The ARRL Letter
Electronic Update
April 26, 1996
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IN THIS UPDATE:

* FCC drops pilot RFI program
* H-Ts okay at Olympics after all
* FCC proposes 5 GHZ spectrum for wireless LANs
* FCC denies W5YI petition
* Action by Skywarn hams saves lives in NC tornado
* "Sparks" victim of satellite system
* Solar update
* In Brief: Vanity call sign status; DO-17 still down;
   Scouts take to the mall; SUNSAT satellite launch set

__________________________________

FCC DROPS PILOT RFI PROGRAM

The FCC has quietly ended a pilot program in Tampa, Florida, that referred 
consumer-electronics interference cases to a local repair shop for 
resolution. Jim Dailey, the FCC engineer in charge in Kansas City and head 
of the FCC's privatization task force, says the FCC's data showed the 
program "had no takers" because the complainants did not want to spend money 
to eliminate the interference.

Fear was another reason, says Roy Lewis, W4WLY, whose Vulcan Electronics in 
Tampa was the only shop certified by the FCC (from August 1995 until 
February 1996) to deal with interference problems. Lewis reports that all of 
the approximately two dozen complaints of RFI to televisions, stereos, 
telephones and even air conditioners, stemmed from unlicensed, high-power 
operations that the customers already had identified. He said the customers 
not only didn't want to pay to have the problems resolved, "they were afraid 
of retaliation if I went out there."

In an April Public Notice, the Commission said it cannot resolve most of the 
thousands of complaints of interference to TVs, radios, stereos and 
televisions "because the cause of this interference is the design or 
construction of these products and not a violation of any FCC rule." 
Resolving interference problems will be the responsibility of manufacturers 
and consumers, Dailey said. "We are separating the issue of interference 
from the issue of compliance. We are not in the television or telephone 
repair business." Daily said consumers who buy an electronic device "have a 
presumption that it ought to work when they buy it."

The FCC's Telephone Interference Bulletin encourages consumers experiencing 
telephone interference to write equipment manufacturers, and it even 
provides a sample complaint letter to make it easy.

Lewis said the consumers complaining about RFI problems believe the 
government should do something about it. Extremely high-powered 11-meter 
operations are common in the Tampa area, Lewis reports. He said the 
scofflaws often cascade several illegal power amplifiers to obtain extremely 
high power levels, and he'd like to see the FCC beef up enforcement, "at 
least in metro areas."

In the same Public Notice, the Commission emphasized that its Compliance and 
Information Bureau "will continue to take appropriate enforcement action 
where it has been determined that the interference is caused by violations 
of the Communications Act or the Commission's rules or policies."

ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, KA1CV, says he's cautiously optimistic about 
the FCC's stance on interference, as reflected in the Public Notice. "I 
truly hope the Commission's statement represents a shift in the way the FCC 
will handle these matters," he said. But he noted that the FCC has not taken 
"appropriate enforcement action" in any of the cases referred to Lewis' 
shop. Ralph Barlow, engineer in charge of the FCC's Tampa office, agrees 
that such illegal operators generate lots of interference complaints, but 
says it would take more than complaints before his office would treat it as 
a compliance issue. For example, a properly operating amplifier could cause 
telephone interference, but "it's still the telephone's problem," he 
suggested, until the FCC has good reason to believe the interference source 
also is breaking the law. Then, "we would address it only as a compliance 
issue" and on a priority basis. "Which probably means we'd never get to it," 
Barlow conceded. Tracking down an offending operator can sap a lot of 
resources the FCC needs to apply elsewhere, he said. "We go after the worst 
first."

Dailey concurred that the FCC's staff is thinly spread and that other 
issues--primarily those involving safety--come first. After the FCC's 
reorganization is complete, he'll have one person for each of the four 
states in his region. "We have to look at what we can accomplish with the 
resources available to us," he said.

Hare says the ARRL will continue to cooperate with the FCC and manufacturers 
in cases of interference that involve Amateur Radio.

The FCC provides basic consumer information about interference problems via 
the Internet on the FCC Compliance and Information Bureau's home page at 
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Compliance/WWW. (The list also is available 
through the Commission's Fax on Demand service at 202-418-2830. Request 
document 6904.) Documents available for viewing and downloading include the 
Interference Handbook and the Telephone Interference Bulletin. The 
Interference Handbook includes a list of equipment manufacturers who provide 
specific assistance with interference problems.

The ARRL makes available several RFI-information packages through its 
Technical Information Service. Specific packages are available for 
interference to TV, cable, VCRs, telephone, computer and audio equipment as 
well as on electrical and automotive interference. Each package costs $2 for 
ARRL members and $4 for nonmembers, postpaid. Write to the ARRL Technical 
Department Secretary, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Most are also 
available on the Hiram BBS (860-594-0306) or the ARRL FTP site 
ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/hamradio/arrl/infoserv/tech.

HOLD THE PHONE: H-Ts WELCOME IN OLYMPIC VENUES AFTER ALL

The latest word from Atlanta is that Amateur Radio will be welcome at the 
Olympics this summer after all. ARRL Southeastern Division Assistant 
Director Jim Altman, N4UCK, reports that ham equipment, including hand-held 
transceivers, is not on the list of items excluded from Olympic events. 
"There was some thought at one time of banning all communications devices, 
including cellulars," Altman said. He said he had assurances "straight from 
the horse's mouth" that H-Ts would not be banned from Olympic venues, as had 
been announced earlier and confirmed by Michael Smalls of the Atlanta 
Committee for the Olympic Games' technology department.

Altman said he's been in close contact with the top security people in ACOG 
in his capacity as head of the ad hoc group under the ARRL umbrella that's 
coordinating the Amateur Radio volunteer force for the games in July, and 
the security heads have assured him that ham radio H-Ts--as well as CB 
transceivers and cellular telephones--will not be kept out and may be used 
in Olympic venues. Altman said not only will ham radio be allowed through 
the gates, hundreds of ham radio volunteers will provide "contingency 
communications" to support the security force's radio system. He expects to 
have approximately 350 ham radio volunteers.

Altman had no explanation for the earlier, contradictory announcement, but 
he did offer a word of caution:  "ACOG's decision-making process changes 
daily. This is the state of affairs today," he said.  "But I don't see any 
indication that it will change."

FCC PROPOSES 5-GHZ SPECTRUM FOR WIRELESS LANS, INTERNET ACCESS

The FCC has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to make available 350 
MHz of spectrum at 5.15-5.35 GHz and 5.725-5.875 GHz for use by so-called 
NII/SUPERNet devices. The spectrum includes part of the shared Amateur Radio 
allocation at 5.65-5.925 GHz. The unlicensed devices provide short-range, 
high-speed wireless digital information transfer and could support new 
wireless local area networks (LANs) and facilitate access to the Internet. 
The proposal is in response to Petitions for Rule Making from Wireless 
Information Networks Forum (WINForum) and Apple Computer Inc.

The FCC has proposed regulating NII/SUPERNet devices under its Part 15 
rules. "Unlicensed Part 15 status would facilitate spectrum reuse and 
provide protection to incumbent and proposed primary operations," the 
Commission's announcement said. The Commission also has proposed only the 
minimum technical standards necessary to prevent interference to other 
unlicensed devices as well as to services already using those frequencies 
and to ensure efficient spectrum use. Proposed rules specify power limits, 
out-of-band emission limits and a basic "listen-before-talk" protocol. 
Details of the proposed rules are not yet available, however, according to 
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, N3AKD. The FCC said it was encouraging 
industry to develop additional standards it believes necessary.

In a separate statement, FCC Commissioner Susan Ness said such unlicensed 
devices "can play a vital role in meeting established and incipient needs 
for communications offering mobility, flexibility, versatility and economy." 
She said she was "especially enthusiastic" about WINForum's proposal, and 
said the proposal sets the FCC on a course that will "bring substantial 
benefits, with no intrusive governmental intervention."

FCC DENIES W5YI PETITION TO END ONE-WAY TRANSMISSIONS

Citing overwhelming opposition, the FCC has denied a Petition for Rule 
Making, RM-8626, filed last year by Frederick O. Maia, W5YI, that would have 
prohibited one-way transmissions of bulletins and code practice--such as 
those aired by W1AW--on frequencies below 30 MHz. Maia had argued that such 
transmissions were outmoded and that some one-way, broadcast-type 
transmissions have interrupted two-way communications already in progress.

Maia publishes the commercial newsletter the W5YI Report, manages the 
W5YI-Volunteer Examiner Coordinator and publishes training materials for 
amateurs.

When he filed his petition, Maia expressed concern over the level of anger 
directed at certain one-way transmissions. "The proliferation of these 
stations has caused chaos in the amateur community that has now reached 
crisis proportions," he said.

The ARRL said that Maia's arguments were overstated and inflammatory, and 
the League urged the FCC "in the strongest possible terms" to deny or 
dismiss the petition without further consideration. The League cited W1AW's 
65 years of free service to amateurs; other countries whose amateur 
societies also conduct informational bulletins on the air; the absence of 
any allegations that W1AW creates any significant interference to ongoing 
amateur communication; and the value of W1AW's bulletins in alerting 
amateurs to emergency situations.

The League said that "any on-air anger perceived by Maia" ought to be the 
subject of FCC enforcement action, not rules changes, saying such situations 
were the direct result of the Commission "allowing abuses to continue for 
months and years" rather than addressing them in a timely manner in the 
context of the existing rules.

The ARRL also said that W1AW code practice as a free alternative to Maia's 
retail sale of code practice products "is sufficient rebuttal to the 
allegation that the code practice has 'outlived its usefulness'."

During the comment period, the FCC said it received 371 comments opposing 
Maia's request and 20 comments supporting it. While acknowledging some 
disagreement about the propriety of one-way transmissions on HF bands, the 
Commission said the overwhelming opposition to Maia's petition "persuades us 
that the amateur service community continues to view the one-way information 
bulletins and the text for telegraphy practice to be of great value to the 
service."

SKYWARN HAMS SAVE LIVES DURING CAROLINA TORNADOS

Thanks to early eyewitness reports of tornado activity by Skywarn hams, no 
lives were lost when tornadoes hit the Raleigh, North Carolina, suburb of 
Zebulon around suppertime on April 15. The storms damaged or destroyed 
nearly 100 homes and caused some minor injuries. Eyewitness reports of the 
tornadoes on the Amateur Radio Skywarn network, intercepted and broadcast by 
Raleigh TV stations, gave many people the few minutes they needed to take 
cover.

The Skywarn network is a voluntary effort by Amateur Radio operators and 
other weather spotters, working in cooperation  with the National Weather 
Service. Because of a severe thunderstorm watch, the Raleigh Skywarn network 
had been on the air since midday April 15, with an operator at the ham 
station at the Raleigh NWS office. Just before 6 PM, sightings from hams on 
the Skywarn system prompted a tornado warning from the weather service. 
WRAL-TV monitored the Amateur Radio traffic and broadcast its own warning 
before the official NWS warning.

The Skywarn net stayed on the air late into the evening, as a tornado watch 
continued until 1 AM. Then, as telephone circuits in Zebulon were disrupted 
and cellular channels became overloaded, Wake County Emergency Management 
called in additional Amateur Radio operators to provide communication 
between the county emergency operations center and several sites in Zebulon, 
including emergency shelters.--Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, Raleigh Amateur Radio 
Society; Wake County Amateur Radio Emergency Service

"SPARKS" GIVES WAY TO SATELLITES?

The nostalgic image of the shipboard Sparks getting the message through with 
his trusty telegraph key took a reality hit April 5 when the FCC voted to 
drop the requirement that vessels equipped with the Global Maritime Distress 
and Safety System also carry manual Morse code radiotelegraph gear. The 
Commission requested that Congress authorize the change, and it was included 
in the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Previously, US-flag cargo vessels of more than 1600 gross tons and US-flag 
passenger vessels were required to carry a manual Morse code radiotelegraph 
installation when navigating in the open sea or on international voyages. 
The radiotelegraph-based vessel safety system, however, is being phased out 
internationally and is scheduled to be replaced by the GMDSS on February 1, 
1999. Qualifying vessels won't have to carry CW equipment if the US Coast 
Guard determines the vessel has GMDSS equipment installed and in good 
working condition.

The rule change exempts GMDSS-equipped vessels from the radiotelegraph 
requirement, provided that each vessel is inspected by the Commission or its 
designee, and is issued a safety certificate or endorsement. The Commission 
noted that the US Coast Guard intends to accept the safety certificate or 
endorsement as evidence that the GMDSS has been installed and found to be 
operating properly. The FCC says the action "will reduce economic burdens 
for vessel operators, enhance worldwide competition in the shipping industry 
by eliminating a requirement generally applicable to only US vessels and 
increase safety at sea by promoting the timely implementation of the 
GMDSS."--FCC

SOLAR UPDATE: MORE OF THE SAME

Solar observer Tad Cook, KT7H, reports that solar flux remained low during 
mid-April, but the geomagnetic field was quite active, making conditions, in 
a word, lousy. There were several more days of no sunspots, but frequent 
periods with a K index of 4 and 5 increased absorption of radio waves. When 
conditions stabilize, look for 30 and 40 meters to provide the best chance 
of worldwide DX. As of this weekend, the K and A indices should be quite low 
again, and though there won't be much ionizing radiation from the sun, at 
least conditions will be stable.

Look for a return to unstable periods after May 10. Solar flux should stay 
around 70 or lower, falling into the high 60s after April 26.

The 199 solar flux figure forecast for August 2000 (and reported earlier), 
is a projected average for the month, and it is also a guess based upon 
previous solar cycles. We hope that peak levels in the summer and fall of 
that year will be higher on some days. Sunspot numbers for April 11 through 
17, respectively, were 0, 13, 13, 0, 0, 12 and 14, with a mean of 7.4. The 
10.7-cm flux was 68, 68.3, 68.8, 68.7, 68, 68.3 and 69.3, with a mean of 
68.5.
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In Brief:

* The long-awaited vanity call sign program is still in the works, but the 
FCC has not yet announced when the program's various gates will open. As of 
press time in late April, the FCC was saying it was still on track for a 
mid-year start. According to the Commission, the delays have been a result 
of having to deal with a second wave of Petitions for Reconsideration, and 
wrapping up their computer-system preparations for the vanity call sign 
program.--Bart Jahnke, KB9NM

* The DOVE-OSCAR 17 satellite remains down following problems first 
experienced last December when an onboard computer apparently crashed. Jim 
White, WD0E, of AMSAT reports that ground controllers have ruled out a few 
hardware problems, but have come no closer to identifying the actual cause 
of the satellite's onboard computer problems. "Work continues," White said. 
"We are continuing to develop further ways to test the hardware." The 
satellite is transmitting occasional packets on 145.825 MHz. DO-17 is not 
transmitting on S band.--Jim White, WD0E

* Explorer Post 80, sponsored by the Mount Vernon (Virginia) Amateur Radio 
Club, will operate from the National Mall in Washington, DC, Saturday, May 
11, 1996, as part of the "Scouting on the Mall" activities. KF4CNF will be 
in the General phone bands on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters, as band conditions 
dictate. Hours of operation will be 1400-2000 UTC. KF4CNF will accept 
traffic from Scouts on the Mall and operate 2-meter FM as well.--Bill 
Stewart, KE4BAE

* Reliable sources indicate that the launch date the Amateur Radio SUNSAT 
satellite has been set for March 6, 1997. SUNSAT is sponsored by the 
University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. One of the more unusual 
projects riding on SUNSAT is an experiment to monitor the internal sounds of 
the spacecraft during the early part of its mission in space. Sounds from 
the spacecraft will be available in real time through a 2-meter FM downlink 
transmitter.--AMSAT News Service

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main 
St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259. Rodney J. 
Stafford, KB6ZV, President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President.

Electronic edition circulation, Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail 
kcapodicasa@arrl.org.
Editorial, Rick Lindquist, KX4V, e-mail rlindquist@arrl.org.

The purpose of The ARRL Letter is to provide the essential news of interest 
to active, organizationally minded radio amateurs faster than it can be 
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and readable in our reporting.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any 
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