What's New Updated: 5/6/2008

When is a repeater not a repeater?  The D-Star controversy continues.  A few months ago we reported the dilemma that D-Star operators in California faced in trying to find room for new 2-meter repeaters. It should be no surprise that there just aren't any vacant coordinated frequencies on 2-meters, and 70 cm is currently on hold due to the PPR issue.  Just in the nick of time, an FCC official pronounced that D-Star really was not a repeater since it added delay between the reception and transmission of signals so it didn't really fit the part-97 definition.  "Halleluja" they shouted!  My new D-Star is not a repeater so it must be a "System" and since it's digital it must belong down in the 145.5nn portion of 2-meters with the other digital systems.  And we all lived happily ever after....or at least until a couple of hams decided to ask to make it official.  Here's the result:

May 7 2008
Ken D. Chafin
3624 Foothill Road #1
La Crescenta, CA  91214

Leon J. Brown
1627 Fair Park Avenue
Los Angeles, CA  90014

        Re:  Petition for Rule Making filed October 10, 2007

Dear Mr. Chafin and Mr. Brown:

This is in response to the Petition for Rule Making that you filed on October 10, 2007, requesting that the Commission propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station operating as a repeater (repeater station) may operate.  Specifically, the Petition requests that the Commission amend Section 97.205(b) of the Commissions Rules to allow repeater stations to transmit in the 145.5-145.8 MHz frequency segment of the 2 meter (m) amateur service band (144-148 MHz), in addition to the 2 m band frequency segments currently authorized for repeater station operation.  For the reasons set forth below, we deny the Petition.

The Petition argues that additional spectrum is needed for repeater stations because some amateur repeater stations have begun using certain digital communication protocols, and digital voice operation is incompatible with existing analog operations [because d]igital voice users are unable to determine if the desired frequency is in use by analog users and can inadvertently cause harmful interference to those users.  It also argues that coordinating groups have been unable to separate analog and digital voice repeater operations to avoid harmful interference because the available repeater spectrum in the 2 m band is fully occupied by existing analog users in most metropolitan areas. 

After consideration of your request, we conclude that the Petition does not present grounds for the Commission to propose to amend its rules.  Repeater stations are authorized to transmit on any frequency in the 2 m band except the 144.0-144.5 MHz and 145.5-146.0 MHz frequency segments.  These two segments were excluded to minimize the possibility of harmful interference to other amateur service stations and operating activities, including weak signaloperations.  Allocating an additional three hundred kilohertz of the 2 m band to repeater operation would not be consistent with that concern.  Rather, it would likely result in increased interference to non-repeater stations.

Moreover, to the extent that the petition proposes a separate frequency segment for use by digital but not analog repeater stations, we note that when the Commission has previously addressed the issue of interference between amateur stations engaging in different operating activities, it has declined to revise the rules to limit a frequency segment to one emission type in order to prevent interference to the operating activities of other amateur radio service licensees.  Rather, the Commission noted that interference between amateur stations is already addressed by Section 97.101(b) and (d) of the Commissions Rules, which require amateur licensees to cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and in making the most effective use of amateur frequencies, provide that no amateur frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station allocated to the Amateur Radio Service, and prohibit operators from willfully or maliciously interfering with or
causing interference to any radio communication or signal.

Based on the record before us, we conclude that the petition has not set forth sufficient reasons for the Commission to propose to amend Section 97.205(b) to allow repeater stations to transmit in the 145.5-145.8 MHz frequency segment.  Consequently, we deny the Petition. 

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 154(i), and Section 1.401(e) of the Commissions Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.401(e), the Petition for Rule Making filed on October 10, 2007 by Ken D. Chafin and Leon J. Brown IS DENIED. 

        This action is taken under delegated authority pursuant to Sections 0.131 and 0.331 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.131 and 0.331.

                                                FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

                                                Scot Stone
                                                Deputy Chief, Mobility Division
                                                Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

It's rarely productive to ask the FCC about questionable practices.  Stay tuned for the next chapter.

From the ABATE (Local 17) Newsletter.

"I'M THE GUY"
I'm the guy you asked to join your organization.
I'm the guy who paid his dues to join.
I'm the guy who came to your meetings and no one paid any attention
to.
I tried several times to be friendly to some of the members, but they all
had their own buddies they talked to and sat next to. I sat down several
times , but no one paid any attention to me.
I missed a few meetings after joining because I was sick and couldn't be
there. No one asked me at the next meting where I had been. I guess it
didn't matter very much to the others whether I was there or not.
The next meeting I decided to stay home and watch TV. The following
meeting no one asked me where I was at the last meeting.
You know who else I am ? I'm the guy who never came back.
It amuses me when I think back on how the officers and the members
were discussing why the organization was losing members.
It amuses me now to think that they spent so much time looking for new
members when I was there all the time.
All they needed to do was make me feel needed, wanted, and welcome.

---

   It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mark Evans, KE6O, as DEC Napa County. I ask for your cooperation and understanding as Mark rebuilds the Napa County ARES program and integrates it into the East Bay Section organization. Please join me in welcoming Mark.

ARRL East Bay Section
Section Manager: James R. Latham, AF6AQ

An open letter to Fox Hunters, past, present and future

by N6XN

Update 4/30.  Due to a lack of consensus I hereby withdraw my proposal.  The suggestion was made, however that a better starting place would be in the parking lot to the west of Baker's Square restaurant on Soscol Avenue.  See you there.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to propose a change to our foxhunt rules.  A couple of things have come up recently that make me think perhaps we should do things a bit differently.  The first burr under my saddle is the central meeting place, the high school parking lot, at 6:30 PM.  I don't know how we could possibly find a more inconvenient place to meet, not only for us but for the increasing crowds of students that are trying to find a parking place at the exact moment we're trying to hear the fox.  Then we take off in a thundering herd only to be stopped by creeping traffic, sit there for what seems to be hours while the fox IDs and IDs and IDs.

Next is a remark by one of our newer members that he no longer wants to participate because of the danger of hitting parked cars while trying to watch the S-meter on his radio.  I couldn't agree more; I've had a few close one's myself.  These days it hard enough to drive in traffic without the added distractions of waving an antenna around inside the cabin while watching the radio and traffic.  It's just a matter of time until one of us rear-ends someone.
Now the folks that team up might say, "Don't try to do it alone.  Team up with someone and then you can pay attention to your driving."  Well, that must be some fun.  Heck, my aunt Tilley could drive me around while I fox hunt but she's busy on Tuesday nights.

Next is the expense.  Rich says he's willing to go 24 miles (that's a $3.74 gallon on gas) then it's off to the restaurant.  Don't blame you Rich,  I noticed that on the last two hunts I drove over 30 miles apiece.

So here's the proposal:  We go back to doing it like we did 20 years ago.  We all meet at a predetermined place such as Kennedy Park or Alston Park.  The fox hider gets there early and hides the fox in a hole on up a tree or under a bridge and turns the power down to around a tenth of a Watt or less.  We can then exercise our equipment on close-up detection which is where the real challenge is anyway.  A park like Kennedy is perfect for those who don't care to walk.  They can still drive but under much lighter traffic conditions.  The walking would then be minimized.

Let's at least talk about it.  Email me with your opinion, good or bad (I can take it) n6xn@arrl.net

A Brand new 2-meter repeater has been added to the system on Mt Veeder.  The frequency is 147.180 with a positive shift (.6) and a PL of 91.5 Hz.  Coverage so far seems to be approximately that of the UHF repeater at the same site with minor differences in some locations.  The existing 2-meter repeater on Mt St Helena (STH) remains unchanged and users will find that in some areas they can hear both transmitters should they be keyed at the same time.  Here's where some operating skill is required (as in Amateur Radio Operator).  Both transmitters emit a CTCSS (PL) tone while transmitting.  The repeater on Mt St Helena emits a tone of 151.4 Hz and the one on Mt Veeder (VDR) emits 91.5 Hz.. By setting your receiver to tone squelch, you will only hear the signal that corresponds to the PL tone.  It could be helpful to use two memory channels for these two repeaters, one channel for STH and one for VDR.  Program these two channels with the appropriate PL and if you have an alpha/numeric display, name the two channels appropriately.

Ron W6 BIS points out that with your receiver set up this way, you won't be able to hear if there is traffic on the other repeater but you will be able to see it on your S-Meter.  Be sure to check your display before you transmit.

As you travel around, try the system out and let us know your location.  We want to know exactly where the usable coverage is.

A D-Star system will be added to the Mt Veeder site in the near future.  This system will operate on UHF only for the short term (440.050 +5).  Users with D-Star capable radios should be able to access the system from approximately the same areas as with the other repeaters at that site.  The difference being, once the gateway is active, the range will be world-wide.  See DStarusers.org  for real time repeaters world-wide.

Is D-Star for everyone?  Nope!  It's expensive and the learning curve is steep.  The value proposition, in your humble editor's opinion, lies in EMCOMM.  Either VHF or UHF D-Star systems permit simultaneous voice and low speed data as well as GPS, while the 1.2 module permits simultaneous voice and high speed data.  If you enjoy new technology that is challenging, read "difficult to figure out", then D-Star is for you.  If you are easily frustrated by new gizmos that don't quite work like you think they should, avoid it like the plague.

If you were one of the lucky few who attended the last SARS meeting (April 21st) you got to see a terrific slide show presented by Bill Hansen KI6GPN.  Bill covered the Winter Olympics in 1984 and took many photographs.  His presentation was from the perspective of one of the hundreds perhaps thousands of technicians sent to Sarajevo to make the Olympics "work" for those of us unable to attend in person.  It did work and continues to work just as it will for the summer games in China.  To us watching television, the effort is invisible but to the folks that are actually there it's anything but!

Now, if you are so inclined, you have an opportunity to be part of the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, BC.  As reported on ARNewsline,  the RAC is looking for up to 25,000 volunteers to help out.  Here's the complete article from ARNewsline:

"The 2010 Winter Olympics is seeking Amateur Radio volunteers.  The Vancouver Olympics Committee has given Radio Amateurs of Canada details of their search for Ham Radio volunteers to assist during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games.

Of the 25,000 volunteers required, Amateur Radio operators are especially needed to help in technical roles during the events, and perhaps earlier.  Volunteers must have their own local accommodation in Greater Vancouver or Whistler areas.

The on-line volunteer application form at www.vancouver2010.com includes space to list skills and experience.  If the applicant wishes a communications or technical role, he or she should add a key phrase on their application form to make it easy for planners to identify them.  And on the fifth application page, add the words "Amateur Radio operator" in a box marked "additional information".

Again, if you want to volunteer to provide communications support for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter games, go to http://www.vancouver2010.com and fill out the form."

This won't be cheap and if you seriously consider going, start now especially in locating accommodations.  Unlike Bill, you won't be paid, but in some volunteer roles, some of the expense, meals for instance, is borne by the Olympic committee.  Check it out.

Coming Soon:  Field Day 2008.  It's hard to believe but the last full weekend in June is practically here!  We always need help with this event so if you have some time mark your calendar.  We need operators and volunteers to help set up and tear down.  See all the details here.