special
Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth sent Martin a Warning Notice in
November 1998. In a subsequent telephone conversation with Hollingsworth, the FCC says,
Martin "generally denied the unauthorized operation." In February and March of
last year, an FCC agent using mobile automatic direction finding equipment tracked 27 MHz
transmissions to an antenna at Martin's
residence. Both times, Martin reportedly refused an FCC inspection. The FCC's Houston
Office issued Martin an Official
Notice of Violation last April. In his reply, Martin said that he understood that
operating on the frequencies in question was a violation and that the FCC has full
inspection authority. He also promised to comply with FCC rules. In July, Martin turned
in his Amateur Radio license for cancellation. Last October, the FCC twice tracked 27 MHz
transmissions to Martin's residence. Once again, Martin reportedly refused to let FCC
personnel inspect his transmitting gear. In March, the FCC's Houston Office sent a
Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture to Martin for "repeatedly and
willfully" operating without an FCC license and refusing to allow an FCC inspection.
Martin did not deny the violations but said he couldn't pay the $17,000 fine and submitted
copies of his tax returns for 1996, 1997 and 1998 as proof. He also told the FCC that he
would dismantle and sell all of his radio transmitting gear and antenna and forfeit
proceeds to the FCC or to charity and would permit FCC
personnel to inspect his residence to insure all equipment has been removed.
The FCC said that while it could not rely on Martin's "promises of remedial
action," it could reduce the size of the proposed forfeiture given Martin's
"limited ability to pay the full amount." The FCC said the $4000 fine was
justified in light of the serious
nature of the willful and repeated violations and gave Martin 30 days to pay.
Dont pass go- Go Directly to Jail
From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT July 25, 2000 To all radio amateurs
Florida man arrested for interference to hams, unlicensed operation.
Federal authorities have arrested a Florida man and charged him with
interfering with Amateur Radio operations and transmitting without a license. William
Flippo of Jupiter was taken into custody July 20. Flippo already faces a $20,000 fine
levied last summer for unlicensed operation, willful and malicious interference to Amateur
Radio communications, and
failure to let the FCC inspect his radio equipment. The matter was referred to the US
Attorney in January after Flippo failed to pay the fine, and the interference complaints
continued. Armed with a search warrant, federal marshals, and FCC and FBI agents,
accompanied by local authorities, took Flippo into custody. FCC agents seized items
related to the alleged offenses, including radio equipment. Flippo was released on a
$100,000 bond. An arraignment on the federal charges is scheduled for
July 31. One condition of his release is that he not make any radio transmissions. Flippo
was charged with four counts of transmitting without a license--each count carrying a
maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $10,000 fine--and
four counts of interfering with the operations of licensed stations, which carry the same
penalty.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without
additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio
Relay League.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
S.H.A.R.C.
Southern Humboldt Amateur Radio Club
P. O. Box 701
Redway, CA 95560