Post by David (N4DLT) on Jan 28, 2011 22:50:17 GMT -5
Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1746 – January 28 2011
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1746 with a release date of Friday, January 28, 2011 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A Georgia ham radio group receives praise for its rescue radio work during a snowstorm, an amateur radio emergency response unit in Alaska looses its communications trailer to Mother Nature, Brazil’s military praises ham radio for its response to a flood and mudslide disaster, a new bill is introduce in the Senate to create an inter-operable first response broadband network and is the future of ham radio in brainwave station control. Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number 1746 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
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RESCUE RADIO: GEORGIA ARES GROUP PRAISED FOR STORM RESPONSE
A quick response by hams in Georgia during a recent snowstorm has brought words of praise from civic leaders. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is here with the details:
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Local emergency workers in Cherockee County Georgia who received a major assist from a group of volunteer ham radio operators during the snowstorm that covered the region are singing their praises of the radio amateurs in the area. The group receiving the accolades is the Cherokee Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is a 40 member SKYWARN organization made up of volunteers who share severe weather and emergency information with the Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center when called upon to do so.
According to Robby Westbrook, director of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management, the ham radio group is an invaluable resource during the severe weather. Westbrook said that the hams began radioing in reports when the storm first started. That helped us to know where to deploy our resources.
County Commissioner Jim Hubbard works closely with the amateur radio group. He said its members were a big help in the storm's first 30 hours. Hubbard noted that the group provided the Emergency Operations Center with a good overview of how hard the region was getting hit.
Jim Millsap, WB4NWS, of Woodstock, Georgia is the Emergency Coordinator for Cherokee County ARES. He told a local newspaper the group's mission is to support Westbrook and the Emergency Operations Center staff any time a disaster happens. He added that when the ice storm suddenly hit Cherokee last month at rush hour, the group was able to provide information about dangerous areas on the roads. It also served the same role during the floods of 2009.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP, watching this one from Scottsdale, Arizona
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More about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service club is on line at www.Cherokee-ares.org
(Cherokee Tribune)
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RESCUE RADIO: ALASKA CLUB LOOSES EMCOMM TRAILER TO MOTHER NATURE
A windstorm has destroyed a mobile ham radio emergency communications trailer in Alaska. According to a posting on Q-R-Zed dot com by District Emergency Coordinator Don Bush, KL7JFT, the Matanuska Amateur Radio Association lost its vehicle in the wind storm on January 12th.
Bush says that the trailer was originally purchased with a grant from the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club along with donations received from various members and organizations in Alaska. Not having any insurance on it, Bush says that the club does not know it can replace it. He adds that this is a big loss for a small club that is very active in the community in helping with all kinds of events. He also says that the trailer was the only backup communications for the Borough Emergency Services if conventional communications is lost.
A fund has been set up to try to raise funds to replace the destroyed vehicle. Itds on-line ay www dot kl7jfu dot com. (KL7JFT, QRZ.com)
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RESCUE RADIO: COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA NOW OFFICIAL INFO PROVIDER
A broadcast service down-under has become the latest provider of emergency alert information. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News has more:
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Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner has welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the New South Wales Government, making commercial radio stations official providers of emergency services information.
Ms. Warner said the NSW memorandum of understanding follows a similar arrangement with the Victorian, South Australian and Queensland Governments. The industry has argued for some time for commercial radio to be included and promoted as an official provider of information in emergencies, along with the ABC.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline I’m Grahm Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News in Australia.
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This new agreement makes it easier to alert the public in times of emergencies. (WIA News)
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RESCUE RADIO: BRAZILIAN MILITARY PRAISES HAMS IN WAKE OF MASSIVE FLOODS
Civil Defense forces in Brazil have praised the efforts of a local group of amateur radio enthusiasts. This after the hams helped them co-ordinate the rescue efforts in the first hours after the landslides brought on by flooding.
According to a report on the BBC News website, Lt Col Roberto Robadey said that without the help from the Brazilian ham community that his command couldn't have done anything in those first two days.
Robadey said that the ham radio operators took their gear to key points to provide a communication link between rescue groups. Since them, the Brazilian Air Force said it was installing a communication centre in Itaipava, so people could make phone calls and access data in their attempts to track down missing relatives.
About 100 soldiers have also been deployed to the Cuiaba valley, which has been cut off since the heaviest downpours in 44 years tore through the mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro. Officials say at least 600 people are known to have died in the floods.
The full BBC story on this ham radio first responder effort in Brazil is on-line at Read the full BBC News story at tinyurl.com/BrazilRescue
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NANOSAIL-D HEARD BY HAMS IN HUNTSVILLE
Some good news on the health of the NanoSail-D spacecraft. The Marshall Amateur Radio Club WA4NZD in Huntsville, Alabama, has confiirmed ejection and activation of the NanoSail-D sub-satellite.
The WA4NZD team of Stanley Simms, N4PMF, and Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, along with NanoSail-D Principal Investigator Dean Alhorn were listening on 437.275 MHz FM at the club station on Wednesday, January 19th. That’s when the NanoSail-D beacon was heard and subsequently decoded.
The only communication from the NanoSail-D vehicle is via ham radio with 1200 baud FM AX.25 beacon packets. Controllers are asking for telemetry reception reports from all over the world to help track the bird. They say that the solar sail was to deploy after three days, but the battery may last longer than that.
This loaf-of-bread sized spacecraft was carried to orbit late last year on an Air Force rocket as part of NASA's FastSat project. It has now become the first successful deployment of a satellite, launched from a satellite already in orbit.
NanoSail-D is expected stay in low-Earth orbit between 70 and 120 days, depending on atmospheric conditions. The satellite is expected to eventually de-orbit itself and re-enter the earth's atmosphere. More information on this project is on-line at wa4nzd.wordpress.com.
(WA4ZND Release)
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISSAT 1 SET FOR TRIP TO THE ISS
The ARISSat-1 space craft is mounted in the Progress vehicle at Baikonur and the hatch sealed.
Progress flight 41P is scheduled to lift off on Friday, January 28th. Due to the newly announced launch date of shuttle flight STS-133, the space walk to deploy ARISSat-1 has been moved up to February 16th.
A NASA press release describes the plans for ARISSat-1 in an article about planned Russian EVAs from the ISS is available at tinyurl.com/6kceotn.
NASA TV has already run a program featuring ARISSat-1. Watch for repeat playback in coming days. And we will have more ham radio space related news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.
(ANS, NASA, WA4SXM)
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BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KD1RJ repeater serving Fairfield, Connecticut
(5 sec pause here)
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RADIO POLITICS: ARRL HOLDS ANNUAL BOD MEETING
The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2011 Annual Meeting January on 21st and 22nd in Windsor, Connecticut. At the meeting, the Board set its new legislative objectives for the 112th Congress, re-elected the ARRL Executive Committee, bestowed various technical and service awards and approved the organization’s financial plan for 2011. It also set timelines for the ongoing consideration of digital periodicals and more.
A detailed look at all the Board’s actions, including the official minutes from the meeting, will be available in the near future. Keep an eye on the front news page at www dot arrl dot org for the latest updates.
(ARRL)
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RADIO LAW: ROCKEFELLER REINTRODUCES INTEROPERABLE RADIO BILL TO SENATE
Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia has reintroduced legislation that would re-allocate a chunk of spectrum to public safety officials. This, for the creation of a national broadband interoperable network.
Rockefeller said the bill mirrors the measure he offered last Congress. One that would re-allocate the so-called D-block of spectrum to public safety officials instead of auctioning it off to commercial bidders as the Federal Communications Commission has proposed.
Rockefeller noted that with the upcoming 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, al-Quida terrorist attacks on the Uniuted States, Congress needs to takes the steps necessary to implement a recommendation by the commission that investigated those attacks. That being to create a national broadband interoperable public safety network. He said that such a network is needed to assist first responders to better communicate during emergencies.
As you are likely aware, the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentgon highlighted the problems first responders had in trying to communicate with each other during emergencies. With each responding service using a different radio system, communications between them was almost impossible. At the World Trade Center it fell to ham radio to provide the only inter operable communications for the first several days.
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RADIO LAW: VERIZON SUES THE FCC OVER NET NEUTRALITY DECISION
Ham radio could have a vested interest in the outcome of Verizon Communications challenge to the Federal Communications Commission’s controversial net neutrality order. This as the telecommunications giant becomes what likely will be the first of company’s to try to stop the agency from requiring Internet companies to treat all Web traffic equally. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with more:
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A legal challenge from one or more of the nations telecommunications and broadband providers to the recent FCC order mandating Net Neutrality was widely expected. This after the FCC has said it thinks Congress enabled it to pursue its Net Neutrality rules under several interpretations of telecommunications laws.
In simple terms, Net Neutrality means that service providers must treat all traffic on their networks equally and cannot speed up or slow down consumer access to any web destination based on network usage of that customer. It also effectively bans tiered service where heavy Internet users could be charged more than those who only use the net occasionally. The FCC's Net Neutrality rules are supported by consumer groups and Web giants such as Google and Facebook.
The Verizon appeal is the first step that will begin a chain of legal maneuvering that will initiate a lawsuit that will be heard in the same court that last year struck down the FCC’s earlier attempt at enforcing Net Neutrality rules. Verizon and other providers claim that it is they and they alone who have the right to determine the business model that they operate under.
Another challenge to the FCC’s Net Neutrality decision is likely to come from the Republican lead House Energy and Commerce Committee. It has already announced that undoing Net Neutrality through a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act is a top priority. However, that effort is likely to stall in the Democraratic controlled Senate.
What this might eventually mean to ham radio is simple. More and more communications technologies are being developed where interlinking of signals and control of remote stations forces the need for more and more bandwidth. Some on a full time basis. If Net Neutrality is overturned and if service providers decide to place some of these high bandwidth ham radio operations in the category of heavy use it could slow down these applications to a crawl or make them financially impossible for the average ham to continue.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
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In its filing Verizon argues that the FCC does not have the legal authority to mandate how Internet service providers treat content on their networks. For its part, the FCC says that its mandate is to oversee all aspects of telecommunications in the United States. (Published News Reports)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLYLAND CONTEST
The Israel Amateur Radio Club has announced that it will be sponsoring a special 3 month on the air activity. This, to commemorate the Holyland Contest's 20th anniversary.
Operation begins on February 1st and runs through April 30th. Two stations will be on CW, SSB and the Digital modes using the special callsigns 4X20HC and 4Z20HC. All QSL’s go via 4Z4TL. For more details about the Holyland Contest take your web browser to tinyurl.com/holylandoperation and holylandoperation is spelled as one word.
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HAM HAPPENINGS: 2011 SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION APRIL 15 - 16
The South African Radio League’s 2011 National Convention will have two clubs as its host. The show which is slated for April 15th and 16th in the city of Vaal will be jointly sponsored by the Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Amateur Radio Clubs.
The two organizations say that they are aiming to make the convention the biggest get-together of South African radio amateurs in years. Among the attractions is a Saturday afternoon visit to the Bloemendal medium wave radio broadcast station near the city of Meyerton. That’s where attendees can experience first hand what a 500 kilowatt transmitter is capable of doing. More on all aspects of this event is on line at www dot qsl dot net slash zs4srk. (South African Radio League)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: BLACKROCK CASTLE OBSERVATORY IRELAND FEB 19 – 20
And Ireland’s North Cork Radio Group will be active the call EI1NC/P on February 19th and 20th. This from the Blackrock Castle Observatory which is a 16th century Castle located 4km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of the river Lee. The Castle has seen many uses in its long history and now houses a cutting edge of space and observation post. More informatyion on the Castle is available at www dot bco dot ie. The North Cork Radio Groups website is at www dot eilnc dot com. And less we forget, the operation from Blackrock Castle will run from and 10:00 to 17:00 hours UTC on both days. (Press Release)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: ANNUAL GATHERING AT M2 ANTENNA SYSTEMS
Closer to home, the 13th annual ham radio gathering at M2 Antenna Systems is now set for Saturday, March 19th at the M2 factory in Fresno, California. Exact plans for this year’s event will be revealed shortly. Keep an eye on www dot m2inc dot com for the latest details. (W6OMF)
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NAMES IN THE NEWS: FRANK FALLON, N2FF RETIRES AS ARRL HUDSON DIRECTOR
Some names in the news. First up is Frank Fallon, N2FF, who announced his decision to retire from the position of ARRL Hudson Division Director at the conclusion of the League’s first Board of Directors meeting of 2011. In announcing his decision to step aside after more than 14 years on the job, Fallon said that at age 72 he thinks it’s time to cut down on night driving and to turn things over to his Division’s Vice Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF and let her have her turn in the front seat at Board meetings.
Under the ARRL’s rules of succession, when a Director retires or can no longer serve for other reasons, the Division’s Vice Director fills that position. In this case its’ Joyce Birminham, who has been an active radio amateur for more than 30 years.
Birmingham began her ARRL career in 2000, when Fallon asked her to be an Assistant Director in the Hudson Division. This, after her husband Andy, WB2RQX, became a Silent Key. In 2003, she was elected ARRL Hudson Division Vice Director; she was re-elected for two more terms, in 2006 and 2009. Birmingham also serves as the District 2 Chairperson of the Young Ladies’ Radio League and as the President of the East Coast DX Association. (ARRL)
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HAM RADIO ON THE WEB: NEW 60 METER BLOG
And the Southgate news reports that Peter Ourednik, OK1RP, in the Czech Republic, now runs a blog covering the 60 meter or 5 MHz band. It features information on DX operation and related news for the band. You can read it on-line at 60mband.blogspot.com. (Southgate)
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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)
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HAM RADIO TECHNOLOGY: A BIG LEAP FOR CODEC 2
Codec 2 may not be ready for prime time, but its getting close. Take a listen.
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Codec 2 audio: Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast at www.arnewsline.org.
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That was just a snippet of a long conversation between Bruce Robertson, VE9QRP, in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada holding forth with Paul Saville, ZL3IN, in Christchurch, New Zealand using Codec2.
For those unaware, Codec 2 is an open source alternative to both D-Star and P25 that’s being developed by a group of volunteers all around the world. The idea behind Codec 2 is to provide a single, free, software-based digital voice encode and decode system that would not require any proprietary firmware as is found in most other current digital voice systems. And as you can hear, even in this Internet-only QSO being held by two hams half a world apart, the quality is quite extraordinary. Likely on a par with all the systems available to hams today. Listen as ZL3IN describes his current career to VE9QRP:
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Codec 2 audio: Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast at www.arnewsline.org.
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More about Codec 2 is on-line at Codec2 dot org. The complete QSO between VE9QRP and ZL3IN is at tinyurl.com/codec2video. (Southgate)
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NASA ADDS ONE MORE SHUTTLE MISSION
NASA has officially added another space shuttle launch to its schedule and the final one for the fleet.
The space agency has set a target launch date of June 28th for shuttle Atlantis and started preparations for the 135th and last shuttle flight. The four-member crew will take up supplies to the International Space Station and return a faulty pump that has stumped engineers.
With the addition of STS-135 there are now three missions left before NASA retires its shuttle fleet this year. Shuttle Discovery's last mission is slated for February 24th nand the final flight of the Endeavour will take place in April.
The final flight of Atlantis will be commanded by Christopher Ferguson, KG4JCQ. The rest of the crew is composed of astronaut researchers and includes Douglas Hurley, Rex Walheim, and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. (NASA)
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RADIO IN SPACE: SMARTPHONE BASED SATELLITE BEING DEVELOPED IN THE UK
Researchers at England’s University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited are building a satellite containing a smartphone payload that will be launched into orbit around the Earth later this year.
Called STRaND-1, the name is an acronym for the Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator. The tiny bird is being developed by the Surrey team to demonstrate the advanced capabilities of a satellite built quickly using advanced commercial off-the-shelf components.
STRaND-1's lead researcher is Dr. Chris Bridges. He explained that a smartphone made an ideal satellite payload because these devices pack lots of components such as sensors, video cameras, GPS systems and Wi-Fi radios that are technologically advanced but a fraction of the size, weight and cost of components used in existing satellite systems. Also, because many smartphones run on free operating systems that this could lead online software developers to create applications that could feasibly be utilized on later satellites.
A smartphone avionics suite is one of many technological advances packed into this 4 kg nanosatellite. To precisely point and maneuver, the satellite also incorporates advanced guidance, navigation and control systems including miniature reaction wheels. It also contains a GPS receiver, as well as innovative pulse plasma thrusters to propel it through space.
If this experiment is successful, it could give new meaning to the line from the science fiction film for E-T to phone home. (Southgate)
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DX
In DX, the Microlite Penguins DXpedition Team will be active as VP8ORK from the South Orkney Islands Antarctica, from January 27th to February 8th. The South Orkney Islands one of the world's most wanted DXCC entities. Operation will be CW, SSB and RTTY on 160 through 10 meters. QSL direct only to Garry Hammond, VE3XN, 5 McLaren Avenue, Listowel, Ontario, Canada, postal code N4W 3K1. For more information please visit the teams website at www dot vp8o dot com.
IK1PMR and PA3LEO are now operational portable EA8 from the CXanary Islands. They will be there until March 8th but their activity on the air will be holiday style on 160 through 6 meters. QSL via PA3LEO or Logbook of the World.
Lastly, F5LBG is now active portable FM from Martinique running only 5 watts QRP on 10 point 106, 14 point 060 and 18 dot 096 MHz. He will be thre until February 3rd operating holiday style. Listen out for him daily around 1000 UTC and 1800 UTC. QSL via F5LBG, direct or by the Bureau.
(Above from various DX News souraces.)
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THAT FINAL ITEM: BRAINWAVE CONTROL IS COMING
And finally this week, get ready to control your, TV set, your stereo and maybe even your ham radio station with only your mind. That’s what you may be able to do with brain waves if the technology developed by a company called PLX Devices proves out. No its’ not science fiction as we hear in this report:
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According to its website, the XWave from PXL Devices is the first consumer product priced under $100 which can sense and detect human brainwaves, interpret them and connect it to everyday technology.
PLX Devices founder and CEO is Paul Lowchareonkul. He recently told the U.K. Daily Mail that it was only a matter of time before products like the XWave entered the mainstream. Lowchareonkul says that the human brain is the most powerful, complex thing in the universe, and for the first time, we're able to harness its amazing power and connect it to everyday technology.
Lowchareonkul says that with the development of 3rd party applications or apps, the potential for innovation is limitless. At the moment, PLX is only offering apps that interact with the XWave for Apple mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There are four apps currently available that interact with the XWave. These include a basic set-up app; an app that allows you to upload your song list and sync your brainwaves with any song in your library; a "Tug of Mind" app and a meditation app. In the future, PLX says on its website that you will be able to control and float objects in video games by simply thinking about it, or train your mind to focus and relax on command.
And if you do get one and are able to develop an app to control your ham station with your brain, please be sure to let us know so that we can pass it along to what will then become a truly mew world of amateur radio.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW. In Los Angeles.
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From pictures on-line, the XWave device itself looks almost like an ordinary headset for telephone operator. The PLX website claims that XWave is perfectly safe because it only listens to brainwaves and does not transmit or send out any signals. That’s a good thing for many reasons including there being no need to add more QRM to our already overcrowd bands.
More on this rather interesting device is on-line at www.plxwave.com/info.html. (Daily Mail, Mobilehack.com, others)
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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 WIA News, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline™. Our e-mail address is Newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's™ only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline™, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I’m Frank Haas, KB4T, saying 73 from Holly Hill, Florida, and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline™ is Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1746 with a release date of Friday, January 28, 2011 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A Georgia ham radio group receives praise for its rescue radio work during a snowstorm, an amateur radio emergency response unit in Alaska looses its communications trailer to Mother Nature, Brazil’s military praises ham radio for its response to a flood and mudslide disaster, a new bill is introduce in the Senate to create an inter-operable first response broadband network and is the future of ham radio in brainwave station control. Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number 1746 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
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RESCUE RADIO: GEORGIA ARES GROUP PRAISED FOR STORM RESPONSE
A quick response by hams in Georgia during a recent snowstorm has brought words of praise from civic leaders. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is here with the details:
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Local emergency workers in Cherockee County Georgia who received a major assist from a group of volunteer ham radio operators during the snowstorm that covered the region are singing their praises of the radio amateurs in the area. The group receiving the accolades is the Cherokee Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is a 40 member SKYWARN organization made up of volunteers who share severe weather and emergency information with the Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center when called upon to do so.
According to Robby Westbrook, director of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management, the ham radio group is an invaluable resource during the severe weather. Westbrook said that the hams began radioing in reports when the storm first started. That helped us to know where to deploy our resources.
County Commissioner Jim Hubbard works closely with the amateur radio group. He said its members were a big help in the storm's first 30 hours. Hubbard noted that the group provided the Emergency Operations Center with a good overview of how hard the region was getting hit.
Jim Millsap, WB4NWS, of Woodstock, Georgia is the Emergency Coordinator for Cherokee County ARES. He told a local newspaper the group's mission is to support Westbrook and the Emergency Operations Center staff any time a disaster happens. He added that when the ice storm suddenly hit Cherokee last month at rush hour, the group was able to provide information about dangerous areas on the roads. It also served the same role during the floods of 2009.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP, watching this one from Scottsdale, Arizona
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More about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service club is on line at www.Cherokee-ares.org
(Cherokee Tribune)
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RESCUE RADIO: ALASKA CLUB LOOSES EMCOMM TRAILER TO MOTHER NATURE
A windstorm has destroyed a mobile ham radio emergency communications trailer in Alaska. According to a posting on Q-R-Zed dot com by District Emergency Coordinator Don Bush, KL7JFT, the Matanuska Amateur Radio Association lost its vehicle in the wind storm on January 12th.
Bush says that the trailer was originally purchased with a grant from the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club along with donations received from various members and organizations in Alaska. Not having any insurance on it, Bush says that the club does not know it can replace it. He adds that this is a big loss for a small club that is very active in the community in helping with all kinds of events. He also says that the trailer was the only backup communications for the Borough Emergency Services if conventional communications is lost.
A fund has been set up to try to raise funds to replace the destroyed vehicle. Itds on-line ay www dot kl7jfu dot com. (KL7JFT, QRZ.com)
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RESCUE RADIO: COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA NOW OFFICIAL INFO PROVIDER
A broadcast service down-under has become the latest provider of emergency alert information. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News has more:
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Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner has welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the New South Wales Government, making commercial radio stations official providers of emergency services information.
Ms. Warner said the NSW memorandum of understanding follows a similar arrangement with the Victorian, South Australian and Queensland Governments. The industry has argued for some time for commercial radio to be included and promoted as an official provider of information in emergencies, along with the ABC.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline I’m Grahm Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News in Australia.
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This new agreement makes it easier to alert the public in times of emergencies. (WIA News)
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RESCUE RADIO: BRAZILIAN MILITARY PRAISES HAMS IN WAKE OF MASSIVE FLOODS
Civil Defense forces in Brazil have praised the efforts of a local group of amateur radio enthusiasts. This after the hams helped them co-ordinate the rescue efforts in the first hours after the landslides brought on by flooding.
According to a report on the BBC News website, Lt Col Roberto Robadey said that without the help from the Brazilian ham community that his command couldn't have done anything in those first two days.
Robadey said that the ham radio operators took their gear to key points to provide a communication link between rescue groups. Since them, the Brazilian Air Force said it was installing a communication centre in Itaipava, so people could make phone calls and access data in their attempts to track down missing relatives.
About 100 soldiers have also been deployed to the Cuiaba valley, which has been cut off since the heaviest downpours in 44 years tore through the mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro. Officials say at least 600 people are known to have died in the floods.
The full BBC story on this ham radio first responder effort in Brazil is on-line at Read the full BBC News story at tinyurl.com/BrazilRescue
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NANOSAIL-D HEARD BY HAMS IN HUNTSVILLE
Some good news on the health of the NanoSail-D spacecraft. The Marshall Amateur Radio Club WA4NZD in Huntsville, Alabama, has confiirmed ejection and activation of the NanoSail-D sub-satellite.
The WA4NZD team of Stanley Simms, N4PMF, and Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, along with NanoSail-D Principal Investigator Dean Alhorn were listening on 437.275 MHz FM at the club station on Wednesday, January 19th. That’s when the NanoSail-D beacon was heard and subsequently decoded.
The only communication from the NanoSail-D vehicle is via ham radio with 1200 baud FM AX.25 beacon packets. Controllers are asking for telemetry reception reports from all over the world to help track the bird. They say that the solar sail was to deploy after three days, but the battery may last longer than that.
This loaf-of-bread sized spacecraft was carried to orbit late last year on an Air Force rocket as part of NASA's FastSat project. It has now become the first successful deployment of a satellite, launched from a satellite already in orbit.
NanoSail-D is expected stay in low-Earth orbit between 70 and 120 days, depending on atmospheric conditions. The satellite is expected to eventually de-orbit itself and re-enter the earth's atmosphere. More information on this project is on-line at wa4nzd.wordpress.com.
(WA4ZND Release)
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISSAT 1 SET FOR TRIP TO THE ISS
The ARISSat-1 space craft is mounted in the Progress vehicle at Baikonur and the hatch sealed.
Progress flight 41P is scheduled to lift off on Friday, January 28th. Due to the newly announced launch date of shuttle flight STS-133, the space walk to deploy ARISSat-1 has been moved up to February 16th.
A NASA press release describes the plans for ARISSat-1 in an article about planned Russian EVAs from the ISS is available at tinyurl.com/6kceotn.
NASA TV has already run a program featuring ARISSat-1. Watch for repeat playback in coming days. And we will have more ham radio space related news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.
(ANS, NASA, WA4SXM)
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BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KD1RJ repeater serving Fairfield, Connecticut
(5 sec pause here)
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RADIO POLITICS: ARRL HOLDS ANNUAL BOD MEETING
The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2011 Annual Meeting January on 21st and 22nd in Windsor, Connecticut. At the meeting, the Board set its new legislative objectives for the 112th Congress, re-elected the ARRL Executive Committee, bestowed various technical and service awards and approved the organization’s financial plan for 2011. It also set timelines for the ongoing consideration of digital periodicals and more.
A detailed look at all the Board’s actions, including the official minutes from the meeting, will be available in the near future. Keep an eye on the front news page at www dot arrl dot org for the latest updates.
(ARRL)
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RADIO LAW: ROCKEFELLER REINTRODUCES INTEROPERABLE RADIO BILL TO SENATE
Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia has reintroduced legislation that would re-allocate a chunk of spectrum to public safety officials. This, for the creation of a national broadband interoperable network.
Rockefeller said the bill mirrors the measure he offered last Congress. One that would re-allocate the so-called D-block of spectrum to public safety officials instead of auctioning it off to commercial bidders as the Federal Communications Commission has proposed.
Rockefeller noted that with the upcoming 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, al-Quida terrorist attacks on the Uniuted States, Congress needs to takes the steps necessary to implement a recommendation by the commission that investigated those attacks. That being to create a national broadband interoperable public safety network. He said that such a network is needed to assist first responders to better communicate during emergencies.
As you are likely aware, the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentgon highlighted the problems first responders had in trying to communicate with each other during emergencies. With each responding service using a different radio system, communications between them was almost impossible. At the World Trade Center it fell to ham radio to provide the only inter operable communications for the first several days.
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RADIO LAW: VERIZON SUES THE FCC OVER NET NEUTRALITY DECISION
Ham radio could have a vested interest in the outcome of Verizon Communications challenge to the Federal Communications Commission’s controversial net neutrality order. This as the telecommunications giant becomes what likely will be the first of company’s to try to stop the agency from requiring Internet companies to treat all Web traffic equally. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with more:
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A legal challenge from one or more of the nations telecommunications and broadband providers to the recent FCC order mandating Net Neutrality was widely expected. This after the FCC has said it thinks Congress enabled it to pursue its Net Neutrality rules under several interpretations of telecommunications laws.
In simple terms, Net Neutrality means that service providers must treat all traffic on their networks equally and cannot speed up or slow down consumer access to any web destination based on network usage of that customer. It also effectively bans tiered service where heavy Internet users could be charged more than those who only use the net occasionally. The FCC's Net Neutrality rules are supported by consumer groups and Web giants such as Google and Facebook.
The Verizon appeal is the first step that will begin a chain of legal maneuvering that will initiate a lawsuit that will be heard in the same court that last year struck down the FCC’s earlier attempt at enforcing Net Neutrality rules. Verizon and other providers claim that it is they and they alone who have the right to determine the business model that they operate under.
Another challenge to the FCC’s Net Neutrality decision is likely to come from the Republican lead House Energy and Commerce Committee. It has already announced that undoing Net Neutrality through a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act is a top priority. However, that effort is likely to stall in the Democraratic controlled Senate.
What this might eventually mean to ham radio is simple. More and more communications technologies are being developed where interlinking of signals and control of remote stations forces the need for more and more bandwidth. Some on a full time basis. If Net Neutrality is overturned and if service providers decide to place some of these high bandwidth ham radio operations in the category of heavy use it could slow down these applications to a crawl or make them financially impossible for the average ham to continue.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
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In its filing Verizon argues that the FCC does not have the legal authority to mandate how Internet service providers treat content on their networks. For its part, the FCC says that its mandate is to oversee all aspects of telecommunications in the United States. (Published News Reports)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLYLAND CONTEST
The Israel Amateur Radio Club has announced that it will be sponsoring a special 3 month on the air activity. This, to commemorate the Holyland Contest's 20th anniversary.
Operation begins on February 1st and runs through April 30th. Two stations will be on CW, SSB and the Digital modes using the special callsigns 4X20HC and 4Z20HC. All QSL’s go via 4Z4TL. For more details about the Holyland Contest take your web browser to tinyurl.com/holylandoperation and holylandoperation is spelled as one word.
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HAM HAPPENINGS: 2011 SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION APRIL 15 - 16
The South African Radio League’s 2011 National Convention will have two clubs as its host. The show which is slated for April 15th and 16th in the city of Vaal will be jointly sponsored by the Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Amateur Radio Clubs.
The two organizations say that they are aiming to make the convention the biggest get-together of South African radio amateurs in years. Among the attractions is a Saturday afternoon visit to the Bloemendal medium wave radio broadcast station near the city of Meyerton. That’s where attendees can experience first hand what a 500 kilowatt transmitter is capable of doing. More on all aspects of this event is on line at www dot qsl dot net slash zs4srk. (South African Radio League)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: BLACKROCK CASTLE OBSERVATORY IRELAND FEB 19 – 20
And Ireland’s North Cork Radio Group will be active the call EI1NC/P on February 19th and 20th. This from the Blackrock Castle Observatory which is a 16th century Castle located 4km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of the river Lee. The Castle has seen many uses in its long history and now houses a cutting edge of space and observation post. More informatyion on the Castle is available at www dot bco dot ie. The North Cork Radio Groups website is at www dot eilnc dot com. And less we forget, the operation from Blackrock Castle will run from and 10:00 to 17:00 hours UTC on both days. (Press Release)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: ANNUAL GATHERING AT M2 ANTENNA SYSTEMS
Closer to home, the 13th annual ham radio gathering at M2 Antenna Systems is now set for Saturday, March 19th at the M2 factory in Fresno, California. Exact plans for this year’s event will be revealed shortly. Keep an eye on www dot m2inc dot com for the latest details. (W6OMF)
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NAMES IN THE NEWS: FRANK FALLON, N2FF RETIRES AS ARRL HUDSON DIRECTOR
Some names in the news. First up is Frank Fallon, N2FF, who announced his decision to retire from the position of ARRL Hudson Division Director at the conclusion of the League’s first Board of Directors meeting of 2011. In announcing his decision to step aside after more than 14 years on the job, Fallon said that at age 72 he thinks it’s time to cut down on night driving and to turn things over to his Division’s Vice Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF and let her have her turn in the front seat at Board meetings.
Under the ARRL’s rules of succession, when a Director retires or can no longer serve for other reasons, the Division’s Vice Director fills that position. In this case its’ Joyce Birminham, who has been an active radio amateur for more than 30 years.
Birmingham began her ARRL career in 2000, when Fallon asked her to be an Assistant Director in the Hudson Division. This, after her husband Andy, WB2RQX, became a Silent Key. In 2003, she was elected ARRL Hudson Division Vice Director; she was re-elected for two more terms, in 2006 and 2009. Birmingham also serves as the District 2 Chairperson of the Young Ladies’ Radio League and as the President of the East Coast DX Association. (ARRL)
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HAM RADIO ON THE WEB: NEW 60 METER BLOG
And the Southgate news reports that Peter Ourednik, OK1RP, in the Czech Republic, now runs a blog covering the 60 meter or 5 MHz band. It features information on DX operation and related news for the band. You can read it on-line at 60mband.blogspot.com. (Southgate)
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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)
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HAM RADIO TECHNOLOGY: A BIG LEAP FOR CODEC 2
Codec 2 may not be ready for prime time, but its getting close. Take a listen.
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Codec 2 audio: Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast at www.arnewsline.org.
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That was just a snippet of a long conversation between Bruce Robertson, VE9QRP, in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada holding forth with Paul Saville, ZL3IN, in Christchurch, New Zealand using Codec2.
For those unaware, Codec 2 is an open source alternative to both D-Star and P25 that’s being developed by a group of volunteers all around the world. The idea behind Codec 2 is to provide a single, free, software-based digital voice encode and decode system that would not require any proprietary firmware as is found in most other current digital voice systems. And as you can hear, even in this Internet-only QSO being held by two hams half a world apart, the quality is quite extraordinary. Likely on a par with all the systems available to hams today. Listen as ZL3IN describes his current career to VE9QRP:
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Codec 2 audio: Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this weeks newscast at www.arnewsline.org.
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More about Codec 2 is on-line at Codec2 dot org. The complete QSO between VE9QRP and ZL3IN is at tinyurl.com/codec2video. (Southgate)
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NASA ADDS ONE MORE SHUTTLE MISSION
NASA has officially added another space shuttle launch to its schedule and the final one for the fleet.
The space agency has set a target launch date of June 28th for shuttle Atlantis and started preparations for the 135th and last shuttle flight. The four-member crew will take up supplies to the International Space Station and return a faulty pump that has stumped engineers.
With the addition of STS-135 there are now three missions left before NASA retires its shuttle fleet this year. Shuttle Discovery's last mission is slated for February 24th nand the final flight of the Endeavour will take place in April.
The final flight of Atlantis will be commanded by Christopher Ferguson, KG4JCQ. The rest of the crew is composed of astronaut researchers and includes Douglas Hurley, Rex Walheim, and Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. (NASA)
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RADIO IN SPACE: SMARTPHONE BASED SATELLITE BEING DEVELOPED IN THE UK
Researchers at England’s University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited are building a satellite containing a smartphone payload that will be launched into orbit around the Earth later this year.
Called STRaND-1, the name is an acronym for the Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator. The tiny bird is being developed by the Surrey team to demonstrate the advanced capabilities of a satellite built quickly using advanced commercial off-the-shelf components.
STRaND-1's lead researcher is Dr. Chris Bridges. He explained that a smartphone made an ideal satellite payload because these devices pack lots of components such as sensors, video cameras, GPS systems and Wi-Fi radios that are technologically advanced but a fraction of the size, weight and cost of components used in existing satellite systems. Also, because many smartphones run on free operating systems that this could lead online software developers to create applications that could feasibly be utilized on later satellites.
A smartphone avionics suite is one of many technological advances packed into this 4 kg nanosatellite. To precisely point and maneuver, the satellite also incorporates advanced guidance, navigation and control systems including miniature reaction wheels. It also contains a GPS receiver, as well as innovative pulse plasma thrusters to propel it through space.
If this experiment is successful, it could give new meaning to the line from the science fiction film for E-T to phone home. (Southgate)
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DX
In DX, the Microlite Penguins DXpedition Team will be active as VP8ORK from the South Orkney Islands Antarctica, from January 27th to February 8th. The South Orkney Islands one of the world's most wanted DXCC entities. Operation will be CW, SSB and RTTY on 160 through 10 meters. QSL direct only to Garry Hammond, VE3XN, 5 McLaren Avenue, Listowel, Ontario, Canada, postal code N4W 3K1. For more information please visit the teams website at www dot vp8o dot com.
IK1PMR and PA3LEO are now operational portable EA8 from the CXanary Islands. They will be there until March 8th but their activity on the air will be holiday style on 160 through 6 meters. QSL via PA3LEO or Logbook of the World.
Lastly, F5LBG is now active portable FM from Martinique running only 5 watts QRP on 10 point 106, 14 point 060 and 18 dot 096 MHz. He will be thre until February 3rd operating holiday style. Listen out for him daily around 1000 UTC and 1800 UTC. QSL via F5LBG, direct or by the Bureau.
(Above from various DX News souraces.)
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THAT FINAL ITEM: BRAINWAVE CONTROL IS COMING
And finally this week, get ready to control your, TV set, your stereo and maybe even your ham radio station with only your mind. That’s what you may be able to do with brain waves if the technology developed by a company called PLX Devices proves out. No its’ not science fiction as we hear in this report:
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According to its website, the XWave from PXL Devices is the first consumer product priced under $100 which can sense and detect human brainwaves, interpret them and connect it to everyday technology.
PLX Devices founder and CEO is Paul Lowchareonkul. He recently told the U.K. Daily Mail that it was only a matter of time before products like the XWave entered the mainstream. Lowchareonkul says that the human brain is the most powerful, complex thing in the universe, and for the first time, we're able to harness its amazing power and connect it to everyday technology.
Lowchareonkul says that with the development of 3rd party applications or apps, the potential for innovation is limitless. At the moment, PLX is only offering apps that interact with the XWave for Apple mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There are four apps currently available that interact with the XWave. These include a basic set-up app; an app that allows you to upload your song list and sync your brainwaves with any song in your library; a "Tug of Mind" app and a meditation app. In the future, PLX says on its website that you will be able to control and float objects in video games by simply thinking about it, or train your mind to focus and relax on command.
And if you do get one and are able to develop an app to control your ham station with your brain, please be sure to let us know so that we can pass it along to what will then become a truly mew world of amateur radio.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW. In Los Angeles.
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From pictures on-line, the XWave device itself looks almost like an ordinary headset for telephone operator. The PLX website claims that XWave is perfectly safe because it only listens to brainwaves and does not transmit or send out any signals. That’s a good thing for many reasons including there being no need to add more QRM to our already overcrowd bands.
More on this rather interesting device is on-line at www.plxwave.com/info.html. (Daily Mail, Mobilehack.com, others)
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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 WIA News, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline™. Our e-mail address is Newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's™ only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline™, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I’m Frank Haas, KB4T, saying 73 from Holly Hill, Florida, and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline™ is Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.