Permission
to copy is granted provided that credit is given to “W6VIO
Calling.”
Contents
Calendar of Events
Meeting
Notice
Prez’
Mix
December
Club Meetings
DX News
Club Supports
JPL Y2K Activities
25
Years Ago, W6VIO Calling
Classified
Section
ARRL Bulletin
Calendar of Events
Meeting Notice
The
next General Meeting of the JPL Amateur Radio Club will be held
on Wednesday, December 12, 2000 in 238-543. You can bring your
lunch and eat during the meeting. It is vital that YOU attend.
To achieve a quorum we need a majority of the Board of Directors
and five Regular Members to attend in order to be able to conduct
the Club's business. YOU can make a difference. The Club Board
of Directors meetings are held at noon on the fourth Wednesday
of each month in 233-305J. Everyone is welcome at both meetings;
bring your lunch to the BOD meeting. n
Prez’
Mix
By Bob Dengler,
NO6B
Happy New Year,
everybody! I hope you’re all recovered from this year’s
extra special activities. In addition to the usual New
Year’s Eve parties and the Tournament of Roses parade communications
effort, we had the Y2K issues to deal with. Several club
members participated in the special NASA HF network that was
set up to provide communications between all the NASA centers
in the event normal communications circuits were disrupted by
the rollover to 2000.
By all accounts
there were no communications anomalies of any kind observed.
However, it made a great communications exercise and provided
valuable training for the day we may depend on the HF net for
emergency communications.
As in years past,
our 147.15 repeater was used by the Tournament of Roses Radio
Amateurs for Rose Parade communications support. Unlike
previous years, our system was used quite heavily at times to
support logistical communications for the band and equestrian
units. It turned out that our efforts to improve the system
sensitivity by splitting the transmit and receive functions to
two antennas paid off as some of the volunteer communicators
often had marginal signals into the repeater. Had the system
noise figure been 3 dB worse, many transmissions that barely
made it through the repeater would otherwise have been unintelligible.
A potentially
serious adjacent-channel interference problem was averted the
previous evening when simplex activity that developed on 147.765
as a result of a power failure to the W6QFK repeater was asked
to move. While this kind of interference is far less common
on 220 and 440, it does illustrate the importance of adhering
to the band plans when selecting frequencies.
Well I wish I
could think of some more profound words of wisdom for this first
newsletter of the 2000s, but nothing comes to mind. How
about considering volunteering your communications skills for
the 15th Los Angeles Marathon on March 5th? The club supports
this operation in a major way by providing complete support for
the entire medical net and can always use some more talented
operators. Contact me and I’ll get you an application.
73 n
December Club
Meeting
By
Christopher Carson, KE6ABQ
GENERAL
MEETING, December 8
The annual December
dinner meeting at Marie Calendars’s restaurant was cancelled
due to a lack of a sufficient number of reservations to hold
the room for the Club. Instead, the December meeting was
held at 12:00 noon in 238-543 on Wednesday, December 8th.
A quorum was (barely) reached by about 12:15.
Since
the previous two general meetings failed to achieve quorum, no
nominations or elections had taken place. The current officers
agreed to run for their respective offices, and despite my best
efforts, I was nominated for Vice President. Since there
was only one nominee for each office, per Article VII Section
3 of the Club Bylaws, the written ballot was dispensed with and
a voice vote was taken. All candidates were elected unanimously
except for my abstention in the vote for VP.
The
Club Officers for 2000 are:
Bob Polansky
discussed final preparations for the Club’s support of JPL’s
Y2k transition activities. The EOC, SFOF, ROSA, and the
W6VIO HF station in T-1309, will be manned by club members during
local midnight transitions at Canberra, Madrid, Goddard, and
JPL/Goldstone to provide backup communications if the primary
modes fail.
JPL will host
the next General Meeting of the 220 MHz Spectrum Management Association
in Von Karman Auditorium, on Saturday, January 15, 2000. Doors
will open at 8:30 a.m. for check-in and for membership renewals
and new sign-ups. The meeting will commence promptly at 9:00
a.m. n
DX
News
By
Bob Polansky, N6ET
Christmas is
over as is Y2K-day. Now it’s back to life in the slow
lane. Yours truly has been spending a little bit of time
on 10 and 12 meters, just enough to bring back pleasant memories
of how much fun the higher HF bands can be when the sunspot numbers
soar. Europe as well as Africa sure are loud these days!
All the preparations
for Y2K went per Plan (See the article on that activity elsewhere
in W6VIO Calling.) The following shows that there is DX
life out there, and will continue to be over the next several
months.
CAMBODIA -
A Cambodian operation, call sign unknown, is planned from 5 January
through 4 February. W6VIO needs this on SSB.
CLIPPERTON ISLAND
- It’s been a long time since this rare entity showed
up on the ham bands. An all-out operation is planned by
FO0C from 26 February through 15 March. QSO’s on any
band should be very easy from the West Coast.
JUAN FERNANDEZ
- Look for CE0Z from 6 January through 16 January.
W6VIO needs this one on CW.
MARION ISLAND
- ZS8D is active through the end of April. Operating frequencies
from 20 through 10 meters, both phone and CW have been published.
MYANMAR -
XZ0A will liven the Asian scene from 13 January through 6 February.
Let me know if you hear him on 17, 12, or 10 meters.
PALESTINE -
E4/G3WQU and E41/OK1DTP continue to provide action from this
new entity.
PITCAIRN ISLAND
- Look for VP6BR (It used to be VR6) starting now through
the end of April. W6VIO needs this on CW and I could use
it on 30 meters also.
TEMOTU ISLAND
- H40MS plan activity for three weeks during February.
Maybe we can catch him on 80 meters this time. Another
H40 operation is planned for this coming March. No details
yet on either of these operations.
That’s enough
for now. Still want to write an article about your Club’s
support of the Y2K activity at JPL. Here’s wishing
you all a very Happy New Year. n
Club
Supports JPL Y2K Activities
By
Bob Polansky, N6ET
Late last summer,
the JPL ARC was asked to support the now winding down Y2K activity
at the Lab. There were significant concerns on the ability
of the international communications infrastructure to remain
intact during the Y2K rollover period. This coupled with
concerns over the uncertainty of commercial power availability
resulted in an exciting challenge to our Club.
To ensure that
status could be communicated from JPL’s Deep Space Complexes
(DSCC) back to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Lab,
each of the DSCC’s were provided with Amateur Radio transceivers
and antennas capable of operating on the NASA frequencies just
outside of the Amateur Radio 80, 40, and 20 meter bands.
Equipment was installed, tuned up, and tested at each DSCC.
People were trained in its use at each location, and finally,
end-to-end tests were conducted directly between Canberra and
JPL, Goldstone and JPL, and Madrid and JPL (using a planned relay
station located at Goddard).
The systems were
exercised on several occasions both during Y2K test exercises
and standalone exercises outside of the formal Y2K tests.
JPL Facilities provided generator power to our W6VIO trailer
to ensure our operability in the event of commercial power outages.
Also, they provided temporary emergency power to other critical
JPL comm points to ensure that command and data connectivity
between the DSCC’s and JPL as well as Email connectivity
with the NASA EOC would survive commercial power interruptions.
In addition,
a 220 mHz VHF net was activated between key JPL and TMOD facilities
to provide critical communication in case of a local telephone
outage.
On Y2K-day, the
backup Y2K comm system worked even better than expected.
All the backup comm links worked as expected and copy was possible
over links we didn’t think possible during our planning
activities. A number of other NASA Centers also participated
in the backup communications “Y2K NET” and were prepared
to pass status information both directly and indirectly to the
NASA Emergency Operations Center located at Goddard. The
Y2K NET provided continuous “availability” from the
first Y2K event at Canberra through the last Y2K event occurring
at Goldstone/JPL.
Many JPL ARC
members supported this activity, as did a very dedicated set
of Club members at Goddard and several of the other NASA Centers.
Special thanks go to Hugh O’Donnell, the President of the
GSFC ARC and the Goddard Club members at their location that
provided Net Control activities during this exciting day.
In addition,
special thanks go our own Club members, Phil Barnes-Roberts,
Chris Carson, Robb Frederickson, Randy Hammock, Jim Hodder, Jay
Holladay, Steve Jenkins, Dick Mathison, Vieve Metcalfe, Walt
Mushagian, Richard Schick, John Tallon, Bill Wood, and yours
truly for taking time from their family holiday festivities to
support this very important activity for JPL.
I believe our
collective efforts have again showed the valuable service our
amateur radio community can provide to our country in times of
need. n
25
Years Ago in:
By Bill Wood,
W6FXJ
The January 1975
issue ran some 13 pages largely due to the inclusion of the FCC
Notice of Proposed Rule Making 20282 that covered proposed changes
to the Amateur Radio Service.
Walt Diem, WA6PEA,
was elected President for 1975 along with Gil Yanow, K6TOS, as
Vice President, Ralph West, WB6YMF, Secretary and Jim Lumsden,
WA6MYJ, Treasurer.
Walt, now K6PEA,
announced a JPL ARC group purchase of 2-meter and 220 VHF equipment
at “irresistibly low” discount prices.
The
full January1975 issue can be accessed at the following Internet
address: http://www.jplerc.org/radio/calling/1975/jan/jan75.html
n
Classified
Section
Wanted:
Kenwood
TM-642 or TM 742 with both 2M and 220MHz modules. Bill
Westphal wb6ypf@pacbell.net
213-787-9991
For Sale:
QST
1990-1994 CD-ROM set, new. $25 (ARRL price $39.95) Skip,
W7NWY, 818-354-9674
US
Tower (MA40) 40 foot tubular telescoping tower, hinged base,
2 co-ax arms, mast extension, Hy-gain Explorer-14 beam antenna
with 40 meter dipole add-on, and Hy-Gain antenna rotator (Ham
IV). Original cost, less tax, was over $2200. Sell
all for $800. Contact Ron Zenone (W6TUZ) at (626) 914-5585.
Icom UT-40 Tone
Squelch Option Board (CTCSS) for HT models 2GAT, 4GAT, 12GAT,
32AT or for mobiles 228, 448, 901, 1201, 2400 and 2500.
Cost: $80 (AES Catalog) Sale for $40. Radio Shack,
Rotor/Controller and Cable, 3 years old, never used, have box/papers,
like new. Cost: $70+ Sale for $50. Scott Nolte, N6CUV
818-354-9724 n
ARRL
Bulletin
Amateur Restructuring
is Here: Three License Classes, One Code Speed
NEWINGTON, CT,
Dec 30, 1999--Amateur Radio will get a new look in the new millennium.
The FCC today issued its long-awaited Report and Order in the
1998 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 97--more commonly known
as “license restructuring.” The bottom line is that
starting April 15, 2000, there will be three license classes—Technician,
General, and Amateur Extra—and a single Morse code requirement--5
WPM.
“We believe
that an individual’s ability to demonstrate increased Morse
code proficiency is not necessarily indicative of that individual’s
ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art,”
the FCC said.
Besides drastically
streamlining the Amateur Radio licensing process, the FCC said
its actions would “eliminate unnecessary requirements that
may discourage or limit individuals from becoming trained operators,
technicians, and electronic experts.”
Although no new
Novice and Advanced licenses will be issued after the effective
date of the Report and Order, the FCC does not plan to automatically
upgrade any existing license privileges. The ARRL had proposed
a one-time across-the-board upgrading of current Novice and Tech
Plus licensees to General class, but the FCC declined to adopt
the idea. This means that current licensees will retain
their current operating privileges, including access to various
modes and subbands, and will be able to renew their licenses
indefinitely.
Starting April
15, 2000, individuals who qualified for the Technician class
license prior to March 21, 1987, will be able to upgrade to General
class by providing documentary proof to a Volunteer Examiner
Coordinator, paying an application fee, and completing FCC Form
605.
The FCC’s
decision not to automatically upgrade Novice and Tech Plus licensees
means the current Novice/Tech Plus HF subbands will remain and
not be “refarmed” to higher class licensees as the
ARRL had proposed. The FCC said it did not refarm these
subbands because there was “no consensus” within the
amateur community as to what to do with them.
As it had proposed
earlier, the FCC decided to lump Technician and Tech Plus licensees
into a single licensee database, all designated as “Technician”
licensees. Those who can document having passed the 5 WPM
Morse code examination will continue to have the current Tech
Plus HF privileges. “If documentation is needed to
verify whether a licensee has passed a telegraphy examination,
we may request the documentation from that licensee or the VECs,”
the FCC said.
In addition to
reducing the number of license classes from six to three and
eliminating the 20 and 13 WPM code tests, the FCC also will reduce
the number of written examination elements from five to three,
authorize Advanced Class hams to prepare and administer General
class examinations, and eliminate Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service (RACES) station licenses. RACES will remain, however.
“After review of the record, we conclude that we should
eliminate RACES station licenses because RACES station licenses
are unnecessary for amateur stations and amateur service licenses
to provide emergency communications,” the FCC said.
Under the new
licensing scheme, there will be four examination elements.
Element 1 will be the 5 WPM Morse code exam. Element 2
will be a 35-question written test to obtain a Technician license;
Element 3 will be a 35-question written test to obtain a General
license, and Element 4 will be a 50-question written test for
the Amateur Extra license. The FCC has left it in the hands
of the National Conference of VECs Question Pool Committee to
determine the specific mix and makeup of written examination
questions. Current Amateur Radio study materials remain
valid at least until the new rules become effective in April.
The FCC’s
new licensing plan means someone will be able to become a ham
by passing a single 35-question written examination. The
plan also simplifies and shortens the upgrade path from the ground
floor through Amateur Extra—especially since amateurs will
only have to pass one Morse code test.
Elimination of
the 13 and 20 WPM Morse requirements also means an end to physician
certification waivers for applicants claiming an inability to
pass the Morse code examination due to physical handicap.
The effective
date provides a window of upgrade opportunity for current Advanced
licensees. Between now and April 15, current Advanced holders
may take the existing Element 4B, a 40-question test, giving
them credit for having passed the current Extra written examination.
Likewise, holders of a Certificate of Successful Completion of
Examination (CSCE) for Elements 3B or 4B dated on or after April
17, 1999, will be able to qualify for General or Amateur Extra
respectively when the new rules go into effect on April 15, 2000.
The FCC disagreed
with the League’s suggestion that it undertake a restructuring
of operating privileges along with licensing restructuring.
“We believe that in light of ongoing discussions concerning
implementation of new and more modern communications technologies
within the amateur service community, we should accord the amateur
service community an opportunity to complete such discussions
and possibly reach a consensus regarding implementation of new
technologies before we undertake a comprehensive restructuring
of the amateur service operating privileges and frequencies,”
the FCC said in its Report and Order.
In its amendments
to Part 97, the FCC’s Report and Order refers to a “Club
Station Call Sign Administrator,” something that does not
exist under the current rules and which was not explained in
the R&O itself. An FCC spokesperson said the Commission plans
to issue a Public Notice soon to explain the program and to solicit
qualified entities to serve as call sign administrators for club
station applications.
A copy of the
entire Report and Order (FCC 99-412) is available at:
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt98-143ro.pdf or at http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/1999/db991230/fcc99412.txt
n
Updated January
6, 2000