• Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1891 - November 8 2013

    From Roy Witt@1:387/22 to Y'all on Fri Nov 8 10:48:44 2013

    Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1891 - November 8 2013



    Please note that this is an extended Amateur Radio Newsline and includes
    three breaks. Thank you.



    Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1891 with a release date of November
    8th 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.



    The following is a QST. AMSAT North America celebrates 30 years of manned
    ham radio in space; all hams in New Zealand will soon have access to 6
    meters; Oregon's Office of Emergency Management says it needs more ham
    radio volunteers and the FCC acts to stop abuse of EAS alert tones. All
    this and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1891 coming your
    way right now.



    **



    HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MANNED HAM RADIO IN
    SPACE



    The weekend of November 1st to the 3rd was very special for AMSAT North America. Not only was it the organizations 31st Space Symposium and
    Annual Meeting, but also a very special celebration of a giant step by ham radio as it crossed into the final frontier. Amateur Radio Newsline's
    Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the rest of the story:



    --



    The weekend gathering in Houston, Texas, marked AMSAT's celebration of the
    30th anniversary of amateur radio involvement in human space flight. It
    also told the story of its evolution into a successful program on board
    the International Space Station which is known as today as ARISS.



    But to tell the story we must step back three decades. It was in November
    of 1982 when then Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL became the first ham
    radio operator to use amateur radio to communicate from a spacecraft in
    Earth orbit. It was also the first time that anyone on mother Earth who
    held a ham radio license got to speak with an astronaut on-orbit. As such
    it was an event that changed the face of ham radio forever. If you
    weren't there, this is what that first QSO from space sounded like:



    --



    Actual 1st QSO between W5LFL on the space shuttle Columbia and WA1JFN in Frenchtown, Montana from the video "Amateur Radio's Newest Frontier."
    (Note QSO was time compressed.)



    --



    That was shuttle flight STS-9. From that initial contact evolved the
    Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment or SAREX program with its 25 space to schoolroom contacts. That later grew into today's ARISS: Amateur Radio on
    the International Space Station. And in an interview on NASA television, AMSAT's Vice President for Human Spaceflight Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, told
    NASA Public Affairs Officer Kelly Humphries just how far the program has
    come since the ARISS ham station took to the air:



    --



    KA3HDO: "In 1996 we started the ARISS program; Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and that program has been going very well on
    the space station. We turned on the radio system two weeks after Bill
    McArthur and Sergi Krikalev got into the module on Space Station and we
    have been operating since on all 37 expeditions at this point."



    --



    According to Bauer, using ARISS as a way to educate is very important to everyone involved:



    --



    KA3HDO: "It's all about education. It's to get students interested in
    STEM careers; science, technology, engineering and math. We go beyond
    just inspiring into engaging the students and educating the students. Ultimately that's our goals and objectives of the program."



    --



    These days there are about 100 ARISS school contacts made world-wide every year. There are also the experiments with Packet Radio, Fast Scan and
    Slow Scan television plus the casual operations from orbit by some
    licensed crew members. When added together you come away with a ham radio
    in space program that cannot be duplicated by any other all volunteer
    radio service. And now at age 30, manned ham radio in space is not only
    alive and vital, but through ARISS, it's going strong.



    For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
    newsroom in Los Angeles.



    --



    Another part of the celebration was a panel presentation hosted by KA3HDO
    and included discussions with retired NASA Astronaut's Owen Garriott,
    W5LFL, and Bill McArthur, KC5ACR.



    And less we forget, you can see and hear the complete interview with Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and NASA's Kelly Humphries on the web. It's at tinyurl.com/thirty-years-in-space.



    (ARNewsline archive, NASA, AMSAT-NA, ANS)



    **



    RADIO IN SPACE: INDIA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST MARS PROBE



    India's first-ever mission to Mars launched into space on Tuesday,
    November 5th. India's Mars Orbiter Mission rocketed into space at 09:08
    GMT from the Indian Space Research Organization's Space Centre. If all
    goes as planned it will arrive at the red planet on September 24, 2014,
    making India the fourth country to successfully deliver a spacecraft to
    orbit Mars. (Space)



    **



    RESTRUCTURING: CLOSING OF CHANNEL 1 TV BRINGS 6 METERS TO ALL NEW ZEALAND
    HAMS



    With the imminent departure of television transmission from New Zealand TV channel 1, hams throughout that nation will have access to the lower
    Megahertz of 6 meters as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim
    Meachen, ZL2BHF:



    --



    The last Channel 1 Television transmitter in New Zealand is due to close
    down at the end of November. And now telecommunications regulator Radio Spectrum Management has announced that as of December 6th that hams
    throughout the nation will have access from 50 to 51 MHz without needing
    to apply for a permit.



    The actual allocation which is called a management right under which the channel 1 television transmitters operated does not expire until August
    2015. Therefore 50 to 51 MHz can not appear on the Amateur General User
    Radio License until after this date.



    To get around this, Radio Spectrum Management is putting in place a
    footnote called license No 4122. It simply says that those who hold a New Zealand General Amateur Operators Certificate of Competency and a callsign issued pursuant to the Radiocommunications Regulations of 2001 may operate
    an amateur radio station under this new grant. The power limit will be 1 kilowatt to bring it into line with the power on the nations General User
    Radio License for Amateur Operators. When the actual Management Right
    expires on August 30th of 2015, 50 to 51 MHz will be added to the New
    Zealand General User Radio License for Amateur Operators.



    For the Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, down-under in
    Nelson, New Zealand.



    --



    This long sought after change comes just in time for the annual New
    Zealand VHF/UHF and Super High Frequency Field Day Contest slated for
    December 7th and 8th, local time. (NZART)



    **



    RESCUE RADIO: OREGON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SEEKING MORE AMATEUR
    RADIO OPERATORS



    A recent simulated emergency test in Oregon has pointed out a need for
    more ham radio communications volunteers in that state.



    The scenario of the event centered around the simulated hacking on the
    electric power grid that in turn cut off both telephone and internet
    access. As such the test planners had identified amateur radio as the
    fallback method of communication.



    While the exercise was considered a success, it also pointed out one of
    the current vulnerabilities. That being a lack of qualified amateur radio operators east of the Cascade Mountain range.



    While the state has about 700 licensed volunteer ham radio operators to
    help run the emergency communications system, most are in Western Oregon. Morrow, Grant and Jefferson counties have no volunteers. Other counties
    have as few as 1. So the bottom line is that more emergency
    communications trained amateur radio volunteers are needed in the eastern
    part of the state.



    More on this story is at tinyurl.com/oregon-needs-emcomm-hams. (OPB)



    **



    DX UP FRONT: MYANMAR NOVEMBER 15 TO THE 26



    Some breaking DX news. Word that JH1AJT and an international group of 10
    other operators will be on air from Myanmar from November 15th to the
    26th. This will be the third and final operation for 2013 from X-Z land.
    As we go to air the proposed call sign is X-Zed-1-J and plans are to set
    up three to four stations, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 160
    through 10 meters. Modes will likely be CW, SSB and RTTY with QSL's
    preferably going via OQRS. (XZ1J Team)



    **



    DX UP FRONT: YEMEN AND AFGHANISTAN OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT



    And word from ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore NC1L, that several operations have been approved for DXCC credit. These are Yemen 2013 using
    the call 7-Oh-2-A and the 2012 and 2013 operations from Afghanistan as
    T-6-M-H. Also approved has been the current T-6-S-M Afghanistan operation
    that began on August 14, 2012.



    If anyone had this contact rejected in a recent submission, please send an e-mail to bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org to be placed on the list for an
    update to your record. Please be sure to note the submission date to help expedite the search for any given QSO. And we will have more DX news for
    you near the end of this weeks newscast. (ARRL, OPDX)





    **



    ENFORCEMENT: FCC SAYS FLUORESCENT LIGHTING JAMMING CELLPHONE SITE



    The FCC has issued a violation notice to a Texas business because it's new lighting is interfering with a cellular telephone site. Skeeter Nash is
    near Houston with more:



    --



    It doesn't happen very often but the FCC has issued an official Citation
    and Order for violation of Section 15.5(b) of the Commission's regulations governing what are called Incidental Radiators. In this case the
    recipient is Ronald Bethany doing business as Perfect Cuts Salon in San Antonio, Texas, who is being cited for operating incidental radiators and causing harmful interference to a cellular telephone system.



    This past July 24th the FCC's Houston Office used direction finding
    techniques to locate the source of an unknown transmissions on 705 MHz to
    the Perfect Cuts Salon. The agent confirmed that the interfering signal
    was coming from the overhead fluorescent lighting in the salon.



    The agent then interviewed Bethany who is the owner of the salon. He reportedly stated that representatives of AT&T had conducted on and off
    testing of the lighting in the salon and confirmed that the interior fluorescent fixtures were the source of interference to a cell site
    located next door. Bethany further stated that he had unsuccessfully asked General Electric, the manufacturer of the fluorescent lighting, to replace
    the lighting.



    The FCC says that Bethany would not cooperate, so the agent from the
    Houston Office was unable to conduct his own on/off testing of the
    lighting in the salon. The agent verbally warned Bethany that he must
    repair or replace the lighting fixtures to resolve the interference.



    On July 31, the agent spoke by telephone with Bethany, who stated that the lighting was not causing him any problems and that he saw no reason to
    repair or replace them unless he was paid to do so. The agent reiterated
    to Bethany that he must resolve the interference or be in violation of the FCC's rules. As of the October 25th release date of the Citation AT&T
    continues to report receiving interference at its cell site next door to
    Mr. Bethany's salon.



    Now, based on the evidence it has on hand the FCC has found that Ronald
    Bethany is in violation Of Section 15.5(b) of its Rules by operating
    incidental radiators and causing harmful interference. It has directed
    him to cease operation of the incidental radiators immediately. Or in
    simpler terms, it basically told him to turn off the lights until the interference can be resolved.



    From near Houstron Texas, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.



    --



    Bethany and Perfect Cuts were given the normal time to respond and take corrective measures or face further enforcement action. (FCC)



    **



    ENFORCEMENT: FCC ACTS TO STOP USE OF FALSE EMERGENCY ALERT SOUNDS



    Responding to a growing number of consumer complaints that TV and radio commercials are misusing the Emergency Alert System or E-A-S sounds the
    FCC's Enforcement Bureau has taken action to stop the practice
    immediately. This is according to Robert H. Ratcliffe who is the Acting
    Chief of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau.



    In a press statement, Ratcliffe said that it is inexcusable to trivialize
    the sounds specifically used to notify viewers of the dangers of an
    incoming tornado or to alert them to be on the lookout for a kidnapped
    child, merely to advertise a talk show or a clothing store. This activity
    not only undermines the very purpose of a unique set of emergency alert signals, but is a clear violation of the law.



    Caught by FCC Enforcement is Turner Broadcasting. It has been issued a
    $25,000 Notice of Apparent Liability for using simulated E-A-S tones to
    promote its Conan O'Brian Show.



    The FCC also reached a resolution with MMK License LLC which owns WNKY -
    DT in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In that case the complaint alleged misuse
    of a simulated EAS Attention Signal in an advertisement for "The Fan Wear
    and More Store." Settling that case cost MMK a $39,000 voluntary
    contribution to the U.S. Treasury in the form of a Consent Decree.



    The Enforcement Bureau has also issued an advisory to address growing
    concern about the misuse of these sounds to capture audience attention
    during advertisements and at other times when there is no emergency or scheduled E-A-S test. The warning reemphasizes the wide-ranging and long-standing ban on such abuses and the potential for sanctions in the
    case of violations. More on this E-A-S enforcement action is on the web
    in PDF format at tinyurl.com/dont-misuse-eas-tones. (FCC)



    **



    ENFORCEMENT: ALASKA CB OPERATOR FINED $500 FOR USING LINEAR AMP



    The FCC has fined Glenn S. Yamada, of Kenai, Alaska, $500 for what the
    agency terms as his willful and repeated operation of a non certificated
    Class D CB transmitter and a linear amplifier. This in direct violation
    of its Part 95 Citizens Radio Service rules.



    On July 18, 2012, the Enforcement Bureau's Anchorage Resident Agent Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability in the amount of $12,500 to Yamada
    for operating a non-certificated CB transmitter with a radio frequency
    linear amplifier which voided his authority to operate his CB station.
    In response to that notice, Yamada did not deny the violations, but stated
    that he had not intend to violate the Communications Act or the FCC Rules
    and that he is unable to pay that high an amount. He also provided the necessary documentation to prove his claim.



    In issuing its final ruling on October 30th, the FCC said that based on financial documents Yamada provided that it found there is sufficient
    basis to reduce the fine to $500. And as is customary, it gave Yamada 30
    days to pay the amount in full or to arrange making full payment over time under an installment plan. If he fails to do one or the other the case
    can be turned over to the Department of Justice for further enforcement
    action. The complete text of the Forfeiture Order is on the web in P-D-F format at tinyurl.com/alaska-cb-fine (FCC)



    **



    ENFORCEMENT: FCC UPHOLDS FINE AGAINST CONSUMER TRANSMITTER MANUFACTURER



    The FCC affirmed an earlier decision to fine Hong Kong based Richfield Electronics $18,000 for marketing wireless radio gear in the United States
    that does not comply with its technical and labeling requirements.



    Richfield received FCC certification for its 106.7 to 107.9 Whole House FM Transmitter in 2002, but later modified it to improve sound quality. The modification made it noncompliant with the FCC's rules. The Enforcement
    Bureau originally proposed the penalty in 2009.



    In its response to the proposed fine, Richfield told the FCC it didn't
    know exactly how many of the noncompliant devices the company had shipped
    to the United States, but conceded it had shipped at least 2,500
    transmitters that had the modified antenna. The FCC believes the number of noncompliant devices made and sold was significantly higher than Richfield acknowledges.



    Richfield asked for the fine to be cancelled, alleging that TAW asked
    Richfield to make the devices based on that company's designs and
    therefore TAW and not Richfield was responsible for violating the FCC's
    rules. However the commission says Richfield did manufacturer and market unauthorized FM transmitters in the U.S.



    Richfield also asked for the fine to be cancelled because it was
    unfamiliar with the FCC's labeling requirements. The FCC says lack of knowledge of its rules does not let a company off the hook and the agency upheld the fine. (FCC)



    **



    RADIO LAW: FCC RELEASES AM REVITALIZATION PROPOSAL



    The FCC has released its AM revitalization proposal as a Notice of
    Proposed Rule Making in MB Docket 13-249. Its contents include an
    exclusive FM translator filing window for AM stations, changes in
    community of license coverage standards, the end of the so called AM
    "ratchet rule," wider implementation of modulation-dependent carrier level control standards, and changes in AM antenna efficiency standards.
    Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:



    --



    The FCC revitalization plan has many facets. The proposed translator
    filing window would allow AM stations one chance at a single FM translator within the stations AM daytime signal coverage contour. It would be permanently linked to the AM so that it may only be sold or transferred
    with the underlying AM license and not by itself.



    The change in community of license coverage would reduce the requirement
    from 100% daytime and 80% nightime to 50% daytime and night coverage
    within the 60 dBu contour. This is the same as it is for noncommercial educational FM stations.



    The proposal would also do away with the so-called "ratchet rule." This
    is the nighttime skywave protection requirement that result in new
    stations or those moving their transmitter sites having to reduce power or
    go directional and thereby reducing their nighttime coverage. It would
    also alter the minimum efficiency standard for AM antennas by reducing the existing minimum effective field strength values.



    The notice also opens the door for new proposals to help AM stations that include the use of modulation dependent carrier level control. This is a system similar to the old controlled carrier AM techniques used by hams
    back in the 1950's and 1960's. It's a system where carrier level
    increases with modulation level, but now on a far more technically
    advanced level than was available in the old days of ham radio.
    Experiments have shown a significant reduction in energy costs with no
    loss in intelligibility or area of coverage using this modulation
    technique.



    The bottom line appears to be that the FCC wants AM radio to grow and
    prosper. The only question is whether these proposed changes are enough
    to make that happen,



    For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.



    --



    Comments on MB Docket 13-249 are due 60 days after publication in the
    Federal Register, with replies due 90 days after publication. You can
    read the entire proposal on-line at tinyurl.com/fcc-am-redo (FCC, RW,
    others)





    **



    NAMES IN THE NEWS: NEW FCC CHAIR WHEELER NAMES HIS STAFF

    Newly confirmed FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced several staff and
    other appointments. Ruth Milkman will be his chief of staff. She is
    currently Chief of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and has
    worked as special counsel to the chairman for innovation in government.
    She's former deputy chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus
    and was senior legal advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt.


    Philip Verveer has been named senior counselor to the Chairman. He is
    former United States coordinator for international communications and information policy at the State Department, and practiced communications
    and antitrust law for 35 years. At the FCC he was chief of the Cable Television Bureau, the Broadcast Bureau and the Common Carrier Bureau.

    Gigi B. Sohn joins as Wheeler's special counsel for external affairs.
    Since 2001 she has been president and CEO of Public Knowledge, an "open Internet" advocacy organization. More recently co-chair of the board of directors of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group.


    Diane Cornell was named the chairman's special counsel. She was Vice
    President for government affairs at Inmarsat and also the Vice President
    of regulatory policy at CTIA, The Wireless Association. Her FCC
    background includes working as a legal advisor to three commissioners,
    chief of staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and division
    chief in the International and Common Carrier Bureaus. Others include
    Daniel Alvarezwho was named a legal advisor to the chairman, Deborah
    Ridley who was named confidential assistant to the chairman, and Sagar
    Doshi as special assistant.

    Also named to the commission staff are Jon Sallet will serve as interim director of the Technology Transitions Policy Task Force and will become
    acting general counsel when General Counsel Sean Lev departs in the near future. Jon Wilkins was named acting managing director and advisor to the chairman for management with Roger Sherman becomes acting chief of the
    Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. It is the latter that oversees matters affecting Amateur Radio at the FCC. (FCC Press release)



    **



    HAMES IN THE NEWS: W3BE FILLS QCWA DIRECTOR VACANCY



    The Quarter Century Wireless Association's Board of Directors has
    announced the appointment of John Johnston, W3BE, to fill the Director
    vacancy of Val Erwin, W5PUT.



    Johnston has been licensed for 59 years and resides in Derwood, Maryland
    He is a Life Member of the QCWA, and a member of QCWA Chapters 20, 91, 45
    and 222. Johnston is a past QCWA Director, Vice-President and President.
    He is also the contributing editor of 'The Rules & Regs Digest' for the
    QCWA Journal.



    In his professional career, W3BE served for 26 years with the Federal Communications Commission carrying out regulatory duties with the Office
    of Engineering and with the series of bureaus administering the private
    radio services. Some of the positions he held included Deputy Chief of
    the Spectrum Management Task Force and Chief of the Amateur and Citizens Division. Johnston also authors the Rules and Regs column for Worldradio Online magazine. (QCWA)



    **



    NAMES IN THE NEWS: ART BELL DEPARTS FROM SIRIUS/XM RADIO



    Art Bell, W6OBB, who only recently returned to broadcasting, has departed
    from Sirius/XM Satellite radio after only about a month and a half on the
    air. According to a posting on his website credited to siriusbuzz.com,
    his reasons for leaving boiled down to three main items:



    First is a claim that the SiriusXM's web player is notoriously unreliable, causing a loss of subscribers and a degraded listening experience for
    those who remain listening online. Second is that for a "caller driven"
    show, the caller pool is just too small and lastly that international
    listeners have no legitimate way to hear the show.



    According to siriusbuzz.com, Bell will continue his show on the web. As
    of late on November 6th he was already testing at http://live.artbell.com:8303/stream.



    For more information simply go to artbell.com/art-leaves-siriusxm. At the
    very end of the posting is a link to the siriusbuzz.com news article. (artbell.com, siriusbuzz.com, Huffington Post)



    **



    HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SSTV FROM THE ISS



    UB4UAD reports that the Slow Scan Television experiment on the
    International Space Station was active on 145.8 MHz FM on October 28th and 29th. He also says that on October 31st that SSTV images were to be transmitted from the ISS showing photographs of the life and work of the
    first Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. SSTV pictures received by Pete
    Sipple, M0PSX can be seen at tinyurl.com/iss-oct-2013-sstv

    (UB4AUD, Southgate)



    **



    HAM RADIO IN SPACE: INTERFERENCE TO THE AMATEUR-SATELLITE SERVICE IN
    THAILAND



    E22ICQ has posted a video on YouTube that shows the problem of
    interference to the Amateur Satellite Service allocations taking place in Thailand. Terrestrial users are making signals from the ham radio
    satellites into tiny heterodynes or signals that are totally inaudible.
    Take a listen:



    --



    Actual terrestrial signals interfering with weak satellite signals.



    --





    The video shows that terrestrial usage of frequencies reserved for the
    Amateur Satellite communications such as 145.800 to 146.000 MHz can result
    in the satellite transmissions being totally blocked and rendered useless.
    You can see and hear the E-22-I-C-Q recording and spectrum display photos
    of the interference at tinyurl.com/sat-qrm-in-thailand. (Southgate)




    **



    EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW TINY PACEMAKER DEVELOPED THAT REQUIRES NO WIRING



    A miniaturized wireless pacemaker that can be inserted into the body
    without invasive surgery has been given approval for use in the European
    Union. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:



    --



    Developed in the United States by the company Nanostim, the tiny device is
    less than 10% of the size of a conventional pacemaker, uses a built-in
    battery and is designed to be implanted intravenously directly in the
    heart.



    Conventional pacemakers require a patient be subject to a surgical
    procedure so that a pocket can be created in the body to house the
    pacemaker and associated wiring. Such wires are regarded as the component
    of pacemakers most likely to fail.



    By contrast the Nanostim pacemaker is inserted via a catheter inserted
    through a vein leading to the heart. It has a built-in battery that is expected to last between nine and thirteen years. Eliminating the need
    for wires lowers the risk of infection or malfunction and means that
    patients are not restricted in the amount of activity they do, the firm
    behind the device claims.



    Currently more than four million people around the world have some sort of cardiac rhythm device with an additional 700,000 people getting one each
    year. The new pacemaker design has yet to receive full United States
    Food and Drug Administration approval.



    For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm, Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania.



    --



    More on this story is on the web at tinyurl.com/wireless-pacemaker.

    (BBC)



    **



    EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: INTEL GALILEO BOARD SOON AVAILABLE



    Intel's Galileo open-source computer can now be ordered and is scheduled
    to ship at the end of November. Online retailer Mouser Electronics is the
    first to take orders for the board.



    The Galileo computer is an unenclosed circuit board that's a little larger
    than a credit card, and uses Intel's extremely low-power Quark processor.



    Though higher priced, the Intel board is being called a competitor to the popular Raspberry Pi open-source PC. Both are targeted at the community
    of makers and hackers who design computing devices ranging from robots and health monitors to home media centers and PC's. Galileo is also expected
    to become a welcome addition in ham radio development circles as well. (Southgate)



    **



    ON THE AIR: ARECIBO OBSERVATORY ON-THE-AIR THIS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10.



    If you are hearing this before Sunday, November 10th, then listen out on
    20 meters for station KP4AO. This as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.



    The operation will be on the air from 1300 until 2000 UTC around 14.250
    Mhz. A commemorative certificate will be available for those who make
    contacts with KP4AO. QSL to Arecibo Observatory Radio Club, HC03, PO Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 00612. The special event is sponsored by the Caribbean Amateur Radio Group and the Arecibo Observatory Radio Club.
    (WP3GW)



    **



    DX



    In DX, JF1OCQ will be active as 5W7X from Apia, which is the capital of
    Samoa, between November 7th and the 14th. Operations will be on 160
    through 6 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via JF1OCQ, either direct or by the bureau. E-mail requests for Bureau QSLs can be sent to jf1ocq (at) arrl
    (dot) net



    F4FET will be active stroke as 3A from Monaco on November 11th and 12th.
    His operation will be on 40through 10 meters using SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct or via the bureau.



    IK7JWX has informed the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that his DXpedition to the Island of Zanzibar scheduled for April of 2014 is has been cancelled. The reasons given are technical and logistical constraints.



    members of the DX Friends will be on the air from an Andres Island as 5J0R until November 10th. Activity was slated for 160 through 6 meters using
    CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via EA5RM direct. More is on the web at dxfriends
    dot com/SanAndres2013



    EA4ATI says that he will be in Kenya for a couple more years and will be
    active stroke 5Z4. He is using a Cobwebb antenna with a small amplifier
    and is active on 30/20/17/15/10 meters. His QSL Manager is EA4YK.



    JA8BMK will be operational as 9N7BM from Kathmandu and Nagalkot in Nepal between November 8th and the 28th. Activity will be holiday style on all
    HF bands and he says that he will try to work the United States on 160 and
    80 meters if vertical antennas can be put up. QSL via JA8BMK, direct or
    via the bureau.



    Lastly, 8P9IU, 8P9TA and 8P9BJ will be on the air from Barbados between December 9th and the 16th. Their main activity will be the ARRL 10 meter Contest on December 14th and 15th using the call 8P8T. Prior to the
    contest, operators will be using their own callsigns. QSL via KI1U.



    (Above from various DX news sources)



    **



    THAT FINAL ITEM: IN FLIGHT BAN ON USE OF HAM GEAR TO CONTINUE



    And finally this week, in the not to distant future airline passengers may
    not have to turn off all electronic devices prior to takeoff and landing
    in a commercial jetliner, but anything that has the capability of
    radiating any RF power will still fall under the current ban. That
    includes any form of ham radio gear as we hear from Amateur Radio
    Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N8WB:



    --



    Under a new set of new FAA guidelines passengers on domestic U.S. flights
    will be permitted to read, work and listen to music from gate to gate.
    But they still will not be permitted to talk on their cellphones, directly browse the Internet or use any form of two-way radio through the flight. Internet connectivity will only be permitted on aircraft equipped to
    provide such a service, usually at a fee. For ham radio operators it
    means the ban on the use of a hand-helds or other gear operating on any
    band will continue just as the rules are now.



    Currently airline passengers are required to turn off their smartphones, laptops, and other devices once a plane's door closes. They're not
    supposed to use them again until the planes reach 10,000 feet and the
    captain gives the go-ahead. Passengers are then supposed to turn their
    devices off again as the plane descends through 10,000 feet to land and
    not restart them until it is on the ground or at the arrival gate.



    Under the new guidelines, airlines whose planes are properly shielded from electronic interference may allow passengers to use the devices during takeoffs, landings and taxiing. The FAA says that most new airliners and
    other planes that have been modified so that passengers can use airline supplied WiFi at higher altitudes are expected to meet the criteria.
    However to use electronics that normally radiate an RF signal, that
    feature must be disabled unless instructed otherwise on aircraft with
    airline supplied WiFi connectivity.



    For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinfo
    --- D'Bridge 3.92
    * Origin: Lone-Star Hub - Gulf Coast Distribution - USA (1:387/22)