Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1991, December 25, 2015
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1991, with a release date of Friday,
December 25, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A California amateur faces a $25,000 fine from the
FCC. Field Day is coming - yes, Winter Field Day. A DXer surprises the
world from North Korea. And, a survey says older contesters are still going
strong.
All this and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1991, coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)
**
CALIFORNIA AMATEUR MAY FACE $25,000 FINE
[DON/ANCHOR:] We open this week's newcast with the story of a California
radio amateur, who has just learned the high price of interference and
other inappropriate transmissions on the bands. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Jim Damron, N8TMW, has more:
[JIM:]
In what ends a protracted FCC case against a ham for intentional
interference, a California radio operator faces a fine of as much as
$25,000.
William F. Crowell, W6WBJ, formerly licensed as N6AYJ, had received
warnings from the agency's Enforcement Bureau about intentional radio
interference as early as 2000. The Diamond Springs ham, whose license
expired in 2007, was nonetheless permitted to continue operating after
the FCC in 2008 designated his license renewal application as pending,
and subject to a hearing. The FCC had flagged that renewal application following
complaints that he had been interfering with other amateurs, interrupting
communications, playing music and transmitting obscenities.
The latest action by the FCC came this past Dec. 18, with the release of
its Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture. The notice, from the
office of FCC San Francisco District Director David K. Hartshorn, was
spurred by reports from the Western Amateur Radio Friendship Association,
whose members claimed direct interference from Crowell during their Net
in August. An investigation by the Enforcement Bureau followed, and it
details its findings in the Notice.
The FCC Notice says, in part, that Crowell "repeatedly interrupted other
amateurs using noises, recordings and music, in addition to talking over
amateurs affiliated with the WARFA Net, so as not to allow them to
transmit on the frequency. His transmissions and recordings included
racial, ethnic and sexual slurs and epithets."
The FCC Enforcement Bureau, which was monitoring the transmissions, noted
too, that the interference did not stop until it had shut the Net down.
The FCC says Crowell acknowledged operating on 3908 kHz on most nights,
and that he was on the air the evening of August 27, when the interference
was reported.
He has been given 30 days from the release of the Notice to pay the
forfeiture, or to file in writing seeking reduction or cancellation of
the proposed penalty.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW, in Charleston,
West Virginia.
(ARRL, FCC.GOV)
**
HUMANITARIAN FUND LAUNCHED BY DX ASSOCIATION
It looks like the giving spirit of the holiday season is going to last
quite a bit longer, thanks to a new fund known as "Hams with Hearts."
The fund is being launched by the International DX Association, with a
starting contribution from the fund's founder Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT.
"Hams with Hearts" aims to provide funding to humanitarian projects
undertaken by DXpedition teams, and expects to begin providing these
grants in just a few weeks - as early as mid-January.
DXpeditioners who apply for the grants are being asked to provide a
detailed and clear plan of what project they plan to undertake, and must
substantiate the benefits the project will create for the local
population. But, the applicants must meet certain standards. Projects
that simply leave behind radio equipment, teach Amateur licensing classes
or create a video will not qualify. Projects that provide First Aid
equipment, water purification and medical supplies, as well as
educational materials and clothing, are more suited for grants from "Hams
with Hearts."
Releasing its announcement this month, INDEXA cautioned that startup will
be gradual. The announcement said, QUOTE "In the early years of this fund,
it is likely that grants will be modest. We therefore will be seeking
low-cost but high-impact projects." ENDQUOTE.
The announcement also said QUOTE "With this new fund, we hope to benefit
humanity, and enhance the image of Amateur Radio around the world." More details
can be found at www.indexa.org
(INDEXA)
**
A FIELD DAY WHERE ICE IS NICE
DON/ANCHOR: The idea of participating in Field Day next month might just
leave you cold - but that's the whole point. Winter Field Day is coming -
and it will be here the last full weekend in January. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Kent Peterson, K-C-ZERO-D-G-Y, talked to organizers of this
alternative annual event:
[KENT'S REPORT]
**
SILENT KEY: REMOTE PICKUP PIONEER GEORGE MARTI
The ham radio community mourns the death of George Marti, W5GLJ, a
pioneer in the manufacture and deployment of remote pick-up broadcast
technology. He became a Silent Key on Dec. 13.
Marti's work not only enabled radio stations to originate broadcasts
away from the studio, but succeeded in getting the FCC to authorize its
use. An early Marti remote pick-up unit of his is on display at the
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
As the owner of a local radio station, Marti developed his first remote
pick-up unit to enable the broadcasting of local high school sports back
to the radio studio, without having to rely on phone lines. A veteran of
the Marines and a man of varied interests, he had been licensed as a ham
since his teens. He later founded Marti Electronics, which he sold in
1994.
George Marti was 95, and was the mayor of Cleburne, Texas, where he died.
(ARRL)
**
CONTESTS PUT THE "O" in "OM"
Participants in the CQ World Wide Contest may be young at heart, but
according to recently released survey results, they're older than you may think.
Preliminary survey results posted by the contest committee reveal
that young competitors were far outnumbered by much older amateurs.
Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q, who prepared the analysis, reported QUOTE "This is
especially true when we look at the age distribution in North America.
There is very little survey participation in North America from those
under 40 years of age. More than 900 of the nearly 1500 respondents from
North America were at least 60 years old." ENDQUOTE
The survey drew 5117 responses from around the world, with the largest
number - 2,600 - from Europe. The good news for younger hams comes from
Europe, however: CQ said the age curve showed participants there to be
about 10 years younger.
The other good news comes from fans of CW: Without exception, Morse Code remains
the most popular operating mode, especially among contesters age
40 and older.
(ARRL)
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WR9ARC repeater
of the Riverland Amateur Radio Club in LaCrosse, Wisconsin on Sundays.
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