
SB NEWSLIN @ ALLBBS $NLIN.960
Amateur Radio Newsline #960 06 Jan 1996

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      Paragraphs reformatted to correct margin and spacing errors.

NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #960 - POSTED 01/07/96

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   The following is late news about Amateur Radio for Radio
Amateurs as prepared from NEWSLINE RADIO scripts by the staff of
the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, INC. -- formerly the WESTLINK RADIO
NETWORK.  Amateur Radio Newsline is a audio news service distrib- uted
via telephone.
   This hardcopy version is produced by Dale Cary - WD0AKO from
scripts provided to him weekly by Newsline.  It is then distrib-
uted to on-line services, bbs networks and internet user jointly
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   Editorial comments, news item and all other business should be
directed to:

                 Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
                 Newsline Producer & Editor 

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   Hardcopy comments or complements can be directed to:

                 Dale Cary, WD0AKO
                 Hardcopy Distribution for Newsline

            Internet E-mail: wd0ako@rrnet.com
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                      Phone: (218) 236-6324


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contact Dale Cary - WD0AKO at the above listed addresses.


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             Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline 
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     Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... (214) 492-7573
       In bulletin number 36
     The Midwest Connection BBS............. (701) 239-2440
       In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference
     America Online.........................
       Ham Radio forum/Ham Radio General File Library
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                   True Speech Internet Site                          
                                                                      
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[960]

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(*   Friday, January 5th, 1996 to follow.                        *
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                          The following is a QST

   The ARRL says it's going to congress to stop malicious
interference, the ARRL letter goes weekly on the Internet and an old
friend is coming back. Find out which one on a special extended
Newsline report number 960 coming your way right now!

(*****
                     ARRL VS. MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE

   Topping the news this week is word that the ARRL appears to be
getting ready to keep a promise to go the political route to end
malicious interference on the ham radio bands.  This, in response to
the rising tide of unresolved malicious interference complaints filed
by the ham radio community.  And as a result, an ARRL Executive
Committee ad hoc panel has recommended that the League look to
Congress for any long term solution.  
  Writing in the December 26th issue of the ARRL Letter, Steve 
Mansfield, N1MZA, the Leagues Administrative and Public Affairs
Manager says that as a part of the continuing effort by the ARRL to
get enforcement action, the League has started to round up support
from several congressmen from areas where local hams are experiencing
particularly intolerable interference problems.  Mansfield says that
over the past three years the league has constantly sought action in
two cases of repeated and persistent malicious interference.  In one
case, the local FCC office has been able to at least defuse the
situation.  But the problem continues in the other with no action on
the part of the enforcement arm of the FCC in sight.   

(*****
                        ARRL LETTER GOES INTERNET

   The ARRL Letter is going weekly on the internet, but current 
subscribers to the printed version will only be seeing it once a
month.  The decision to convert to electronic delivery also means that
the Letter will now be available free of charge to any ham who has the
ability to access the ARRL Home Page on the World Wide Web or several
commercial sites.  This includes America Online, CompuServe and GEnie.
   The league notes that a survey of subscribers in early 1995
indicated an interest in electronic delivery because information
delivered that way will be more timely.
   Current subscribers to the printed version of the ARRL Letter will
have their subscriptions extended so that they will receive the same
number of copies as they would have under the twice monthly mailing. 
The league is also cutting the annual subscription rate for new mail
out subscriptions as well.  
   A year ago of the Westlink Report ham radio newsletter ceased
publication after more than two decades due to declining revenues. 
With the ARRL Letter going to weekly on the internet and once a month
on paper, only Fred Maia's, W5YI Report is left on a twice monthly
mail delivered schedule.  
   The only question left is whether or not W5YI will follow the ARRL
and Newsline to the Internet.  We posed that question to Fred Maia. 
He says that he has no plans of going to electronic delivery at this
time.  Maia is planning to start his own home page on the World Wide
Web but he says he is into the printed page to stay.

(*****
                             NYC HAM CHARGED

   A ham recently hailed as one of the nations best known dealers in
vintage amateur radio gear has been charged with theft and attempted
bribery.  Harold Guretzky, K6DPZ of Richmond Hill, New York was
arrested on December 11th after a sting operation allegedly caught him
in the act of receiving stolen property that police say he bribed an
undercover officer to steal.  
   According to published reports, Guretzky who was a civilian
employee of the New York City Police Department and who worked at the
police radio repair shop was on his job as a repair technician on
December 6th when he is alleged to have approached an undercover
detective and offered him a $100 to remove five pieces of test
equipment stored in the shop.
   With the Queens District attorney's and Police Internal Affairs
officers present, the transaction took place and was secretly
videotaped.  Soon thereafter, Guretzky was placed under arrest with
the stolen equipment in his possession.
   Ironically, Guretzky also happens to be a trustee of a repeater in
Queens, New York that is primarily sponsored by hams who are members
of the New York City Police Department.  
   The investigation of Guretzky's alleged illegal activities is being
carried out under the supervision of Sargent Gary Weisbecker of the
Queens Internal Affairs Bureau.  Assistant District Attorney David W.
Lee is prosecuting the case.  If convicted on all charges, K6DPZ faces
up to seven years in prison.  

(*****
                       MITNICK PROBATION HEARING

   A probation revocation hearing for computer hacker Kevin David
Mitnick, N6NHG, has been set for the end of January.  Mitnick is the
alleged computer super hacker who was arrested in North Carolina last
February.  He has since entered into a plea bargain on federal charges
but still faces the probation violation hearing in Southern
California.

(*****
                THIS WEEK IN AMATEUR RADIO COMING BACK

   An old friend of many repeater news nets has announced plans to
return to the air early in 1996.  This Week in Amateur Radio is coming
back to the satellite and to a repeater near you.  Stephen Anderman,
WA3RKB is the Executive Producer of This Week in Amateur Radio:

   "An agreement has been reached between the 'Tech Talk Network' and
operators of the Canadian Telesat Anik E2 commercial communications
satellite.   All communications hobby programming of TTN including
'This Week in Amateur Radio', will return to the air in January.  The
agreement awaits formal signing by the uplink carrier and SKYVISION,
which underwrites the network uplink costs.
   'This Week in Amateur Radio' carries ARRL Bulletins, contest and
convention information, propagation forecast summaries, RAIN, the
Radio  Amateur Information Network, and of course, Newsline.   
   Once the agreement is signed, telephone lines will be secured and
installation of the network audio uplink equipment can proceed.  The
network will utilize transponder 18, that's 9B vertical for those
using commercial satellite receiving equipment, at 5.8 MHZ wideband
analog audio.  Anik E2 provides excellent coverage of North America
with spot beams aimed at Alaska and Hawaii.  
   But the best part is that Anik E2 is expected to remain operational
into the 21st century and provide a more permanent home for the
network.  Look for 'This Week in Amateur Radio' to return to the air
early in 1996."  WA3RKB

    Anderman says that as soon as an exact date for the return of This
Week in Amateur Radio is set, he will call and let us know.  As soon
as he does, we will let you know.

(*****
                  XMAS 6 METER OPENING LASTED FOUR DAYS

   The Christmas Day 6 meter opening we reported on last week expanded
up to two meters and lasted almost a week.  It also may have been
worldwide throughout the northern hemisphere.  As late as Thursday
night, December the 28th, reports were showing up on the VHF reflector
indicating that single and double hop 6 meter E layer contacts were
taking place all across North America, into the Caribbean and into
parts of Mexico.  
   Early on Tuesday the 26th, postings began to show up telling of 700
to 1000 mile E layer contacts on 2 meter SSB and CW.  Most of these
taking place north to south along the Eastern seaboard.  Reports
filtering in late in the week indicated that similar conditions were
taking place all across Europe and into Asia though few actual
contacts were detailed.  The opening seemed to end early on Friday the
29th, with no reports of any 6 or 2 meter E skip since then.
   The sad part of it all is that FM users seemed totally oblivious to
this truly amazing band opening.  Though word of it spread quickly
within the VHF DX community, when word finally reached the bulk of VHF
FM users, most seem totally un interested in the fact that their ten
watt radio had the ability to work the world if they would only go to
a simplex frequency and listen.  Most seem to have stayed on their
local repeaters and simply ignored the possibility of working some
truly rare DX.  

(*****
                        WEST RESPONDS ON 6 METERS

   And speaking about working 6 meter DX, not all new hams coming 6
meters are unaware of the bandplan and not all commercial ham radio
schools are diploma mills.  So says nationally known ham radio
instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA.
   West takes issue with claims made by a number of longtime six meter
users who say that commercial schools are turning out newcomers who
are coming to the band and setting up FM operations anywhere they
please.  He says that his students know right from wrong when they
walk out the classroom door:

   "With regard to licensing mills that produce amateur operators that
and are not familiar where FM is allowed in the normal portion of the
band and where weak signal work is allowed.  Here at radio school we
take great pain to insure that the students enjoy weak signal
operating as well as enjoy the other modes like packet, amateur TV,
and of course FM by showing them in class how to operate on these
specialized modes. And that every mode on the radio has a specific
spot."  WB6NOA

   West says that he believes it to be the responsibility of every ham
radio instructor to do more than just teach code and theory.  WB6NOA
says that basic operating skills must be a part of the curriculum as
well.

(*****
                        IRELAND PACKET CONCLAVE

   From overseas, word that Ireland's AFAR who was recently appointed
national packet coordinator has invited that nations packet radio
community to a meeting.  The gathering will take place at the Prince
of Wales Hotel in Athlone later this month.  AFAR says that potential
packet users who live in a part of Ireland not yet served by packet
are especially encouraged to attend.

(*****
                      SAFEX 2B READY FOR LAUNCH

   And from Germany, word that SAFEX 2B -- the second part of the new
ham radio repeater in space is ready for launch.  Most of the
equipment has now been taken to Kaliningrad by Thomas Kieselbach,
DL2MDE, and Markus Fischer, DG2MJW, and handed over to the Russian
space authorities.  Once on the Mir, the equipment will be installed
in the new "PRIRODA" Module of MIR, which will be launched in March
1996.  
   The SAFEX 2 station is made up of two parts.  First is the 70 cm
communications device for direct and repeater voice contacts.  Section
B services packet radio, and also contains a 13 cm module for broad
bandwidth modes like ATV.  Some missing parts of this module will be
taken to MIR on a later supply missions.  

(*****
                        DX - HEARD ISLAND UPDATE

   In DX, we have an update on the abortive Heard Island operation
that was planned to commence last November and the groups plans for
1996.
   As regular listeners know, the 1995 Heard Island operation was
canceled due to the unsuitability of the ship chartered and paid for
in advance by the DXers.  A statement issued by the Wireless Institute
of Australia, outlines in detail the problems encountered by members
of the Heard Island Group.  The report says that they lost more than
165,000 Australian dollars as a result of an obvious con job by the
owner of the boat, who at the time of this report had still not been
found.
   K0IR was the team leader for the planned November trip but he will
be unable to participate in the next effort.  Responsibility for
reorganizing the venture will now be shared by ON6TT and KK6EK.  

(*****
                            DX - WAKE ISLAND

   The Dateline DX Association has announced that its plans to
activate Wake Island from January 24th to the 31st.  This will be a
one week operation with the intention of taking KH9 off the DX
Bulletin's most needed 100 list and at the same time satisfying the
large European demand.  The call sign to be used will be announced
shortly before commencing operations to minimize pirate activity.
Operators are AL7EL, WB2DND, KC7V and K4HQI.  Activity will be on all
bands including the WARC bands.  There will be a major emphasis on
RTTY and satellite, as these modes have never been activated from
Wake.  QSL via:

                            AL7EL, Tom Harrell 
                            27257 Nellis Road
                            Evans Mills, NY 
                            13637 

(*****
                               DX - GUAM

   And WH6ASW is a teacher on Guam and will be there for the next two
years.  Begin looking for him on the bands as WH6ASW/KH2 very soon. 
QSL via G3EZZ.

(*****
                       YHOTY '96 NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

   The nominating period for 1996 "Young Ham of the Year Award" is now
open.  Originally known as the "Westlink Report Young Ham of the
Year," this award program, now entering its second decade, is
presented annually to a United States licensed Radio Amateur who is 18
years of age or younger and who has provided outstanding service to
the nation, his community or the betterment of the state of the art in
communications through the Amateur Radio hobby / service.  
   All nominations must be submitted before June 30, 1996 on an 
official application.  Application forms are available by sending a
self addressed stamped envelope mailed to the:

                      1996 Young Ham of the Year Award 
                      c/o Newsline 
                      28197 Robin Avenue 
                      Saugus, California 
                      91350

   These nominating applications are also available for electronic
download from several sites that provide Newsline materials over the
World Wide Web and from the general interest ham radio files area on
GEnie and America Online.
   Sorry, but there is no way for us to respond to packet radio 
electronic addresses.  To many requests were not deliverable to packet
addresses last year.  If you want to obtain a nominating form
electronically, please do so from one of the commercial services or
via the internet.  Requests to send to packet mailboxes will be
ignored.

(*****
                           1995 LEAP SECOND

   And finally, were you aware that 1995 was actually a bit longer of
a year than originally planned?  That's because the International
Earth Rotation Service -- yes, the really is an International Earth
Rotation Service -- the service added a leap second to the end of the
year.  Or was it to the beginning of 1996?
   What actually occurred was that a second of time was inserted in
the interval between 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds on December
31st of 1995 and 0 hours, 0 minutes and 0 seconds on January 1st of
1996. So if New Years Eve seemed a tiny bit longer to you, now you
know why.

(*****

   And for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You
can write to us at:

                           NEWSLINE
                           P.O.Box 660937
                           Arcadia, California
                           91066

   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF at our editors desk, we remind
you that there are only 40 more weeks until we celebrate newscast
number 1000.  Right now, 73 and we thank you for listening.  

(* * *  Newsline is copyright 1996.  All rights are reserved.  * * *
